ai
1. (particle) always, regularly, usually - shows habitual action. In this usage the verb is followed by ai, but no particle is used before the verb. In this and all the following subentries, if present, a manner particle (i.e. kau, kē, noa, rawa or tonu) will follow immediately after the verb, then a directional particle (i.e. mai, atu, iho, or ake), and then ai. Other particles (i.e. anō, hoki, anake, koa, rānei or pea) will follow ai in the phrase. The other locative particles, nei, nā, rā and ana do not occur when ai is used.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 8;)
Haere ai rāua ki te whare karakia i ia Rātapu. / They go to church every Sunday.
Ahakoa haere ia ki hea, haria ai e ia tana kurī. / No matter where she goes she takes her dog.
Haere ai ngā tāngata i ētahi wā, heoi anō, hoki tonu mai ai rātou (TWK 35:19). / People go away sometimes, but they continually return.
Synonyms: riterite, ka mutu tonu te/tā ...
2. (particle) and then, consequently - when ka preceeds the verb and ai follows it, this denotes an action or state consequent upon some previous action. This usage may also follow another clause beginning with mā.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 68; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 29;)
Whakarongo ki ngā tohutohu, ka tīmata ai i ā koutou mahi. / Listen to the instructions and then start your work.
Kua pāhitia e te Kāwanatanga kia toru ngā tau kātahi ka hoki ai ngā minita ki ō rātou mīhana (TTT 1/11/1921:9). / The Government has passed a law that after three years the ministers then return to their missions.
Mā tāu rourou, mā tāku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi (HJ 2012:190). / With your small flax plaited food basket and my small flax plaited food basket the visitors will be sustained.
See also ka ... ai
3. (particle) when will, when did - used in questions and statements about when something happened or will happen. For the past tense i will preceed the verb and ai will follow, but in the future tense ai will follow the verb, but no particle, ka or e may preceed the verb.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 46, 85;)
Nōnahea ō mōhiti i ngaro ai? / When did your glasses go missing?
Āhea kōrua haere ai ki Te Waipounamu? Ā te 14 o Poutūterangi. / When do you two go to the South Island? On the 14th of March.
Hei te Rāhoroi tāua whakatā ai. / On Saturday you and I will rest up.
Kua hikitia tā tātou hui - hei ātahirā rā anō ka tū ai. / Our meeting has been put off - it will be held the day after tomorrow.
Mō āwhea e tuwhera ai te huarahi hou? (HJ 2012:185). / When will the new road open?
4. (particle) by what means, by what way, via where - in questions and statements about how someone is travelling or via what place.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 47-48;)
Mā hea koe haere ai? Mā runga pahi. / How did you travel? By bus.
Mā hea kōrua hoki atu ai ki Tāmaki-makau-rau - mā Tauranga, mā Rotorua rānei? Mā Tauranga. / What way are you two returning to Auckland - via Tauranga or Rotorua?
See also mā hea
5. (particle) when, where, which, who, whom, that, during which, at which (time), that caused, by which, whereby, why - In clauses in the past tense expressing a resultant action in relation to a particular time, place, reason, way, thing or person already stated in the first part of the sentence. In these subordinate clauses, i will preceed the verb and ai will follow.
(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 43-44; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 23-24; Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 28-29, 120;)
Ko Te Arawa te waka i ū mai ai ki konei. / Te Arawa was the canoe that landed here.
Ko te 1840 te tau i hainatia ai te Tiriti o Waitangi (HJ 2012:187). / The year that The Treaty of Waitangi was signed was 1840.
He hōhā nōku i kōrero pēnā ai. / It was because I was fed up that I spoke like that.
Koia rā te huarahi i tae mai ai rātou ki te marae. / That was the road by which they reach the marae.
Kāore taku mokopuna i whiwhi i tāna i hiahia ai ia. / My granddaughter didn't get that which she wanted.
See also tā ... i ... ai, he aha ... i ... ai, he aha ... i kore ai e ...?, he aha ai?, te ... ai
6. (particle) when, where, which, who, whom, that, during which, at which (time), that caused, by which, whereby, why - In clauses in the future tense expressing a resultant action in relation to a particular time, place, reason, way, thing or person already stated in the first part of the sentence. In these subordinate clauses, e (or sometimes ka) will preceed the verb and ai will follow. Also used for habitual actions and for subordinate clauses when time is more general and not just the future.
Ko te 7 o Haratua te rā e haere ai māua ki Potukara. / The 7th May is the day that she and I go to Portugal.
Ko te Hōhipera o Waikato te wāhi e pokaina ai ahau. / Waikato Hospital is the place where I will be operated on.
Mā te hīkoikoi i ia rā e ora ai ahau. / By walking each day I will become healthy.
Ko Aroha te wahine e tūtaki ai koe i te whare pukapuka. / Aroha is the woman who you meet at the library.
Me pēwhea ka ora ai tātou? (HJ 2012:189). / How will we survive?
See also he aha ... e ... ai, te ... ai
7. (particle) to (do something) - after verbs following location as an alternative to ki te.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 129;)
Haere atu ki korā tākaro ai! / Go over there to play!
Ki whea tātou tūtaki ai ā mua o te konohete? / Where will we meet before the concert?
8. (particle) so that, in order that - after kia.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 99; Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 31-32;)
E tuhia ana ēnei kupu kia ako ai koe i te reo Māori. / These words are being written so that you can learn Māori.
See also kia kore ai ... e ..., kia ... ai
9. (particle) why?, that - the negative tē also combines with ai, often to follow he aha to ask 'why', or following a reason that something didn't happen. A verb will be placed between tē and ai.
He aha kōrua tē haere tahi mai ai? / Why didn't you two come together?
