Māori Grammar
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Nō can be used to talk about a time in the past.
Nō te ata nei.
This morning.
Nō te pō rā.
Last night.
Nō nā tata nei.
.Just recently.
Nō te tau 1918 te rewharewha kino.
The deadly influenza struck in 1918.
Nō te whā karaka i te ahiahi rātou i tīmata ai.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon when they started.
This structure puts an emphasis on the time when something happened. For example:
I haere mātou ki Ōtaki i te Rātapu.
We went to Ōtaki on Sunday.
Nō te Rātapu mātou i haere ai ki Ōtaki.
It was Sunday when we went to Ōtaki.
Nō is used to answer a question "when":
Nōnahea... i... ai?
When did...?
When using this nō structure for an action, he verb must take the passive form if the nō subject isn't the doer of the verb.
Nō te Rātapu a Pita i hoko ai i te motokā.
It was on Sunday that Peter bought the car.
Nō te Rātapu i hokona ai te motokā.
It was on Sunday that the car was bought.
Nō mua i te piringa ki a Rangi, ka moe a Papa rāua ko Tangaroa.
Before the union with Rangi, Papa was in a relationship with Tangaroa.Nō te iwa karaka rawa, ka tīmata te purei kāri.
Finally, at nine o'clock, the card games started.Nō tō tāua taenga, ka tūpono ia e mau kaka rerehua ana rāua.
When they arrived, he realised that they were wearing fancy dress.Nō muri noa mai ka whānau mai ngā tamariki a Amaru rāua ko Mia.
The children of Amaru and Mia were born much later.Nō tētahi rangi o Nōema, ka whakamōhiotia mai kua whakaaetia tā mātou tono.
One day in November, we were informed that our application had been successful.Nō te ata ka kōrero ki a Toto i ngā mea katoa.
In the morning [he] told Toto everything.Nō te tau 1987, ka whakaturetia te reo Māori hei reo mana.
In 1987, Māori was made an official language by statute.Nō muri mai ka whakamā ia i tāna mahi.
Afterwards she felt embarrassed by what she had done.Nō te Hōngongoi, ka haere atu ia ki Tonga.
In July she went to Tonga.Nō mua tata atu i tōna matenga, ka puta tana ōhākī ki tana whānau.
Shortly before his passing, he made his dying speech to his whānau.Nōna tata nei.
Just a little while ago.Nō muri, ka āmio haere ia i ngā moutere e rua nei.
Afterwards, he circumnavigated these two islands.Nō tērā tau i tū ai ngā Taumāhekeheke o te Ao ki Poihākena.
It was last year that the Olympic Games were held in Sydney.Nōnahea te hui i tīmata ai?
When did the meeting begin?Nō te pō, i a rātou ka taurite ki te kūrae o Taumata-apanui, ka peke a Tōrere.
At night, when they were opposite Taumata-apanui, Tōrere jumped [overboard].Nō te tataunga o Taranga i ana tamariki, tokorima kē rātou.
When Taranga counted her children, there were five instead.Nō tērā Rātū, ka takoki taku raparapa.
Last Tuesday, I sprained my wrist.Nō muri tata mai.
Shortly after.Nō tērā atu tau a Tame i tūtaki ai ki a Amaru.
Tame met Amaru the year before last.Nō tētahi Rāmere, kāore ia i tae mai ki te mahi.
One Friday, she didn't turn up for work.Nō te ata, ka kōrero ki a Rangi i ngā mea katoa.
In the morning [he] told Rangi everything.Nōnahea koe i haere ai?
When did you go?Nō mua atu i tērā te hū o Tarawera - nō te tau 1886.
The Tarawera eruption happened before that - in 1886.Nō te taenga mai hoki o ngā tauhou ki konei, ka arahina rātou e mātou ki te toka nei kia kite.
And when outsiders come to our district we lead them to this rock so they can see it themselves.Nōnahea koe i tae mai ai?
When did you arrive?Nō te wā o te piringa o Rangi rāua ko Papa ka tupu te werawera, ka rērere te kohu.
At the time of the union of Rangi and Papa, the heat grew, the mist rose.Nō muri tata mai ka whakamōtoro a Tangaroa i a Papa.
Shortly afterwards Papa was seduced by Tangaroa.Nō tērā Rāhoroi rātou i tae atu ai.
It was last Saturday that they arrived there.Nō mua tata atu.
Shortly before.Nō te tau 1950 taku kitenga mutunga i a ia.
The last time I saw her was in 1950.Nō te roa o te noho, ka mōhio a Kupe ko te wairua katoa o Kura e hiahia ana ki a ia.
From the length of time they stayed, Kupe knew that Kura's entire spirit desired him.Nō nahea a Taika i tūtaki ai ki a Pāora?
When did Taika meet Pāora?Nō muri mai ka mate a Manu i te aroha.
Afterwards Manu fell in love.Nō te korenga mahi i te tau 1972, ko ngā raruraru maha i puta.
The strike in 1972 causes many problems.Nō mua noa atu te walkman i te ipod.
The Walkman came long before the ipod.Nō tētahi pō kei te purupuru a Māui i te whatitoka!
One night, Maui stopped up the chinks in the door.Nō tēnei wā, ka tae mai mai ngā kōtiro a Toto.
At this moment, Toto's daughters arrived.Nō te wā o ngā tūpuna ēnei ritenga.
These customs come from the time of the ancestors.Nō te marama o Paenga-whāwhā i hui ai ngā tāngata whenua o te ao.
In April, indigenous people from round the world gathered.Nō te Kirihimete rā ka hoki mai ia ki Te Kao.
She returned to Te Kao at Christmas.Nō muri i tana hinganga i te pōtitanga, ka rihaina ia.
After his defeat in the election, he resigned.Nō muri i te piringa o Rangi rāua ko Papa ka whānau mai ngā tamariki.
After the union of Rangi and Papa, the children were born.