Saying 'while'

Look carefully at the following examples and you will see how i a ... and i te ... are used to say ‘while’. Notice how this structure uses e … ana, followed by ka ...

Here is the sentence pattern to help you:

I a/te/ngā + kaimahi + e + tūmahi + ana, + ka

Hei tauira:

I a mātou e haere ana, ka kite mātou i te hukarere.	While we are travelling, we will see the snow.
I a ia e waiata ana, ka katakata ngā tamariki.	While he was singing, the children laughed.
I a Hine mā e wehe ana, ka tangi mātou.	While Hine and the others were departing we cried.
I te tumuaki e kōrero ana, ka moe a Pita.	While the principal was talking, Peter slept.
I ngā ākonga e mahi ana, ka inu kawhe rātou.	While the students were working, they drank coffee.

Notice the similarity of this use of i te ... to its use for the past continuous tense that you have already encountered.

Hei tauira:

I te pakipaki ngā tamariki, ka mutu ngā whakataetae kaukau.	While the children were applauding, the swimming races finished.
I te kura a Maru, ka whānau mai āna punua kurī.	While Maru was at school, his puppies were born.
I te whare karakia rātou, ka tangi te pere.	They were at church when the bell rang.

For further explanations and examples see Te Kākano pp. 101-102.

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