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In English there are several ways to talk about the past. We can say: "I worked", "I was working", "I have worked", "I had worked" and "I had been working".
There are similar distinctions in te reo Māori.
I te mahi au.
I was working.
I mahi au.
I worked.
Kua mahi ai.
I have worked.
The word kua is always translated with "has", "had" or "have", and indicates a completed action:
Kua inu te tamaiti i te miraka.
The child has drunk the milk.
Kua kai pāua koe?
Have you eaten pāua?Kua mā ināianei?
Is it clean now?Kua whana te tama i te pōro.
The boy has kicked the ball.Kua tīmata ngā mihimihi.
The speeches have begun.Kua mutu i a koe tō mahi?
Have you finished your work?Kua tīmata te kēmu.
The game has started.Kua mā te wharepaku.
The toilet has been cleaned.Kua haere ngā tamariki ki te kura.
The children have gone to school.Kua rite kōrua?
Are you two ready?Kua waiho taua wāhi hei urupā mō ngā tūpāpaku.
That place was left as a burial ground for the dead.Kua eke atu ia ki ngā taumata o te waru tekau mā whitu tau.
She has reached the age of eighty seven years.Kua mōhio ia ki te kōrero pukapuka.
She knows how to book read.Kua kai koe i tō parakuihi?
Have you had your breakfast?Kua mutu tāu mahi, ka haere tātou.
When your job's finished we shall go.Kua tika katoa kai me ngā mīti atu.
All the food, including the meat, should be ready now.Kua horoia e koe ō niho?
Have you cleaned your teeth?Kua kitea e koe?
Have you seen it?Kua pari te tai.
The tide is high.Kua hoki mai ia.
She has returned.Kua reri te parakuihi.
Breakfast is ready.Kua tiki koe i te kai?
Have you got the food?Kua horahia te kai.
This food has been spread out before us.Kua whakamutu koe i tāu mahi?
Have you finished your work?Kua roa ake te mahi i tāku i whakaaro ai.
The job has taken longer than I thought.Kua whakahokia ki a ia te tamaiti i mauria e ngā pirihimana i te marama o Oktopa.
The child who was taken by the police in October has been returned to her.Kua kai kamokamo koe?
Have you tried kamokamo?Kua tino tāroaroa haere tō tamaiti!
Your son has become taller!Kua hoki te waka ki te kāinga.
The car has returned home.Kua mārama a Rangi i te kaupapa.
Rangi has understood the topic.Kua mā tō kanohi ināianei.
Your face is all clean now.Kua tū a Hine hei kaiārahi.
Hine has stood as a leader.Kua oti i taku pāpā te kai te tunu.
My father has finished cooking.Kua tae mai tā tātou manuhiri.
Our visitors have arrived.Kua maroke pai koe ināianei.
You're all dry now.Kua pakaru i a Taika?
Did Taika break it?Kua hōhā katoa au ki a koe.
I'm totally annoyed with you.Kua tākaro rāua i te whutupaoro.
They have played rugby.Kua ora mai anō te tamaiti.
The child is well again.Kua mutu tana mahi whakareri i ngā kai.
He has finished preparing the food.Kua haere mai rātou kia whakaakona ai ki te reo Māori.
They have come in order to be taught Māori.Kua tīkina e Mere te kai.
Mere has fetched the food.Kua rongo rātou i te kai.
They (3/+) have perceived (tasted, smelt) the food.Kua ahatia tērā tāne?
What happened to that man?Kua tākarohia e mātou ngā kēmu e rua.
We've played two games.Kua whakapai ngā rīhi.
The dishes have been cleaned.Kua ako koe i te reo Māori?
Have you learned te reo Māori?Kua mamae tōku kakī.
My neck is sore.Kua riro ia i te ringa o Aituā.
He has been taken by the hands of Misfortune.Kua whakatika au i te moenga.
I've made the bed.Kua reri te kai.
The food is ready.Kua tīkina ngā kākahu horoi e ngā tamariki.
The clean clothes have been fetched by the children.Kua mā katoa koe ināianei.
You're all clean now.Kua mutu te hui.
The meeting has finished.Kua riro te mahi uaua i a au.
The hard work has been received by me.Kua uru ia ki te kura
She entered the school.Kua kite ahau i a koe.
I have seen you.Kua kitea e koe? Ko te aha? Ko tāku waea pūkoro?
Have you seen it? What? My cell phone?Kua mutu ngā kōrerorero.
