On-line Te Reo Māori Dictionary

He aha rātou i kai ai i ērā āporo?
Why did they eat those apples?
Why did? - He aha... i... ai?

He aha rātou i peka ai ki taua marae?
Why did they visit that marae?
Why did? - He aha... i... ai?

E tangi haere mai ana te ope.
The group are weeping as they come.
Simple sentences: present tense - e... ana

I pakipaki te katoa me tō rātou kore e tino mārama ki tāua i kī ai.
Everyone applauded though they did not entirely understand what he had said.
Simple sentences: past tense - i

I ngā hōtoke kei ngā raorao, kei ngā mānia, ā, i ngā raumati kei ngā maunga.
In the winter they were on the foothills and on the plains, and in the summer they were in the mountains.
Simple sentences: past tense - i

I te inumanga o te pia, ka hauranga rātou.
On drinking the beer, they got drunk.
Simple sentences: past tense - i te

Ka tae mai rātou, ka noho tahi mātou ki te kōrero.
When they arrive, we will all sit and chat.
Simple sentences: future tense - ka

Kua tae mai rātou?
Have they arrived?
Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

Me aha rātou?
What should they do?
Simple sentences: you should - me

Kātahi ka tuku i a au kia tū ana, i a rātou e whakatā ana.
Then they left me standing while they had a rest.
Sentences with a subclause - e... ana

Nō te whā karaka i te ahiahi rātou i tīmata ai.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon when they started.
Belonging to the past - nō

Nō tērā Rāhoroi rātou i tae atu ai.
It was last Saturday that they arrived there.
Belonging to the past - nō

Nō tō tāua taenga, ka tūpono ia e mau kaka rerehua ana rāua.
When they arrived, he realised that they were wearing fancy dress.
Belonging to the past - nō

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.
Belonging to the past - nō

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.
Belonging to the past - nō

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].
Belonging to the past - nō

Nōnahea rātou i pōwhiritia ai?
When were they welcomed?
Passive sentences - tikina...

Haria ngā kākahu ki waho kia whitia ai e te rā.
Take the clothes outside so that they can be shone on by the sun
Passive sentences - tikina...

I te ngahuru i hauhaketia e rātou ngā riwai.
In the autumn, they harvested potatoes.
Passive sentences - tikina...

E ai ki ngā kaimātai pūtaiao, ehara te wēra i te ika, he whakangote kē.
According to the scientists, whales are not fish, they are mammals.
According to... - E ai ki.../E ai ki tā... /Ki tā

Kia hoki mai rātou i te tāone, ka kai ai tātou.
When they get back from town, then we'll eat.
And then... - ...ka/kātahi... ai...

Ka taea rāua te haere ki te kura?
Are they (two) able to go to school?
I am able... - Ka taea e...

Haria ngā kākahu ki waho kia whitia ai e te rā.
Take the clothes outside so that they can be shone on by the sun.
So that something can happen for someone else - kia

I tērā tai i te kāinga ngā tamariki a ako ana, engari kei te kura rātou i tēnei wā.
Last year the children were learning at home, but they are at the school now.
Conjunctions - but - engari

I tērā Rāhoroi, i haere rātou ki tātahi kohi pipi a.
On Saturday, they went to the beach to gather pipi.
The reason for an action - ...ai.

Kāore kau he tiakarete i te pouaka - kua pau kē.
There are absolutely no chocolates in the box - they have all been eaten.
there wasn't any... absolutely no... - Kāore kau...

Kia tae mai rātou ka haere tātou ki te marae.
When they arrive we will go the marae.
When - Kia

Kia whiwhi te tamaiti tāne ki te moni, ka hoko mai ia i te koha mā te kōtiro.
When they boy got the money, he bought a present for the girl.
When - Kia

Kia tae mai rātou, ka pōwhiritia.
When they arrive they will be welcomed.
When - Kia

Kei te pōuri rātou?
Are they sad?
Simple sentences - present tense with an adjective - kei te

Kei te aha rāua?
What are they doing?
What is happening at the moment? - kei te aha?

Kei te aha rātou?
What are they (3+) doing?
What is happening at the moment? - kei te aha?

Kāore rātou i te pōuri?
Are they not sad?
Negations of the present tense (I am not working) - Kāore... i te...

Did they sing at the gathering?
Did they not sing at the gathering?
Negations of the past tense - Kāore... i...

Tae rawa atu rātou, kua mate te koroua.
By the time they got there, the old man had died.
Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

He whānau pai tō Kauri, he nui tō rātou aroha ki a rātou anō.
Kauri has a good family. They love each other very much.

Nāu ēnā?
Are they yours?
Established possession - nāku, nōku...

Nā ō tātou manuhiri pea?
Perhaps they belong to our guests?
Established possession - nāku, nōku...

He aha ō rātou whakaaro e pā ana ki tēnā?
What do they think about that?
Possessives - 'o' class - ō, tōku...

He kuri ā rāua?
Do they have a dog?
Do you have any...? - He... ?

