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The tense marker i te is used to say that something was happening in the past:
I te oma au.
I was running.
This indicates continuous action - I must have been running for a duration of time.
Another tense marker indicates that something happened at a particular point in time, perhaps only once. This uses i as the tense marker:
I oma au.
I ran.
The difference between "I ran" and "I was running", or "she sang" and "she was singing" can be quite subtle, but one refers to continuous action and the other refers to a particular moment in time when an event happened.
Kei te kōrero ia.
She is talking.
I te kōrero ia.
She was talking.
I kōrero ia.
She spoke.
Kei te waiata ngā tamariki.
The children are singing.
I te waiata ngā tamariki.
She were singing.
I waiata ngā tamariki.
The children sang.
I tākaro poitūkohu au.
I played basketball.I haere ia ki te tāone.
She went to town.I oma mai te katipō nō raro mai i te takapau.
The spider ran out from under the mat.I oma te tama ki te kura.
The boy ran to school.I tapahi a Marama i a ia.
Marama cut herself, or, Marama cut him.I haere a Hemi ki te whare pikitia.
Hemi went to the cinema.I haere au ki te awa ki to hīkoi i te mutunga wiki.
I went to the river to go walking in the weekend.I tauomaoma rātou e rua maero i te one.
They had a race for two miles along the beach.I whakaakona māua ki te raranga harakeke e tō māua kaiako.
We (2 exclusive) were taught to weave flax by our teacher.I waruwaru rīwai au.
I peeled spuds.I pēwhea hoki tō moe, e Mā?
How was your sleep, Mum?I tāraia te waka ki te toki pounamu.
The canoe was carved with a jade adze.I whakatō i ētehi kai māori pērā i te kūmara me te kōkihi.
We planted native food like kūmara and native spinach.I tihewa ia i te pō roa nei.
She sneezed all night.I whānau mai au i Ahuriri.
I was born in Napier.I waiho ahau i te koti ki tō whare.
I left the coat at your house.I hīkoi au me te kurī.
I walked the dog.I hiakai ia.
He or she was hungry.I tae tōmuri mai ia i te pō rā.
He arrived late last night.I pakeke ake ia i Te Waipounamu.
He grew up in the South Island.I āwhina mai ia. He atawhai nōna.
She helped me, She is very kind.I pai taku moe, tuahine.
My sleep was good, sister.I tērā pō, ka tae mai ētahi manuhiri.
Last night, some visitors arrived.I noho rātou ki te kāinga o Aria.
They stayed at Aria's home.I rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?I noho au ki te mahi.
I stayed and worked.I hīkoi ia ki te kura.
She walked to school.I tipu au i Ahitereiria.
I grew up in Australia.I whiwhi paetae au.
I got achieved.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I pātōtō tonu ia i runga i te tēpu.
She kept knocking on the table.I whara au taku waewae.
I hurt my leg.I hoko a Rangi i te waka.
Rangi bought the car.I hiainu koe.
You were thirsty.I tērā tau i hūnuku tōku whānau ki ngā roto o Kai Iwi.
Last year, my family moved to the lakes of Kai Iwi.I haere ā tāua tamariki ki tō rātou wharekura.
Our children went to their school.I haere koutou ki te aha?
What did you go for?I haere te kura ki te tāone ki te whakataetae mō te kapa haka.
The school went to town to compete for the kapa haka.I tono ahau kia mutu te tetū.
I ordered that the rowdy behaviour should stop.I kaha taku kai.
I had lots to eat.I pīrangi a Tau ki te haere hei mema pāremata.
Tau wanted to become an MP.I pekepeke te tamaiti i te taiapa.
The child jumped backwards and forwards over the fence.I tae atu rātou ki reira me ā rātou pū.
They arrived there with their guns.I titiro atu ia ki te rā, ka tihewa.
He look at the sun and sneezed.I kai au i taku parakuihi.
I ate breakfast.I mahi kai mātou i mua i te hui.
We prepared food before the meeting.I kite au i te kurī i te pāmu.
I saw the dog at the farm.I kauhoe atu ia ki te motu.
He swam to the island.I konei rāua i nanahi.
They were here yesterday.I haere mātou ki Te Tai Hauāuru inanahi.
We went to town yesterday.I taku whare te hui.
The meeting was at my place.I pakipaki te katoa me tō rātou kore e tino mārama ki tāua i kī ai.
Everyone applauded though they did not entirely understand what he had said.I tae mai ia mā raro.
He arrived on foot.I haere rātou ki te ngahere inānahi.
