kīhai ... i
1. (negative) did not, was not, didn't, wasn't - only used as a past negative as an alternative to kāore ... i.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 25-26;)
See also kīhai i taro
kīhai ki
1. according to - an idiom which is followed by a possessive, e.g. tāna.
Kīhai ki tā rātou kōrero, he tikanga tērā mai rā anō (HKK 1999:192) / According to their accounts, that is a custom from long ago.
Synonyms: ki, e ai ki a [ia] ..., hei tā ..., e ai ki
kīhai i hanga
1. it was no ordinary thing, she was no ordinary person, he was no ordinary person.
Kīhai i hanga ake tana wahine, he rangatira nui nō tēnei whenua (NM 1928:167). / His wife was no ordinary person because she was an important rangatira of this country.
See also ehara i te hanga
kīhai i wheau
1. it wasn’t long, soon - used in the past tense.
Moe iho ahau i te pō, e haere ana ahau i Paekākāriki, ā, kīhai i wheau, kua tae ahau ki Pōneke. He hoa anō tōku i te ara, anō ka tae māua ki Pōneke, ka mea taku hoa kia haere māua kia kite i te Whare Pāremata (TW 26/2/1876:107) / I slept the night and then travelled on to Paekākāriki, it wasn’t long before I reached Wellington. I had a friend travelling with me, when we reached Wellington, my friend said to me, let us go and see the Parliament House.
kīhai i ārikarika
1. it was not restricted, there were many, there were a lot of, there was a lot of - an idiom used to express what a large number there were, a large amount or the strength of support, etc.
Kīhai i roa ka puta te kai. Anā, kīhai i ārikarika! (TP 9/1908:3). / It wasn't long before the food appeared. Wow, what a spread!
kīhai i taro
1. it wasn't long before, not long after that.
Kīhai i roa e whanga ana ka tīmata te heru mai o te tai, tere tonu te haere mai o te wai. Kīhai i taro kua tae mai ki te wāhi i noho ai a Parapoa rātou ko ōna hoa (TWMNT 2/5/1876:104). / He was not long waiting when the tide began to rise, and the waters rushed in. It wasn't long before they reached the place where Balboa and his companions were sitting.
