Exercise Seven

Joining sentences with ā

Ā can sometimes be used instead of me to mean ‘and’ or ‘with’ but its use is different from that of me. Ā is used to join sentences with verbs, but can also be used to join phrases without verbs. Also worth noting is that when ā is used there is normally a pause that follows when you are saying the sentence.

Hei tauira
ā Ka horoi, ā, ka kai te whānau.
The family washed and then ate.

e He rīwai ēnei, ā, he kūmara ērā.
These are potatoes and those are kūmara.

Further explanations and exercises: Te Kākano p.45.

Purua te kupu ā ki te wāhi tika hei whakaoti i te takotoranga, ā, ka whiriwhiri ai i te whakapākehātanga e tika ana.
Put the word ā in the correct place to connect the sentences and then select the correct translation in English.

Don’t forget to use commas, question marks, and fullstops and macrons where appropriate (ā,ē,ī,ō, and ū).

I hīkoi au ki te toa. I oma a Hone ki te toa.

Translate the sentence into English:

He kererū tēnei. He tūī tērā.

Translate the sentence into English:

Kei te kura te kaiako. Kei te whare pukapuka te akonga.

Translate the sentence into English:

Nō Eruera tēnā tautara. Mō te hī ika.

Translate the sentence into English:

I moe rātou. I ngongoro ngā koroua.

Translate the sentence into English:

I haere mātou ki tātahi. I kaukau mātou.

Translate the sentence into English:


Ko koe te kaiwhakahaere. Ko au te kaimahi.

Translate the sentence into English:

Nōu tērā koti. Nōku tēnei koti.

Translate the sentence into English: