Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 1
Locatives (at the moment, something is somewhere) - kei te

Kei te means that something is happening at the moment. However, kei can also indicate that something is located somewhere at the moment.

Kei te hokomaha ahau.
At the moment, I am located at the supermarket.
I'm at the supermarket.

Kei te wharepaku ia.
At the moment, she's located in the toilet.
She's in the toilet.

This might seem a little confusing, because you might think that kei te hokomaha ahau means "I am supermaketing" in the same way that kei te oma ahau means "I am running". But, in fact, this is more or less what it means. 

In English, sentences with verbs like "run" and "sing" are different from sentences where we say where we are. But in te reo Māori, they are very closely related. In Māori, a sentence with a verb actually tells someone where a person is located:

Kei te hikoi ahau.
At the moment, I am located at the walking.
I'm walking.

Kei te waiata ia.
At the moment, she is located at the singing.
She is singing.

Of course, in English, no one would ever say "I am located at the walking" to indicate that they were going for a walk, but in te reo, kei te is a kind of locative.

Kei te huarahi o Kuini.
On Queen Street.

Kei te māra a Māmā.
Mum's in the garden.

Kei te tū te waka i te huarahi.
The car's parked on the road.

Kei te mahi ia.
She is at her place or work. OR: She is working.

Kei te papa tākaro rāua.
Those two are at the playground.

Kei te tauranga waka tō waka?
Is your car in the carpark?

Kei te kāinga te pēpi.
The baby is at home.

Kei te toa au.
I'm at the shop.

Kei te pakitara ngā whakaahua.
The photos are on the wall.

Kei Te Tai Tokerau a Rangi.
Rangi is in the Northland region.

Kei a Koa te waka.
Koa has the car.

Kei tērā tamaiti tō waea pūkoro.
That child has your cell phone.

Kei te kāpata.
In the cupboard.

Kei a wai āku kihi?
Who's got my keys?

Kei te wharepaku ia.
She's in the toilet.

Kei hea ngā pounamu mīraka?
Where are the milk bottles?

Kei te kura ngā tamariki.
The children are at school.

Kei te māra tō whutupōro.
Your football's by the garden.

Kei te tākarokaro ki waho.
Playing outside.

Kei waho ōku hoa.
My friends are outside.

Kei te hokomaha.
At the supermarket.

Kei te kuaha.
At the door.

Kei te kāpata te huka.
The sugar's in the cupboard.

Kei te whare pikitia au.
I'm at the movie theatre.

Kei te kura.
At school.

Kei te hui rātou.
They are at the meeting.

Kei te rūma horoi kākahu ō hū.
Your shoes are in the laundry.

Kei te tāone.
At town.

Kei te kāpata te paraoa.
The bread is in the cupboard.

Kei Whakatamacr;ne te pāpā.
The father is in Whakatamacr;ne.

Kei te Kāpiti au e noho ana.
I am living in Kāpiti.

Kei te kaitiaki whare.
The caretaker has them.

I hea?
Where was?

Kei Matipō Tirīti tō rātou kāinga.
Their house is in Matipō Street.

Kei te kāpata te puruma.
The broom's in the cupboard.

Kei Pōneke te kāinga tūtru o Aria.
Aria's permanent home is in Wellington.