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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kia

1. (particle) when, until - used for future time.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 77;)

Kia oti ngā mahi, ka whakatā tātou. / When the jobs are completed we'll rest.

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2. (particle) to, that - to indicate a purpose, wish, or effect. Used in this way if the second verb is passive or a stative, or if the subject of the subordinate clause is different from that of the main clause, i.e. the person, people, thing or things doing the actions in the two parts of the sentence are different.  Kia may be used if the person, people, thing or things doing the action in the two parts of the sentence are the same, or is part of a group,  if an appropriate personal pronoun is used, e.g. as in the second example sentence.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 98;)

I tonoa rātou kia waiata. / They were asked to sing.
E hiahia ana a Wī kia haere ia ki te wānanga reo (HJ 2017:179). / Wī wanted to go to the Māori language live-in school.

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3. (particle) be, let be - indicates that it is desirable for something to occur. Used this way in giving commands involving adjectives (statives) and experience verbs.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 27, 58;)

Kia tūpato! / Be careful!

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See also kia kaha


4. (particle) Used to ask and say how many things are needed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 63;)

Kia hia ngā tīkiti māu? Kia rua. / How many tickets do you need? Two, please.

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5. (particle) not yet.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 56-57;)

See also kāore anō ... kia

Synonyms: kīanō


6. (particle) so that, in order that.


7. (particle) should not.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 64-65;)


8. (particle) so that ... will not/would not.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 31-32;)

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