The word ‘ai’
The kupu (word) ‘ai’ is used in a number of different ways in te reo Māori. Here are 5 main ways.
1. TO ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kei te haere māua ki tātahi kaukau ai.
We’re going to the beach to swim.
2. TO EXPRESS A HABITUAL OR CUSTOMARY ACTION
Pānui ai ngā tamariki i ngā ata.
The children read in the mornings.
3. FOR SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS
(when a sentence contains an action and then a secondary action that happens because of that first action.)
Ka ruku koe i te awa ka puta ake ai anō ki runga.
You dive into the river and then come back up again.
4. IN ORDER THAT, SO, SO THAT
Kia + verb + ai = use this construction to express the purpose of an action.
Pānuitia te karaipiture kia kite ai ko wai te ingoa o te Atua.
Read the scripture (so that you’ll see) to see what God’s name is.
Māku ngā taputapu e horoi kia haere tere ai au ki te hui.
I’ll wash the dishes so that I can hurry up and go to the meeting.
5. FOR RELATIVE CLAUSES* (in the past or future tense, when they state a time, place, reason or instrument)
* Relative clauses = the second part of the sentence that relates to the first part and is attached by the word who, which or that.
Koinā te take i haere ai te tama. That’s why the boy went.
Kāore anō kia whakatauria te rā e haere ai māua ki a Ruatoria.
The day we’ll go to Ruatoria hasn’t been decided yet.