Māori Grammar
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Mai is one of the direction particles in te reo Māori, along with atu (away from), iho (downwards) and ake (upwards).
It is used in sentences that clearly mean "towards me":
Haere mai.
Come to me.
Kōrero mai.
Talk to me.
Whakarongo mai.
Listen to me.
Titiro mai!
Look here!
Kua hoki mai ia.
She has returned (here).
Kua tae mai ngā manuhiri.
The guests have arrived (here).
However, it is often used in te reo Māori where a meaning of "towards me" is not obvious.
For example:
Kua noho mai ia ki Tāmaki Makaurau mō ngā tau e rima.
She has been living in Auckland for five years.
The mai does not mean “towards me”; it shows that her residence began in the past and continues up to the present moment. In this context, mai means "from then up to this point in time":
Kua mōhio mai au ki tēnei tikanga mō te tekau tau.
I have known this custom for ten years.
Oma atu, tamariki mā!
Run away children!Haere mai, tamariki mā!
Come here children!Ka puta mai te Ao Mārama.
The world of light came forth.Ka hoki mai au i te rua haora.
I'll be back in two hours.Kia tae mai pea ia.
I hope she comes.Tatari mai i konā, e te tau.
Wait there, my darling.Kahore ia i whakawātea mai mua o te haka.
He didn't move away from the front of the haka.Mauria mai ngā toka ki tēnei taha o te whare.
Bring the stones to this side of the house.Pānuihia mai te whārangi tuarua.
Read me the second page.Ka hoki mai au ākuanei.
I'll come back soon.Ka haere mai rātou a te Mane.
They will come on Monday.Haere mai ki te kaukau.
Come for a bath.E oma atu ana ngā tamariki.
The children are running away.Tokohia kē mai nei ngā tāngata e tae mai ana mō te kai!
What a lot of people are arriving for the food!Ā, kua hoki mai taku mokopuna.
Ah, my grandchild has returned.Ka hoki mai au āpōpō.
I will return tomorrow.E noho mai ana tāku tamāhine i Ōtautahi.
My daughter is living in Christchurch.Āe, haere mai ki te kai.
Yes, come to eat.Ka tae mai rāua ki Ōtautahi.
They arrived here in Christchurch.I tau mai te waka ki uta, me te karanga atu a te iwi e tatari ana.
The canoe came to shore while the people who were waiting called out.Kua hoki mai ia.
She has returned.Tatari mai i konā, e te tau.
Wait there, my darling.I haere mai au ki te inu,.
I came here to drink.Kua tae mai rātou i Rotorua.
They have arrived here from Rototua.Tēnā koutou kua hui mai nei i tēnei rā!
Greetings to you who are gathered here on this day!Haere mai ki konei!
Come here! (to this place/to where i am)Kei te ata ka eke mai ka patu.
In the morning they will arrive and attack.I rere mai te kaipuke.
The ship sailed here.I hoki mai koe inanahi?
Did you come bach yesterday?Tae tonu mai te ope ki konei, ka eke ki te marae.
As soon as the party got here, they went to the marae.Me kōmuhu mai koe ki a au.
You should whisper it to me.Ka rīngi mai ia a te awatea.
She'll ring in the middle of the day.Tēnā haria mai he āporo māku, e kō?
Can you bring me an apple please, dear?Tukuna mai mā te tuhinga kūkara.
Send it to me via google doc.Kei te hiahia au kia whakarongo mai koe!
I want you to listen!Me kōrero mai anō koe.
You'd better speak to me again.Ka haere mai ia āpōpō.
She is coming here tomorrow.Kō ēnei waka e rua, i ū mai ki Hokianga.
These two canoes landed at Hokianga.Karanga mai, karanga mai, karanga mai!
Call me! Call me! Call me!Kei te menemene mai te pēpi.
The baby is smiling at me.Kua tae mai a Tawa.
Tawa has arrived.Kia ora mai tātou katoa.
Greetings to all of us.I tae mai ngā manuhuri.
The visitors arrived.Tangohia mai ngā tūru.
Take the chairs down.Auē! E haere tonu mai ana te pūru!
Oh! The bull is still coming!Kei te whai mai koe i ahau.
Do you follow me?I haere mai au mā runga pahi.
I came by bus.Ki te tae mai a Haki mā, ka tere oti ngā mahi.
If Haki and the others arrive, then the work will be.Ka tū mai Aorangi, te tipuna maunga o Waitaha.
There stands Aorangi, the ancestral mountain of the Waikato people.Titiro mai, whakarongo mai, kōrero mai!
Look, listen and speak!