Āhea, Āwhea, Inahea, Nōnahea – When (Te Reo Māori)

WHEN?: there’s a few options depending if you’re talking about the future, present or past.

āhea/āwhea/ (future),

inahea / inwhea, nōnahea (past time),

ua, ka (used before verbs to indicate the start of a new action or state / no tense but often used for the future/will).

Āhea to ask ‘when’ future things will happen.

To use āhea (or āwhea) you use this construction:

FOR THE QUESTION:

Āhea + subject (+ e) + verb + ai?*

Āhea + koe + haere ai? When will you go?

NB although some grammar books say ‘āhea + subject + e + verb + ai’ many of the examples I’ve come across omit the ‘e’ so listen to what is common in your area and follow the lead of fluent speakers.

FOR THE ANSWERS:

Just remember that the answer is usually in the question.

Āhea te hui e tīmata ai? When will the meeting start?

Just swap the question word ‘āhea’ for ‘ā + the time’

Ā te whā karaka te hui e tīmata ai. The meeting will start at 4 o’clock.

Ā te (time) + subject + (e) + action + ai

Ā te tekau mā rua karaka ahau (e) kai ai.

I will eat at 12 o’ clock.

EXAMPLES

Āhea tātou e wehe ai?

When are we leaving?

Āhea tēnā mahi oti ai?

When will that work finish?

Āhea tō mahi tīmata ai?

When does your work start?

Āpopo tōku mahi tīmata ai.

My work starts tomorrow.

Ā te tau 2025 (rua mano, rua tekau mā rima) tōku mahi tīmata ai.

My work starts in 2025.

Kō wai e mōhio!

Who knows! 🙂

Āhea te pikitia tīmata ai?

When does the movie start?

Āhea te pahi wehe ai?

When will the bus leave?

Ā te iwa karaka (te pahi haere ai).

The bus is leaving at 9 o’clock.

Ākuanei te pahi wehe ai.

The bus will leave soon.

“Ā te rua karaka tātou e wehe atu” – We will leave at 2pm.

Ā te toru karaka tātou e wehe atu.

We are leaving (we will leave) at three o’clock.

Āhea tatou e hui mai ai āno?

When are we meeting again?

Ā tērā marama (tātou hui mai ai anō).

Next month.

Āhea ia e tae mai ai?

When will s/he arrive?

Āhea koe haere ai?

When are you (1) leaving?

Āhea kōrua haere ai ki Tāmaki makau rau?

When are you (2) going to Auckland?

Āhea kōrua wehe ai?

When are you two leaving?

Āpōpō māua wehe ai.

We’re leaving tomorrow.

Āhea koutou hoki ai ki te kāinga?

When will you (3+) go home?

Ā te ahiahi nei mātou hoki ai ki te kāinga.

We’ll go home this afternoon.

Āhea rāua moe ai?

When will they (2) sleep?

Ā te huarua i te iwa karaka rāua moe ai.

They’ll sleep at 9.30.

Āhea koe (e) haere ai ki te Horo Kingitanga?

When will you go to the Kingdom Hall?

Ā te whitu karaka.

At 7 o clock.

Ātahirā.

Day after

Āhea tātou hui mai ai anō? (When are we meeting again?)

Ā tērā marama tātou hui mai ai anō. (Next month).

Āhea te pahi haere ai? (When does the bus leave?)

Ā te whitu karaka te pahi haere ai. (The bus leaves at 7 o’clock.)

NB: Another word for tomorrow (āpōpō) is ākengokengo.

Waiho te tapahi i te karaihe mō ākengokengo.

Leave the lawn mowing until tomorrow.

Īnahea or Nōnahea (Īnawhea or Nōnawhea) – When (for the past)

Nōnahea + subject + i + verb + ai?

Ināhea + subject + i + verb + ai?

When did the bus leave? Nōnahea te pahi i wehe ai?

When did the bus leave? Ināhea te pahi i wehe ai?

When did she arrive? Nōnahea ia i tae mai ai?