The discussions were over.Kua hora te tēpu?
Has the table been set?Kua tae mai a Hemi.
Hemi has arrived.Kua ora mai anō ōna mātua.
His parents have got well again.Kua kī kē te hōro i te tamariki.
The hall was full of children.Kua mau te ika i a Pani.
Pani has caught the fish.Kua pakaru te rama i runga ake i te tēpu.
The light above the table is broken.Kua mā te ipupara?
Is the rubbish bin clean?Kua mutu tāku mahi i a au.
My work has been finished by me. (I've stopped working)Kua oti tā māua mahi.
Our (two people) work is done.Kua kai au i te pūhā.
I have eaten pūhā.Kua mutu tō mahi?
Have (you) finished your work.Kua kite koe i taku pene? He mā whero te mea na.
Have you seen my pen? It's a pink one.Kua mīia e koe tō kope.
You peed your nappy.Kua hokona tēnei rorohiko māu.
This computer has been bought for you.Kua tango au i ōku hū.
I have removed my shoes.Kua tae mai ngā tītī.
The muttonbirds have arrived.Kua kite noa atu ahau ka ngaro te reo Māori.
I saw long ago that the Māori language will disappear.Kua pānui koe i te puka wetereo?
Have you read the grammar guide?Kua mārama au ki tōu whakautu.
I've understood your response.Kua ngaro taku pukapuka.
My book is lost.Kua toto tana ihu.
His nose has started bleeding.Kua piki au i te maunga o Tongariro.
I've climbed the mountain Tongariro.Kua pau ngā moni.
They money is all gone.Kua rongo koe i te waiata hou?
Have you heard the new song?Kua mimi te pēpi.
The baby peed.Kua kaha tā mātou mahi.
We have worked hard.Kua mutu te mahi.
Work has finished.Kua pakaru te hīrere.
The shower has broken!Kua rongo koe i te tītī?
Have you heard the muttonbird?Kua pau katoa te kai i a koutou!
You have eaten up all the food!Kua tae mai rātou i Rotorua.
They have arrived here from Rototua.Kua kai-tohetaka koe.
You have eaten dandelion.Kua kitea e koe? Ko te aha? Ko tāku waea pūkoro?
Have you seen it? What? My cell phone?Kua whai tohu koe?
Do you have a degree?Kua tae atu koe ki tāwāhi?
Have you been overseas?Kua hōhā au ki tēnei tū āhuatanga.
I'm sick (bored) of this carry on.Kua mutu koe?
Have you finished?Kua mā katoa koe!
You are completely clean!Kua hora a Aroha i te tēpu.
Aroha's set the table.Kua hoki mai rāua i te toa.
They have returned from the shop.Kua piki te ngeru ki runga i te tūru.
The cat has climbed onto the chair.Kua horoi koe i ngā pereti?
Have you done the dishes?Kua haere ia ki te kura.
She's gone to school.Kua kōrero ngā wāhine.
The women have spoken.Kua ako a Mere i te waiata.
Mere has learnt the song.Kua tino ora a roto.
The inside is very well.Kua moe a Tamahae i runga i te tēpu.
Tamahae has gone to sleep on the table.Kua whakatika ia i ōna makawe.
He's straightened his hair.Kua ruaki koe ki runga i a Pāpā.
You just threw up on Daddy.Kua rima ōna tau.
She has reached five years.Kua haere ia ki te toa ki te hoko hikareti.
She's gone to the store to buy cigarattes.Kua mutu i a koe?
Have you finished?Kua moumou rātou i te rehu horoi.
They have wasted the soap powder.Kua mā te ruma?
Is the room clean?Kua mahia te mahi pai e kōrua.
The good work has been done by you twoKua tae mai rātou?
Have they arrived?Kua haere kē i mua tata o taku taenga atu.
He left just before I arrived.Kua uhia te maunga ki te hukarere.
The mountain is covered in snow.Kua tae te rīpoata ki te kaiako.
The report has been given to the teacher.Kua pau te moni i a au.
The money has been spent by me.Kua haere a Kauri ki tāwāhi.
Kauri's gone overseas.Kua kī te waka.
The car is full.Kua rongo au kei te haere mai koe.
I heard you were coming.Kua paru te kāuta.
The kitchen has been dirtied.Kua pau i a ia te kōrero tēnei pukapuka.
He has read this book right through.Kua tae katoa mai rātou.
They have all arrived.Kua oma ngā tamariki i te papa tākaro.
The children have run in the playground.