Exercise Five
Warning someone
When ‘kei’ is placed directly before a verb, whether it is a stative or a universal, it is indicating caution or a warning to the listener. Look at the following examples which demonstrate this particular use of ‘kei’.
| Kia tere, kei mahue koe i te pahi! | Hurry up or you'll miss the bus! |
| Kia tūpato, kei pakaru te pereti i a koe. | Be careful or you'll smash the plate. |
| Kia kamakama, kei mahue koe i a au. | Look lively or I'll leave you behind. |
| Tuhia te nama waea, kei wareware i a koe. | Write down the number or you'll forget it. |
Further explanations and exercises: Te Kākano p. 59; Te Aka
Whakamāoritia ngā rerenga kōrero nei.
Kei wareware i a koe ngā piko, ngā tohu pātai, ngā ira kati me ngā tohutō i ngā wāhi e tika ana.
Be careful or the chair will break.
Hurry up or you’ll miss the train!
Clean your room or your mother will tell you off!
Be quiet or the teacher might get angry!
Be careful or you’ll fall over!
Kupu hou : hinga = be defeated, fallen over
You should write the words down or you’ll forget them.