Showing Time Using “ma mua” and “ma hope”

Besides indicating a physical location of something, the words “ma mua o” and “ma hope o” can also mean “before” and “after” in the sense of time. For this exercise, let’s imagine that we are in an office, and that the work has to be finished by a certain time. We will combine our knowledge of numbers for this exercise also, so let’s have a quick review of them right now. Hoʻomākaukau:

ʻekahi (1)
ʻelua (2)
ʻekolu (3)
ʻehā (4)
ʻelima (5)
ʻeono (6)
ʻehiku (7)
ʻewalu (8)
ʻeiwa (9)
ʻumi (10)
ʻumikūmākahi (11)
ʻumikūmālua (12)

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To say 1 o’clock, we just put the words “ka hola” before the hour number. For example, “ka hola ʻekahi” – one o’clock. Shall we practice all of the hours quickly? Sure! Hoʻomākaukau!

• ka hola ʻekahi (1 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻelua (2 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻekolu (3 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻehā (4 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻelima (5 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻeono (6 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻehiku (7 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻewalu (8 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻeiwa (9 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻumi (10 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻumikūmākahi (11 o’clock)
• ka hola ʻumikūmālua (12 o’clock)

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And finally, here are the directions: I will say something like, “The work should be finished before 1 o’clock” and you will say “E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻekahi”.

Okay. I think we are ready for our day of deadlines at the office! Hoʻomākaukau!

• The work should be finished before…
• …1 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻekahi
• …2 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻelua
• …3 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻekolu
• …4 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻehā
• …5 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻelima
• …6 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻeono
• …7 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻehiku
• …8 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻewalu
• …9 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻeiwa
• …10 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻumi
• …11 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻumikūmākahi
• …12 o’clock – E pau ka hana ma mua o ka hola ʻumikūmālua

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Now if we change “ma mua o” to “ma hope o” in this sentences, then we would be saying: The work should be finished after the time. Letʻs do a few for practice. Hoʻomākaukau!

• The work should be finished after two oʻclock. – E pau ka hana ma hope o ka hola ʻelua.
• The work should be finished after four oʻclock – E pau ka hana ma hope o ka hola ʻehā.
• The work should be finished after five oʻclock – E pau ka hana ma hope o ka hola ʻelima.
• The work should be finished after ten oʻclock. – E pau ka hana ma hope o ka hola ʻumi.
• The work should be finished after twelve oʻclock – E pau ka hana ma hope o ka hola ʻumikūmālua.

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