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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 rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?I titiro atu ia ki te rā, ka tihewa.
He look at the sun and sneezed.I waiho ahau i te koti ki tō whare.
I left the coat at your house.I oma mai te katipō nō raro mai i te takapau.
The spider ran out from under the mat.I whiwhi paetae au.
I got achieved.I pātōtō ia i runga i te tēpu.
She knocked on the table.I ngā rā o mua, mā te hōiho kē te moua e tō.
In former times, a horse pulled the mower instead.I rongo a Rangi i te kurī.
Rangi heard the dog.I haere ia ki te tāone.
She went to town.I kai au i taku parakuihi.
I ate breakfast.I tatari mātou i te kēti.
We walked by the gate.I oma te tama ki te kura.
The boy ran to school.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 pai taku moe, tuahine.
My sleep was good, sister.I pakeke ake ia i Te Waipounamu.
He grew up in the South Island.I tae atu rātou ki reira me ā rātou pū.
They arrived there with their guns.I aha koe i te mutunga wiki?
What did you do in the weekend?I tērā pō, ka tae mai ētahi manuhiri.
Last night, some visitors arrived.I kaha taku kai.
I had lots to eat.I kite a Pāora i a ia anō.
Pāora saw himself.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 kai koe i te aha i nāpo?
What did you eat last night?I hiakai ia.
He or she was hungry.I tākaro teihana tākaro au.
I played Play Station.I kite au i te kurī i te pāmu.
I saw the dog at the farm.I noho au ki te mahi.
I stayed and worked.I haere au ki te pāka ki te hikoi.
I went to the park to walk.I whānau mai au i Tāmaki-makau-rau.
I was born in Auckland.I haere koutou ki te aha?
What did you go for?I haere a Hori ki te kanikani ki te kimi hoa wahine.
Hori went to the dance to look for a girlfriend.I taku whare te hui.
The meeting was at my place.I kōrero a Tīmoti ki te whakaminenga.
Tīmoti addressed the assembled people.I konei rāua i nanahi.
They were here yesterday.I pahure atu au i te whare.
I walked past the house.I horoi pēpi au.
I washed baby.I mutu tōmua tātou i tēnei rā.
We finished early today.I pekepeke te tamaiti i te taiapa.
The child jumped backwards and forwards over the fence.I kite a Honi i te katipō.
Honi saw a katipō.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.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 haere rātou ki te ngahere inānahi.
They went to the forest yesterday.I āhua makariri a Hēmi.
Hēmi was somewhat cold.I tiaki tamariki au.
I looked after kids.I waiata rāua i te hui?
Kāore rāua i waiata i te hui?I haere a Hemi ki te whare pikitia.
Hemi went to the cinema.I haere rāua ki te whare pikitia inanahi.
Those two went to the movies yesterday.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 whara au taku waewae.
I hurt my leg.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 pīrangi a Tau ki te haere hei mema pāremata.
Tau wanted to become an MP.I aha koe inapō?
What did you do last night?I tae tōmuri mai ia i te pō rā.
He arrived late last night.I pou māua i ētahi rākau māori: he tōtara, he tarata, he kōwhai hoki.
We planted some native trees: tōtara, tarata and kōwhai.I hoko a Rangi i te waka.
Rangi bought the car.I āwhina mai ia. He atawhai nōna.
She helped me, She is very kind.I noho rātou ki te kāinga o Tame.
They stayed at Tame's home.I pātōtō tonu ia i runga i te tēpu.
She kept knocking on the table.I haere ā tāua tamariki ki tō rātou wharekura.
Our children went to their school.I tākaro mātou i te kōti tuarua.
We played on the second court.I pēwhea tō moe, tungāne?
How was your sleep, brother?I pai tāna waita.
His singing was good.I haere rāua i te tahataha awa.
They walked beside the river.I whānau au i Poihākena, i Ahitereiria.
I was born in Sydney, Australia.I tino hiamoe ahau.
I was very sleepy.I tapahi a Marama i a ia.
Marama cut herself, or, Marama cut him.I haere au ki te kauhoe.
I went for a swim.I haere koe ki te toa?
Kāore koe i haere ki te toa?I hīkoi ia ki te kura.
She walked to school.I mahi kai mātou i mua i te hui.
We prepared food before the meeting.I haere mātou ki Poneke inanahi.
We went to town yesterday.I āhua wera koe.
You were somewhat hot.I rapu haere ia i ana kī.
He went around looking for his keys.I pai. I au taku moe.
It was good. I slept well.I tihewa ia i te pō roa nei.
She sneezed all night.I whakatō i ētehi kai māori pērā i te kūmara me te kōkihi.
We planted native food like kūmara and native spinach.I kauhoe atu ia ki te motu.
He swam to the island.I kite au i a rātou e hī ika ana.
I saw them fishing.I noho ngā wāhine ki te marae.
The women stayed at the marae.I hoatu a Mere i te keke ki tana tama.
Mary gave the cake to her son.I tauomaoma rātou e rua maero i te one.
They had a race for two miles along the beach.I tae mai ia mā raro.
He arrived on foot.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 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 tū tētahi tamaiti tāne.
A certain boy stood.I tino pai a Rangi.
Rangi was very good.I tono ahau kia mutu te tetū.
I ordered that the rowdy behaviour should stop.I tiki au i ngā tamariki.
I got the kids.I pēnei anō te tītere o te moana inanahi nei i tēnei rā.
The sea yesterday was as rough as it is today.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 whakaakona māua ki te raranga harakeke e tō māua kaiako.
We (2 exclusive) were taught to weave flax by our teacher.I kai au tahi me...
I ate with...I waruwaru rīwai au.
I peeled spuds.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I toro au ki ngā hoa.
I visited friends.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 tākaro poitūkohu au.
I played basketball.I pēwhea hoki tō moe, e Mā?
How was your sleep, Mum?I haere au ki te pāka hei te hikoi.
I went to the park in order to walk.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 hīkoi au me te kurī.
I walked the dog.I whakatā māua i te whare.
We (me and one other) rested at the house.I pānui a Toa i tērā pukapuka.
Toa read that book.I tupu hoki ahau i reira.
I also grew up there.I Kohitātea ka whakatā tonu mātou.
We always take our holidays in January.I uru ia ki te kura.
She entered the school.I tipu au i Ahitereiria.
I grew up in Australia.I kite au i tērā tamaiti tāne.
I saw that boy.I karanga atu ki ngā manuhiri au.
I called to the guests.I kai ngā tamariki i te parāoa.
The children ate the bread.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 tāraia te waka ki te toki pounamu.
The canoe was carved with a jade adze.I kite koe i te pirihimana?
Kāore koe i kite i te pirihimana?