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 ...