They went to the forest yesterday.I pai. I au taku moe.
It was good. I slept well.I pahure atu au i te whare.
I walked past the house.I haere au ki te pāka hei te hikoi.
I went to the park in order to walk.I noho ngā wāhine ki te marae.
The women stayed at the marae.I kite koe i te pirihimana?
Kāore koe i kite i te pirihimana?I haere rāua i te tahataha awa.
They walked beside the river.I tiaki tamariki au.
I looked after kids.I pēwhea tō moe, tungāne?
How was your sleep, brother?I haere au ki te kauhoe.
I went for a swim.I whakatā māua i te whare.
We (me and one other) rested at the house.I noho au i reira i tērā tau.
I stayed there last year.I aha koe i tēnei ata?
What did you do this morning?I kite au i a rātou e hī ika ana.
I saw them fishing.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa ki te whare wānanga i te waru karaka.
Me and my friend drove to uni at 8 o'clock.I kite a Ari i a ia anō.
Ari saw himself.I aha koe inapō?
What did you do last night?I aha koe i te mutunga wiki?
What did you do in the weekend?I pou māua i ētahi rākau māori: he tōtara, he tarata, he kōwhai hoki.
We planted some native trees: tōtara, tarata and kōwhai.I pātōtō ia i runga i te tēpu.
She knocked on the table.I tatari mātou i te kēti.
We walked by the gate.I ngā hōtoke kei ngā raorao, kei ngā mānia, ā, i ngā raumati kei ngā maunga.
In the winter they were on the foothills and on the plains, and in the summer they were in the mountains.I mutu tōmua tātou i tēnei rā.
We finished early today.I ngā rā o mua, mā te hōiho kē te moua e tō.
In former times, a horse pulled the mower instead.I tākaro teihana tākaro au.
I played Play Station.I āhua wera koe.
You were somewhat hot.I kai koe i te aha i nāpo?
What did you eat last night?I haere koe ki te toa?
Kāore koe i haere ki te toa?I kai au tahi me...
I ate with...I kite au i tērā tamaiti tāne.
I saw that boy.I mahi poka noa au ki te keri i te whenua, ka kohete mai ia, 'E tama e! Me taki karakia i te tuatahi'.
I heedlessly started digging and she growled at me, 'Boy! You should do karakia first!'I tupu hoki ahau i reira.
I also grew up there.I taku taenga atu ki te kāinga, kua maoa kē i a ia ngā kai.
When I got home, he had already cooked dinner.I waiata rāua i te hui?
Kāore rāua i waiata i te hui?I tū tētahi tamaiti tāne.
A certain boy stood.I haere au ki te pāka ki te hikoi.
I went to the park to walk.I kōrero a Tīmoti ki te whakaminenga.
Tīmoti addressed the assembled people.I tino pai a Rangi.
Rangi was very good.I Kohitātea ka whakatā tonu mātou.
We always take our holidays in January.I rongo a Amaru i te kurī.
Amaru heard the dog.I āhua makariri a Hēmi.
Hēmi was somewhat cold.I toro au ki ngā hoa.
I visited friends.I pēnei anō te tītere o te moana inanahi nei i tēnei rā.
The sea yesterday was as rough as it is today.I pai tāna waita.
His singing was good.I rapu haere ia i ana kī.
He went around looking for his keys.I haere au ki to awa ki to hīkoi, i toro auto ki tōku hoa, ā, i kai tahi hoki me tōku whānau.
I went to the river to go walking, I visited my friend and I are together with my family.I mahi au i te māra, ā, āe, i pānui pukapuka, ā, i tunu hoki au i te kai mā te whānau.
I worked in the garden, yeah, I read books and I cooked for the family.I whānau au i Poihākena, i Ahitereiria.
I was born in Sydney, Australia.I horoi pēpi au.
I washed baby.I uru ia ki te kura.
She entered the school.I kai ngā tamariki i te parāoa.
The children ate the bread.I kite a Rangi i te katipō.
Rangi saw a katipō.I tiki au i ngā tamariki.
I got the kids.I haere rāua ki te whare pikitia inanahi.
Those two went to the movies yesterday.I karanga atu ki ngā manuhiri au.
I called to the guests.I tino hiamoe ahau.
I was very sleepy.I hoatu a Mere i te keke ki tana tama.
Mary gave the cake to her son.I haere a Hori ki te kanikani ki te kimi hoa wahine.
Hori went to the dance to look for a girlfriend.I pānui a Toa i tērā pukapuka.
Toa read that book.I tākaro mātou i te kōti tuarua.
We played on the second court.