When did she arrive? Ināhea ia i tae mai ai?

When were you born? Nōnahea koe i whānau ai?

When were you born? Ināhea koe i whānau ai?

Then use a past time word to answer (usually beginning with ‘nō tērā (last) + night, week, month etc or past time words starting with ‘i’ or ‘nō’- eg. inanahi – yesterday, inapō – last night, nōnapō – last night)

Nō tērā wiki (ia i tae mai ai).

Last week.

Nō tērā marama.

Last month.

Inapō / Nōnapō.

Last night

Inanahi / Nōnanahi

Yesterday.

Ināhea/Nōnahea te pahi i haere ai?

When did the bus go?

I te rua karaka.

At two o’clock (in the past).

Mahi Kāinga – Homework

Match up the correct future time words in te reo Māori to their English equivalents. Look out for ‘ā’ at the beginning of the words = future time.

Feel free to use the dictionary if you need to: https://maoridictionary.co.nz/

Āke tonu atu, ake ake Now

Ināianei Tomorrow

Ā muri ake Tonight

Ā tērā tau Later

Ā tērā marama Next year

Āpōpō, ākengokengo This afternoon

Ā te pō Soon

Ā te ahiahi nei The day after tomorrow

Ākuanei, Ākuarā Forever, eternity

Ātahirā Next month

Ā tērā wiki Next week

Match up the correct past time words in te reo Māori to their English equivalents. Look out for ‘i’ or ‘nō’ at the beginning of the words = past time.

Inapō, nōnapō Before

I te ata nei Yesterday

I tērā tau Last night

Inānahi, nōnanahi Of ancient times

I mua ake Last night

I tērā wiki Last year

I tērā tau Last week

Inatahirā This morning (past)

Inakuanei, nōnakuanei Just before

O nehe The day before yesterday

Now let’s practice with sentences using ‘āhea’ (when for the future) and ‘inahea’ (when for the past):

For ‘āhea’ questions about a future time, this is the structure:

Āhea (when – future question word)
+ the subject (person or thing) +
+ e (or I’ve also seen ka or nothing here)
+ verb + ai
+ i or ki + extra information (if needed)

Can you translate these ‘āhea’ questions?

Āhea koe e haere ai? When will you go?
Āhea ia e haere ai? ______________________________
Āhea a Maria e haere ai? ______________________________
Āhea te kurī e haere ai? ______________________________

And for answering you just swap out the question word for the future time word (which usually starts with ā)

Can you give the answers?

Āpōpō au e haere ai. I’ll go tomorrow.
Ākuanei ia e haere ai. ______________________________
Ā tērā wiki a Maria e haere ai. ______________________________
Ā muri ake te kurī e haere ai. ______________________________

Now if you’re feeling really confident why not try to make a couple of ‘āhea’ questions and answers of your own?

Āhea ngā tamariki e haere ai ki te kura. When will the children go to school?

Ākuanei ngā tamariki e haere ai ki te kura. Soon the children will go to school.

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For ‘inahea’ questions about a past time, you will need to use this structure:

Inahea (when? – past question word)
+ the subject (person or thing) +
+ i
+ verb + ai
+ i or ki + extra information (if needed)

Can you translate these ‘inanahi’ questions?

Inahea koe i kai ai? When did you eat?
Inahea ia i kai ai? ______________________________
Inahea a Maria i kai ai? ______________________________
Inahea te kurī i kai ai? ______________________________

And for answering you just swap out the question word for the future time word (which usually starts with i or nō)

Can you give the answers?

Inanahi au i kai ai. I ate yesterday.
Inapō ia i kai ai. ______________________________
Inatahirā a Maria i kai ai ______________________________
Inakuanei te kurī i kai ai. ______________________________

Now if you’re feeling really confident why not try to make some ‘inahea’ questions and answers of your own?

Inahea koe i kai ai i ngā pihikete? When did you eat the biscuits?

Ināianei tonu ahau i kai ai i ngā pihikete. Just now I ate the biscuits.

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