Saying Where: ma

Level 1

Ma means “in”, “at” or “on” for a place.

How It Works

Ma goes before a place and says where something happens:

PlaceMeaning
ma Hiloin Hilo
ma ka halein or at the house
ma ke kulaat school

The Reference Grammar says ma and i are often interchangeable for “in”, “at” or “on”. It quotes a scholar who says ma does not mean “to” or “toward”, so for going to a place use i: Ke hele nei au i ke kula “I am going to school”. The grammar also prints Ke hele nei au ma ka hale without a translation. So keep ma for where something is or happens.

Examples (5)

  1. Noho au ma Hilo.

    I live in Hilo.

    Ma goes before the place name.

  2. Ke hana nei ʻo Kala ma ka hale kūʻai.

    Kala is working at the store.

    Ma comes before ka hale kūʻai.

  3. Ke heluhelu nei nā keiki ma ke kula.

    The children are reading at school.

    Ma comes before ke kula.

  4. Ke ʻai nei mākou ma ka hale ʻaina.

    We are eating at the restaurant.

    Ma tells where we eat.

  5. Ke kuke nei ka makuahine ma ka lumi kuke.

    The mother is cooking in the kitchen.

    Ma tells where she cooks.

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Saying Where: maLevel 1

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Words in This Pattern

ma