Hei tā Michale Naera, heamana o Te Mana Hauora, he uaua ki ētahi tūroro Māori te mārama ki ngā rerenga kōrero hauora reo pākeha, ā, ka māmā ake me he Māori te reo.
Te Mana Hauora chair Michael Naera said Māori patients struggled with English medical terms and would find it easier if they were in Māori.
Conjunctions - and - ā

Tae tonu mai te ope ki konei, ka eke ki te marae.
As soon as the party got here, they went to the marae.
Towards - mai

Kei te ata ka eke mai ka patu.
In the morning they will arrive and attack.
Towards - mai

I te ono karaka, kua tae atu rātou ki Ōmihi.
By six o'clock they had got to Ōmihi.
Away - atu

Te rangonga o te iwi o te pā i te haruru, ka oma iho ki te mātakitaki haka.
When the people of the pā heard the noise, they ran down to hear the haka.
Down - iho

Kua whakaritea, me tae rātou ki te mira o Kawerau i te iwa karaka.
It was arranged that they should arrive at the Kawearau mill at nine o'clock.
Telling time - kara

Pā tonu mai te karanga, ke whakaeke te ope.
As soon as they heard the call, the party went onto the marae.
Direction markers with adverbs - tonu mai, kā atu, rawa mai...

Ka kōrero a Toto, ki ana kōtiro, mehemea e pai rāua ki te moe tāne.
Toto asked his daughters if they wanted husbands.
If (using mehemea) - mehemea, mehe, mēnā

Ka kōrero a Toto ki ana kōtiro, mehemea e pai rāua ki te moe tāne.
Toto asked his daughters if they wanted to get married.
If (using mehemea) - mehemea, mehe, mēnā

A kōrero ana rāua mō te rā e haere ai rāua.
And they talked about the day when they would leave.
About someone - mōku, mōu, mōna...

Ki te tae mai he ope, me pōhiri.
If a group arrives, they must be welcomed.
If using ki - ki

Tokohia ō rātou kaikōrero i tēnei rā?
How many speakers have they got today?
How many are there? - E hia? Tokohia?

Kāore rāua e taea te haere ki te kura?
Are they (two) unable to go to school?
To be unable - Kāore... taea...

I a mātou i Rānana ka tūtaki ki a Mere mā i a rātou e hoko ana i ng`1a parāoa wīwī.
While they were in London, they met Mary and her group while they were buying French bread.
While... - i... e... ana, ka...

I a rātou e waiata ana i tā rātou waiata ka whakarite kai ngā ringawera mā rātou.
While they were singing their song, the cooks prepared food for them.
While... - i... e... ana, ka...

Nā te aha rātou i kōrero ai?
For what reason did they speak?
For what reason? - nā te aha ai?

Nā taku pukumahi i paru ai.
Because of my hard work, they are dirty.
For what reason? - nā te aha ai?

Nā te aha rātou i kore ai e kōrero?
Why didn’t eypeak?
Why not? - nā te aha i kore ai?

Tō rātou kaha hoki.
How strong they are.
How... - tō... hoki

Ko te nuinga ia i mea kia kāua e hoea ki te taua.
The majority, however, said that they should not paddle off to a hostile expedition.
Kia for second verb after a passive - kia

Ka tae mai ana rātou, ka kai tātou.
When they arrive, we will eat.
When, whenever - ka... ana, ka...

Ka kai tātou, ka tae mai ana rātou.
We will all eat when they arrive.
When, whenever - ka... ana, ka...

He hiakai nō rātou.
Because they were hungry.
Because - he... nō...

Kāore ā rāua he kuri?
Do they not have a dog?
Do you not have any? - Kāore āu...

Mā wai ēnei kapu tī? Mā ngā tamariki? Ehara, mā ngā kaumātua kē.
Who are these cups of tea for? The children? No, they are for the elders.

Kei te kāinga ngā tamariki, kei waho rātou i te whare.
The children are at home, they are outside the house.

Āe rā, kua hoki mai ki te whakahōhā i te whānau.
Yes indeed, they have returned to annoy the family.

Kua rite rātou?
Are they ready?

Pēhea ai tā te ngeru tangi? Miao ai!
What kind of sound do cats make? They meow!

Āwhea rātou hoki mai ai?
When are they returning?

Kātahi rātou ka tahu i te whare.
Then they set the house alight.

Pātai atu ki ngā tāngata kei te aha rātou.
Ask the people what they are doing.

Nā te mea i kaha ake rātau i a tātau.
Because they were stronger than us.

I tō rātou taenga atu, e pōuri tonu ana te hōro.
When they arrived, the hall was still dark.

Āhea rātou ka wehe atu?
When are they leaving?

Āhea rātou wehe atu ai?
When are they leaving?

Taku kitenga i a rāua i nanahi, i te tautohetohe rāua.
When I saw them yesterday, they were quarrelling.

I ōna wā he iwi manene; i ngā hōtoke kei ngā raorao, kei ngā mānia, ā, i ngā raumati Kei ngā maunga.
In those days they were a nomadic tribe; in the winter, [they] were in the foothills and on the plains, and in the summer [they] were on the mountains.

Me pēhea rātou e mōhio ai?
How are they to know?

Te rangi i taka iho!
That'll be the day! (When they sky falls down!)

Ka hao i te ika, ka keri i te roi.
[They] caught fish in nets, they dug up fern roots.

Kia kite ai rātou i te marae ātaahua nei.
So they could see the beautiful marae.

Mā hea rātou haere ai?
How are they going?

Ehara nā Aria ngā tamariki, nā Moana kē ngā tamariki.
The women are not Aria's, they are actually Moana's children.