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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kei te ...

1. (particle) in the act of, is, are - when followed by a verb indicates continuing action in the present or future.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 12-14, 82; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 13; Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 74;)

Kei te mekemeke ngā tāngata. / The men are boxing.

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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.

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See also kei, te


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.

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kei te āhua tonu

1. it depends on.

Kei te āhua tonu o tō hinengaro hihiko. / It depends on how alert your mind is.

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he ... kei te haere

1. (particle) a ... is going to happen, is brewing, chances are - an idiom used to predict that something is going to occur.

Kua karangahia tētahi hui. Te āhua nei, he kauhau kei te haere. / A meeting has been called. It would seem that there's going to be a lecture.

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Kei te pēhea koe?

1. How are you? - only used when speaking to one person. For two people use kōrua instead of koe, and for three or more people use koutou instead of koe.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 1-2;)

he [raruraru] kei te haere

1. trouble is brewing, there are dark clouds on the horizon - an idiom forewarning trouble.

He mate kei te haere ki te kore ia e tūpato. / There's trouble brewing if she's not careful.

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tāima

1. (loan) (noun) time - especially for time related to hours and minutes, etc. Although 'he aha te tāima?' is common in modern Māori to ask what the time is, 'kua aha te tāima?'  and 'kei te aha te tāima?'  are preferred by native speakers.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 28-29;)

Kua aha te tāima? Paku nei te hipa atu i te waru. / What's the time? A little after eight.

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kāhore ... i te

1. (negative) were not, was not, are not, am not - the negative form for progressive affirmative sentences that begin with both kei te and i te. A variation of kāore ... i te.

kāore ... i te

1. (negative) were not, was not, is not, are not, am not - the negative form for progressive affirmative sentences that begin with both kei te and i te.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 84;)

Kāore a Tio i te hoko kai. / Joe wasn't/isn't buying groceries.

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See also kāhore ... i te


2. (negative) The negative used for affirmative sentences with he followed by an adjective.

Kāore a Hēni i te tūpuhi rawa. / Jane is not too thin.

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tonu

1. (particle) still, continues, unceasing, continuously, simply - a manner particle that denotes continuance, permanence or exactness and follows immediately after the word it applies to. Often used with the verbal particles which have a progressive or continuous sense, i.e. e ... ana, kei te ... and i te ... Where tonu follows a verb in the passive it will take a passive ending also, usually -tia. In this situation the passive ending may be dropped from the verb, but not from tonu.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 57, 120; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 91-92;)

Mehemea i te ora tonu ia, kua kite i te ātaahua o tana mokopuna. / If she was still alive, she would have seen how beautiful her grandchild is.
I nuku atu i te rua rau ngā waiata i titoa e Tuīni e maumahara tonutia ana i nāianei (TTR 2000:132). / Tuīni composed more than two hundred songs which are still remembered today.

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2. (particle) nonetheless, all the same, still - indicates permanence or stability of a procedure, arrangement or idea.

I tū tonu tā mātou kura reo, engari i kawea ki tētahi marae kē atu. / Our language school was still held, but it was taken to another marae.

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Synonyms: aua atu (rā)


3. (particle) very, indeed, exceedingly, indeed, even, in fact, right, just, really, only - used to intensify or to emphasise. Often used with statives and adjectives.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 125; Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 119-120;)

tonu te rūma i te wāhine. / The room was full of women.
He matatau tonu a Tio ki te kōrero i te reo Māori. / Joe is very fluent in speaking Māori.
E hia ngā kakī i kitea e kōrua? Kotahi tonu. / How many black stilts did you two see? Only one.

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Synonyms: anahe, nahe, anake, matau, tikanga, take, tōtika, matatika, mōtika, rā pea, , koia, koia, tinana, koa, katoa, rawa, i neki, inā, ata, rā anō, rānō, tino, tata, ake, noa iho, mārire, mārika, mārie, heipū, ia rā, ia, noa ake, tōkeke, noa, tou, tika, kau


4. (particle) on the contrary, of course, do so, do too, can too, are so - to show disagreement with a statement just made.

Rangi: E mea ana ia kāore ōna hū omaoma. Hine: He hū omaoma tonu ōna. Kei te karo kē pea i te oma (HJ 2015:58). / Rangi: She is saying that she has no running shoes. Hine: On the contrary she does have some running shoes. She is probably dodging the run.
Kei te maumahara tonu au. / Of course I remember.

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Synonyms: engari, engaringari, anō, ehara


5. (particle) as soon as, immediately, promptly, forthwith, without difficulty - expresses the idea of immediacy, without delay or with little need for effort.

tonu mai te karanga, ka whakaeke tō mātou ope. / As soon as we heard the call, our party went onto the marae.

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Synonyms: ake, tere, wawe


6. (particle) quite, fairly, so so - to indicate didn't or hasn't yet reached its full potential or been fully realised.

I pai tonu, engari kāore i inati te pai (HJ 2015:59). / It was quite good, but not exceptional.

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Synonyms: tino, noa iho, tou, (ko) tōna ... (nei), kāhua, hengahenga, hangehange, āta, kere, koia, rawa, āhua, anō, noa


7. (particle) almost, just about, virtually.

Kua pau tonu te paraoa. / The bread is almost finished.

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8. (particle) just like, exactly the same - when following rite.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 26;)

Kātahi, ka whakatika atu tētahi o ngā rangatira, ko Te Taero te ingoa. Anā, rite tonu hoki āna kupu ki ā ngā mitinare (JPS 1990:139). / Then one of the chiefs stood up. His name was Te Taero. Behold, his words were also exactly the same as the missionaries'.

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See also rite tonu, he rite tonu, kia rite tonu

Synonyms: anō, me kore ake, me/mai/mei kore ake ..., mai kore ake, mei kore ake, rite tonu


9. (particle) always, all the time, continually (when following rite).

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 29;)

Ko tēnei wāhi i mōhio whānuitia, ā, he rite tonu te peka atu o ngā ope haere ki te whakangā, ki te whakahauora (TTR 1990:74). / This place was well-known and travelling parties stopped off all the time to rest and refresh.

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See also rite tonu, he rite tonu

tūmahi wheako

1. (noun) experience verb - a verb that names a mental state, attitude, perception or experience. Although experience verbs function like transitive verbs (tūmahi whiti) in some ways, they differ in others. Common experience verbs include: kite, rongo, mārama, pīrangi, mōhio, hiahia, mahara, tūmanako. Generally with experience verbs (except kite) their objects are marked with ki, e.g. Kei te mōhio au ki tō pāpā. (I know your father.) Experience verbs function like adjectives when used in commands in that they are preceded by kia, not e or nothing, e.g. Kia maumahara! (Remember!).

Ko te tūmahi wheako he kupumahi whakaatu i te wheako, i te waiaro. / An experience verb is a verb indicating an experience or attitude.

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kupumahi wheako

1. (noun) experience verb - a verb that names a mental state, attitude, perception or experience. Although experience verbs function like transitive verbs (kupumahi whiti) in some ways, they differ in others. Common experience verbs include: kite, rongo, mārama, pīrangi, mōhio, hiahia, mahara, tūmanako. Generally with experience verbs (except kite) their objects are marked with ki, e.g. Kei te mōhio au ki tō pāpā. (I know your father.) Experience verbs function like adjectives when used in commands in that they are preceded by kia, not e or nothing, e.g. Kia maumahara! (Remember!).

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