kei
1. (particle) at, on, in - particle marking present position or time.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 15, 16, 29;)
See also kai
2. (particle) has, have, with, in possession of, having.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 82-84;)
3. (particle) beware lest, might, do not - expresses a warning if it follows a command or a negative command and stands on its own. In this usage it suggests that something might happen, but not necessarily that it will. Kei may also be used as a command not to do something, in which case it will begin the sentence and be followed by a verb.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 59;)
Kia tere, kei mākū koe i te ua. / Hurry up or you'll get wet from the rain.
Kei wareware tātou e haere kē mai ana tātou ki te kōrero Māori nō reira whakarērea atu tō reo Pākehā i te kāinga (HM 2/1999:5). / Don't forget that we are all coming to speak Māori so leave your English language at home.
Synonyms: pea
4. (particle) like, as.
He mano te patupaiarehe kei te tarakihi; ko te āhua he āhua tangata, pēnei me te āhua Pākehā, ko te kiri i mā, i kōrakorako te māhunga me te kiri katoa, i rerekē kīhai i rite ki te tangata Māori (KO 20/11/1886:7). / The patupaiarehe are numerous like cicadas; their appearance is the same as humans, like the Pākehā the skin is white and the hair and all the skin is fair, not like the Māori people.
Synonyms: pīrangi, rata, rite, tairite, ānō nei, enanga, riterite, matareka, manako, me, ōrite, pai, ānō
5. (particle) madam, sir - a polite form of address used instead of e, but used only with nouns or names that are not English name or names that have been transliterated from other languages.
(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 190;)
Kei Te Rangihau, nau mai, haere mai! / Te Rangihau sir, welcome!
Kei te rangatira, kei te tino whakaae mātou ki tō whakatau. / Sir, we really agree with your decision.
6. (particle) .
See also kei ... ana, kei noho ... ka ..., kei te ...
kei
1. (noun) stern (of a boat or canoe).
Nā, ka mahia te waka, koirā ngā toki i tāraia ai te waka, ā ka oti te tārai te haumi, te kei, te ihu, ngā rauawa; ka oti ngā taumanu, te tauihu, te rapa me te kāraho, te puneke, te ihu, te utuutu-matua, te whakarei o te kei, ngā mea katoa mō te waka taua, ngā kōrewa, ngā tā wai, ngā hoe, ngā whiti, ngā tokotū, ngā huapae, ngā rā, ngā taura, ngā punga e rua, whakawhenua, ngā punga kōrewa, ngā toko waka, ngā hoe whakaara o te ihu, ngā hoe whakatere o te kei (JPS 1922:23). / The canoe was then adzed out, hewn with those adzes. The piece to lengthen the hull was hewn out, the stern, the bow, the topstrakes; finished were the thwarts, the prow piece, the stern attachment, the decking, the fore end, the utuutumatua, the carved work of the stern, and all things pertaining to a war canoe. These included the outriggers, the balers, the paddles, the crosspieces and masts, the fore and aft beams of the outrigger frame, the sails, the cordage, the two anchors, ground and sea, the punt poles, and the steering oars of the prow and stern.
2. (particle) at the, in the - when followed by a noun.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 29, 82;)
Kei te ngahere rāua e whakangau poaka ana. / They're in the bush hunting pigs.
3. Sometimes used as a stylistic device when narrating a story set in the past to add excitement to the account.
(Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 74;)
Ka ū a Hinemoa ki te waiariki raka, kei te whakamahana i a ia, he wiri nōna i te māeke (Biggs 1997:105). / When Hinemoa reaches that hot pool, she warms herself because she is shivering from the cold.
Ahakoa kei te hōkarikari aku waewae, kei te hāparangi taku waha ki te karanga, kāore he tangata i aro ake ki a au (HP 1991:20). / Although I'm holding my legs stiff and yelling out, nobody's taking any notice of me.
kei kore
1. might not, may not.
Synonyms: kore
(kei) Mahurangi
1. way off track, way off beam, away with the fairies, lost the plot - an idiom to suggest that someone's thoughts have gone a long way from the issue or that they don't understand the real meaning of what they're saying.
E hoa, kei Mahurangi kē ō whakaaro e haere ana. Hoki mai ki te whenua, kia ū ki te kaupapa (HKK 1999:163). / Hey mate, you've gone way off track. Come back to earth and stick to the topic.
kei tūpono
1. in case, just in case, lest perhaps.
Ka pai tonu te kohikohi i ngā kupu pēnei i te wā e whakamahia tonuhia ana, ka tāpiri atu ki ngā kupu e noho mai ana i rō papakupu Māori. Kei tūpono ka ngaro haere i roto i ngā tau, ā, mate ā-moa tonu atu (HM 2/1998:4). / It's quite good to collect words like this at the time they are still being used and add them to the words contained in Māori dictionaries, just in case they become lost over the years and die like the moa.
Synonyms: me/mai/mei kore (noa) (rā) e ..., me kore noa e tūpono
kei toitoiokewa
1. don't speak too soon - an expression warning someone not to speak of their success before a game or a hunting expedition, which is considered unlucky. Sometimes written as two words, i.e. toitoi okewa.
Rangi: Ka toa tātou āpōpō. Pare: Kei toitoiokewa. / Rangi: We’re going to win tomorrow. Pare: Don’t speak too soon.
kei riri mai
1. don't be angry, my apologies.
Synonyms: (mō) taku hē, (mō) taku hē
kei noho ... ka ...
1. do not, don't you dare, don't even think about it - an idiom.
(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 151;)
Kei noho koe ka haere ki te ngahere. / Don't you dare go to the bush.
Kāore ia i whakaae mā ngā komiti Māori ngā whenua Māori e whakahaere. Ko tāna, kei noho kei whakararurarutia ngā tuakoi whenua o te rohe o Te Wairarapa (TTR 1994:47). / He did not agree that the Māori committees be given the power to deal with Māori lands. In his opinion, the land divisions should be left alone lest it caused problems.
kei hea mai
1. it was outstanding, terrific, that's wonderful, choice - an eastern dialect idiom exclaiming about the outstanding quality of something or someone, or his/her work. Sometimes it is used to compliment the thought, rather than the actual contribution. In this idiom, atu can replace mai.
See also kei whea mai
kei konā (katoa)!
1. that's the one! right on! she's/he's got it! it's his/her strong point! it's her/his forte! - an idiom used to praise someone's ability.
Kātahi te tangata tau ki te haka ko Nātana. Kei te tika tāu, e hoa. Kei konā katoa! / What an expert Nathan is at haka. Indeed, my friend. It's his forte!
Synonyms: kei reira (katoa)!
kei whea mai
1. it was outstanding, terrific, that's wonderful - an eastern dialect idiom exclaiming about the outstanding quality of something or someone, or his/her work. Sometimes it is used to compliment the thought, rather than the actual contribution. In this idiom, atu can replace mai.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 76-77;)
Kei whea mai te ātaahua o ngā maunga o Te Tiritiri-o-te-moana! / How outstandingly beautiful the mountains of the Southern Alps are!
Kei whea atu i a Hirini mō te tito waiata Māori pārekareka nei (HJ 2012:27). / Hirini was outstanding at composing entertaining Māori songs.
kei reira (katoa)!
1. that's the one! right on! she's/he's got it! it's his/her strong point! it's his forte! fabulous!, awesome - an idiom used to praise someone's ability.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)
Kua kite koe i a Tarati e pūkana ana? Āna, e hoa. Kei reira! / Have you seen Dorothy doing the pūkana? Yes, indeed, my friend. It's her forte!
Synonyms: kei konā (katoa)!
Kei a ... mō te ...
1. accomplished, adept, expert, gifted, masterly, skilful, skilled, talented, proficient - an idiom to indicate that someone is accomplished at something.
Kei a ia mō te whakatangitangi i te pūtōrino. / She's great at playing the flute.
Synonyms: kaiaka, tohunga, matatau, toa, ringa rehe, waewae kai pakiaka, taea, riwha, tareka, kei a [koe] mō te ...
kei runga noa atu!
1. top-notch! great! too much! outstanding! on to it! - an idiom praising someone for his/her outstanding work.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)
Kei runga noa atu rāua ki te tiaki i ō rāua mātua. / They are so good at caring for their parents.
See also kei runga noa atu [koe]
koia kei a [koe]
1. good on you, get you, you're the bomb, you're awesome, it's good that ..., no flies on you, good for you - an idiom supporting and praising someone's efforts but can also be used to criticise what someone has said or done, implying that it will come back to bite them.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 77;)
Koia kei a Hare e patipati nei kia whakapikihia tana utu. / Harry is pretty smart trying to get a pay rise.
2. what a cheek - an idiom to criticise what someone has said or done indicating that at some time in the future it will come back to bite her.
Koia kei a Iriata e inoi nei kia whakapikihia tana utu ā-hāora mai i te tekau tāra ki te rua tekau tāra (HKK 1999:85). / What a cheek Iriata has in asking for her hourly rate to be raised from ten dollars to twenty dollars.
