tā te mea
1. because, from the fact that - a conjunction that is sometimes written as one word, i.e. tātemea.
Ka mōhio ahau ki te kaha o te mate, tā te mea, e nohoia ana e ngā Māori ngā wāhi e tata ana ki ngā repo, ki ngā parenga awa (KO 15/4/1884:6). / I know how sick they are because Māori are living in places near swamps and river banks.
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.
i te mea
1. when, because.
I te mea ka tae mai te ahi ki reira, kātahi te tangata nei ka rere ki roto i te taika wai rāua ko tētahi atu tangata, ka whakamākūtia hoki he paraikete mō rāua (TPH 10/1/1906). / When the fire reached that place then this man and another one fled into the tank of water and they doused blankets with water.
nā te mea
1. because, from the fact that.
I whakahē a Āpirana Ngata i te rironga o te whakahaere o te hokowhitu Māori i a Awatere, nā te mea hoki he tangata kakī mārō rite tonu ki ōna tīpuna (TTR 2000:10). / Āpirana Ngata had opposed Awatere's taking command of the Māori Battalion because he had a of a stubborn streak like his ancestors.
nō te mea
1. because, from the fact that.
Ka ngangautia e ia kia ngāwari, kia pakupaku, ka āta whakapiritia ki te mamae, hāware katoa atu nō te mea he pai tonu hoki te hāware mō te whakaora (HP 1991:23). / She chewed it until it was soft and small and carefully applied it to the sore part. It had saliva throughout because saliva is quite good for healing.
ki te mea ka ...
1. (particle) in the event of, if - variation of the shorter ki te ..., the usual form in modern Māori.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 67;)
He hunga riri rātou ki te mea ka whakaparahakotia ā rātou tikanga mākutu. / They are an angry group if their witchcraft practices are belittled.
me te mea nei
1. (particle) as if, it looks as if, it would seem, it looks as though, it's as if, it's as though.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 125;)
Me te mea nei nōna kē tōku motokā. / It's as if my car belonged to her.
Me te mea nei e turi ana tērā i te kōrenga nei i aro mai, i tahuri mai rānei. / It's as if she is deaf because she won’t bother to pay attention.
ehara i te mea he aha
1. it is not for any particular reason, I'm not raising another argument, I'm not making a particular issue of it, no cause for alarm, it's no big deal - a saying used to indicate that the listener need not take too much notice of what the speaker is about to say. Also used to soften a statement or criticism.
Ehara i te mea he aha, engari i hē tō whakahua o taua kupu Wīwī. / It's not a major issue, but your pronunciation of that French word is incorrect.
