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In te reo Māori, ki can mean "to" and i can mean "from". However, these two small words are also used often to undicate the object of a sentence. This is the thing that a person does something to or a person that has something done to them. For example, in the sentence "I am reading a book", the subject of the sentence is "I" - I am the one doig the action. The verb is "reading". But the object of the sentence is "a book". This is the thing being read.
In English we do not say "I am reading to to the book" - this would make no sense - but this is what we need to say in te reo. The object of a sentence (the book being read, or the song being sung, or the tree being planted, or the baby being fed) must always have an i or a ki. Very often, people miss this out because there is no English equivalent for this.
For example we do not say: "kei te pānui au te pukapuka" but:
Kei te pānui au i te pukapuka.
I am reading the book.
The i is a "particle" (a small word) that indicates the thing that is being read, and without it the sentence makes no sense.
Similarly, we do not say: "kei te waiata ia te waiata" but:
Kei te waiata ia i te waiata.
She is singing the song.
Again, the i is an essential part of the sentence and must be included to indicate the thing being sung - the song, which is the object of the sentence.
Ka hoe atu ngā tāngata i uta ki tai.
The people will paddle from the shore towards the sea.Ka kohi au i te kaimoana.
I will collect sea food.Kei te mau ia i tētahi pōtae, i tētahi poraka, i tētahi tīhate, me tētahi hāte hoki.
She is wearing a hat, a jersey, a t-shirt and a shirt.Inapō au i whakaoti ai i taku mahi.
Yesterday I finished my work.Kua whakarite tāku tāne i te parakuihi.
My husband has prepared breakfast.Kei te mau hū au pērā i ō Michael Jordan.
I am wearing shoes like Michael Jordan's.I tākaro netipōro mātou i te ata o te Rāhoroi.
We played netball on Saturday morning.E taupoki ana ia i te māra.
She's digging the garden.Te whakamau atu i te kope mā.
Putting on a fresh nappyHe maha ngā moni kua pau i a ia i te toa.
She has spent lots of money at the shop.Kei roto ngā putiputi i te ipu.
The flowers are in the vase.Kei te whakatokopā au i a koe.
I am burping you.Ka tīmata rāua ki te horoi i te whare.
They have started to wash the house.Kuhu atu ki roto i tō moenga.
Get in your bed.Kua pau i a ia te paraoa te kai.
He has eaten up the bread.Ka haere i te ara i runga i te rangitoto, ke ahu ki Onehunga.
[They] went along the path over the scoria and headed to Onehunga.Kei te rapu tā mātou ngeru i tāna kai.
Our cat is searching for his food.I rārāina ngā tuna i runga ake i te mānuka poa.
The eels were smoked over smouldering mānuka.Ka hoatu ahau i te pukapuka ki a koe.
I will give you the book.Kei te pānui te tama i te pukapuka.
The boy is reading the book.Ka kai tātou i tētahi ika nui.
We will eat a big fish.Whakaorangia mātou i te kino.
Deliver us from evil.Kua whakareri tāku tāne i te parakuihi.
My husband has prepared breakfast.I pakaru te wini i a Honi.
The window was broken by Honi.Ka hopu a Poti i te manu.
Pussy catches the bird.Ka āwhina aua manu i te tīwaiwaka.
Those birds help the fantail.E kore au e ngaki i te māra.
I won't weed the garden.I kaukau ngā tamariki i te whanga.
The children swam in the bay.Ki te tiki i tō tungane i te pahi.
To pick up your brother from the bus.Kei te moe ia i tōna moenga.
He's sleeping on his bed.Kua mākū katoa ngā tamariki i te ua.
The children are all wet from the rain.Āe, kua kai au i te tītī.
Yes I have eaten mutton bird.Ko mataku māua i a ia.
We were frightened by him.E kihi ana a Amaru i a Mia.
Amaru is kissing Mia.Me kau hoki ki hea i te tawhiti ki waho o te moana nui?
Where could he swim to, from such a distance out in the ocean?Kei te waruwaru rātou i ngā rīwai.
They are peeling the spuds.Ka hanga a Amaru i tōku whare.
Amaru will build my house.Kei te āwhina rāua i a Ataahua.
They (2) are helping Ataahua.Ka haere au ki te tiki miraka i te pouaka makariri.
I will go and fetch the milk from the fridge.I tupu au i Te Tonga.
I grew up down South.Kei te whakaoti rātou i ā rātou taumahi.
They are competing their assignments.Kei te pata au i te tōhi mā te parakuihi.
I'm buttering the toast for breakfast.I aha koe i te mutunga wiki.
What did you do in the weekend?E moe ana au i tētahi rākau kākāriki.
I am sleeping in a green tree.Ka tunu au i te parāoa ā tēnei pō.
I'll bake the bread tonight.