Nā te pāngia o Hare e te mate tē tae mai ai ia ki te hui (HJ 2012:192). / Because Harry went down sick, he didn't make the meeting.
See also tē ai he ...
10. (particle) mainly because.
I wera katoa i te ahi, i te maroke ai hoki o aua rākau. / It was burnt completely by the fire, mainly because the timber was so dry.
ai
1. (particle) In the phrase e ai ki [ngā] kōrero (according to hearsay).
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 7-8;)
E ai ki te kōrero a te whānau, kāre i iti iho i te tokoiwa ngā wāhine, tokorua ngā tāne (TTR 1996:100). / According to family information, there were no fewer than nine girls and two boys.
See also e ai ki a [ia] ...
ai
1. oh! gosh! yikes! - an exclamation of surprise, scorn or disgust.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 46; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)
Synonyms: ha
te ... ai
1. when, where, which, who, whom, that - with a verb between te and ai.
Ko te reo Māori te reo mātāmua o aua tamariki, koia te tika ai kia reo Māori katoa ngā rauemi mō aua kura (HJ 2012:191). / Māori is the primary language of those children, that's why it's appropriate that all the resources for those schools should be in Māori.
2. actually, truly - an intensifier where a verb or adjective is used between te and ai.
He pono taku kōrero, hei te Mane taku haki te tae atu ai (HJ 2012:191). / What I say is true, that on Monday my cheque will actually reach you.
Anei anō tētahi āhuatanga hei komekome māku. Ko te roa ai o te wā e whakapaua ana ki ngā kupu Pākehā (HM 2/1995:9) / Here is another thing for me to grumble about. It's the great length of time spent with English.
tē ... ai
1. why not? - used following he aha.
See also ai
he aha ai?
1. why? - if there is a verb in the sentence, then the ai follows the verb.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 23;)
He nui ngā tapepetanga e rangona ana, ā, ahakoa pēhea te whakatika atu ka hē tonu mai. He aha ai? He kore tonu nō ngā kaiwhakaako e whakarongo; arā, kei te rongo engari tē whakarongo! (HM 4/1997:3). / Many errors are heard and no matter how often they are corrected they persist. Why? Because the teachers won't listen, that is they hear but do not listen!
He aha i mahue atu ai i a Hohepa te whenua o Īhipa i haere mai ai ia? (KO 15/5/1883:4). / Why did Joseph leave the land of Egypt that he came from?
See also he aha ... e ... ai, he aha ... i ... ai, he aha ... i kore ai e ...?
tē ai he ...
1. there were no, there will be no, there are no, without.
Tē ai he aha hei whakaohooho mai! (W 1971:5). / There was nothing to wake them up.
Māu e unga i ō hoa kia haere ki ō mātou waka ki Onehunga, kia kotikotia ngā herehere o ngā rauawa. Ā, ka tuku ai i tō koutou waka ki waho mānu mai ai. Ā, ka riro tātou te ai he waka hei whai mai i a tāua (TWK 2:29). / You send your companions to go to our canoes at Onehunga and have the lashings of the top boards attached to the canoe sides cut. And let out your canoes to float. When we go there will be no canoes to pursue us.
Tērā anō ka rangona ki tēnei wāhi, e kī nei koutou mō reira, He ururua, kāhore he tāngata, kāhore he kararehe, arā ki ngā pā o Hura, ki ngā ara o Hiruhārama e mokemoke nei, tē ai he tāngata, tē ai he kainoho, tē ai he kararehe (PT Heremaia 33:10). / Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast.
e ai ki
1. according to.
Kāore ia i pīrangi ki te tohutō, engari e ai ki tāna, he mea pai atu te whakamahi i te tohu oro tāpara, takitoru rānei (TTR 2000:11). / He did not like the macron, preferring to use the double or triple vowel.
Synonyms: ki, hei tā ..., e ai ki a [ia] ..., kīhai ki
te mea ai
1. after all, because, the reason for this, especially because.
Kore rawa au i hiahia kia mate tētahi o ngā taitama nei, te mea ai hoki he mea hanga rātau nā Te Atua, pēnei anō i a au (HP 1991:145). / I would never want one of these youths to die, because they were created by God, just like me.
e ai ki a [ia] ...
1. according to [him].
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 7-8;)
E ai ki a ia kua nuku a Pareārau ki Ahitereiria. / According to her Pareārau has moved to Australia.
Synonyms: hei tāna, kīhai ki, ki, hei tā ..., e ai ki
ki te ai he ...
1. if in fact, if there should be, should there be.
He nui rawa aua pukapuka, ā e mahara ana ia e kore te Whare e pai kia whakapaua ngā moni e pau i te mahi whakatū i aua pukapuka ki te reo Māori. Engari ki te ai he pukapuka i roto i aua pukapuka e tino hiahiatia ana e taua mema (a Taiaroa) kia whakatūria ki te reo Maori, ka whakaae te Kāwanatanga ki tēnā (TWMNT 16/11/1875:271). / There are too many of those documents, and he thought the House would not use money to translate those documents into Māori. But should there be a particular document that the member (Taiaroa) really wants to be translated into Māori, the Government would agree to that.
Mā te tohunga e kimi mai te puna wai, ki te ai he puna wai i reira (HJ 2012:193). / The expert will look for the spring of water, if in fact there is a spring there.
kia kīia ai (hoki)
1. up you too, so what - sometimes used as an idiom to show one's anathema to an opinion or activity that has just been stated by someone regarded as being arrogant or overbearing.
Pare: Ko au te mea mōhio katoa ki ērā mea. Kāore he mea e kātata mai ki a au. Rangi: Kia kīia ai! (HKK 1999:89). / Pare: I'm the most knowledgeable about those things. Nobody can touch me. Rangi: Up you too!
