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#83: Why are the children laughing?

He aha ____ e ____ nei?
Why... now? — He aha... e... nei?
Several structures ask why. He aha ai? is a general “why?”. He aha … i … ai? asks why something happened, referring to a past cause. He aha … e … ai? asks why something will happen. For present situations, He aha … e … nei? asks what is happening right now to cause the action.

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... now? — He aha... e... nei?
← #82: Why will their dog eat our cat's food?
All Lessons
#84: Why is the baby sleeping? →