← #81: What has happened to cause you to cry now?
All Lessons
#83: Why are the children laughing? →

#82: Why will their dog eat our cat's food?

he aha ___ e ___ ai?
Why will? — He aha... e... ai?
To ask why, different structures mark tense. He aha … i … ai? asks why something happened (past) or what caused something happening now. He aha … e … ai? asks why something will happen (future). The particles i and e signal past and future causes within these “why” questions.

Video

Vocabulary

ā • āe • ahau • āhua • ake • ake, ake, ake • āku • āna • ātaahua • atu • au • āwangawanga • e hoa mā • e tū • engari • haere mā raro • haunga • hiahia • hiainu • hiakai • hiamoe • hīkoi • hoa • hōhā • hōiho • hou • i • ia • iho • iti • ka • kaha • katoa • kau • keke • kēkē • ki • kia • Kia kaha! • kia ora • kino • ko wai • koe • koro • kōrua • koutou • kōwhai • kua • mā • mai • māua • māuiui • ngenge • noho • nui • ō • oma • ora • pai • pango • pēhea? • rā • rātau • rāua • rūma moe • taku • tama • tamaiti • tamariki • tana • tātou • tāua • tere • tino • tō • wāhine • waiata • whaea • whero

Grammar

Why will? — He aha... e... ai?
← #81: What has happened to cause you to cry now?
All Lessons
#83: Why are the children laughing? →