Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 3
Habitual action - ai

The particle ai can be used in a variety of different ways.

When it follows a verb at the start of a sentence, it has the meaning "habitually" or "regularly".

Kai ai au.
I always eat.

Oho ai au i te wari karaka i te ata.
I usually wake up at eight o'clock in the morning.

I ngā ata, haere ai ngā kaimahi ki te ngahere.
In the mornings, the workers always go to the bush.

Inu ai au i te waipiro ia wiki ia wiki.
I always drink alcohol every week.

Kai ai te ngeru i ngā kiore.
The cat always eats mice.

Noho ai rātou ki Waiwera ia tau, ia tau.
They always stay at Waiwera each year.

Horoi ai au i aku niho i te ao, i te .
I habitually brush my teeth day and night.

Mai i tōku tamarikitanga pīrangi ai ahau ki te mahi nēhi.
Since childhood I have always wanted to be a nurse.

Āe. Hīkoi ai au ia , ia .
Yes, I always walk each and every day.

Ia , ia , tunu ai au i te hapa.
Every day, (each day) I always cook dinner.

Waiata ai ngā manu i ngā ata.
The birds usually sing in the mornings.

Karakia ai au ia ata, ia ata.
I always pray every morning.

ai ngā whakamātautau i te mutunga o te tau.
The exams always take place at the end of the year.

Haere ai a Pita ki te marae ia , ia .
Pita always goes to the marae each and every day.

Kai ai au i te pāreti ia ata, ia ata.
I always eat porridge each and every morning.

Tunu rēwena ai ia i ia Rātapu.
She always bakes bread every Sunday.

Ia , ia , tunu ai au i te hapa.
Every day I always cook dinner.

Hokihoki ai ia ki te kāinga.
He returned home regularly.

Hīkoi ai a Hera ki te kura.
Hera always walks to school.

Haere ai au ki Pōneke.
I am always going to Wellington.

Tirotiro ai ia i ngā pānui ngā matenga i ia , i ia .
She checks out the death notices religiously every day.

Maranga mai ai au ia , ia i te whitu karaka.
I always get up every day at seven o'clock.

Mau mōhiti ai ia.
He always wears glasses.

Pānui ai au i ia , i ia .
I always read each and every night.

Haere ai ia runga pahikara ki te mahi ia ata ia ata.
He always goes to work by bike every morning.

Kai ai ngā manu i ngā kākano o tēnei rākau hua.
The birds usually eat the seeds of this fruit tree

Titiro ai au ki te ua.
I always watch the rain.

Hīkoi ai au ia , ia .
I always walk each and every day.

Ia Rāapa ia Rāapa waea ai tāku tamāhine ki a au.
Every Wednesday my daughter always phones me.

Haere ai mātou ki Rotorua i ngā hararei.
We regularly go to Rotorua in the holidays.

Inu ai au i te waipiro ia ia .
I always drink alcohol every day.

Ia , ia , oho ai au ki te horoi i ngā kākahu.
Every day, I always get up to wash the clothes.

Tuhituhi reta ai ia.
He regularly writes letters.

Noho ai ngā wāhine ki konei.
The always women sit here.

Oma ai a Rangi ki te mahi i ngā katoa.
Rangi always runs to work every day.

Tunu kai ai ahai i a , i a .
I always cook food every night.

Mau pāhau ai ia? Kāo!
Does he always have a beard? No!

Inu ai au i te kawhe ia ata, ia ata.
I always drink coffee every morning.

Mai i tōku tamarikitanga pīrangi ai au ki te mahi hei nēhi.
Since childhood I have always wanted to work as a nurse.

Ako ai au ia , ia .
Learn something habitually every day.

I ia Rāhoroi haere ai a Hēmi ki te hoko tīkiti Rotarota.
Every Saturday Hēmi always goes to buy a Lotto ticket.

I ngā Rāpare, mātakitaki ai au i Coronation Street.
On Thursdays I always watch Coronation Street.

Tae mai ai te pahi, i ia hāora, i ia hāora.
The bus regularly arrives every hour.

Mahi ai au, ia te , ia te , hāunga anō ko ngā Rātapu.
I work regularly, every day except on Sundays.

I ngā raumati, kaukau ai au i te moana.
In the summer, I regularly swim in the sea.

Mātakitaki pouaka whakaata ai au, ia .
I always watch television every night.