Māori Grammar
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The family of n-class possessives is used to indicate established possession. This is different from simple ownership which uses t-class possessives (tāku, tōku, tāu, tōu, etc). They mean that someone owns something (I own a car). Words like nāku, nōku, nāu etc emphasise the ownership in a more emphatic way.
He pene tāku.
I own a pen.
Nāku tērā pene.
That pen belongs to me! It is my pen - not yours!
Such a sentence might be used in a dispute about ownership ("Hey! Get out of there! That's my car!") or in response to a mistake ("Hey! That's my coffee you are drinking!") or in response to a question.
There are a range of possible subjects in this sentence structure:
Nāku tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to me.
Nāu tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you.
Nānā tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to him or her.
Nā tāua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you and me.
Nā māua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to us two (not you).
Nā kōrua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you two.
Nā rāua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to those two.
Nā tātou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to us.
Nā mātou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to us (not you).
Nā koutou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you (3+).
Nā rāutou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to them (3+).
Nā Rangi tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to Rangi.
Nā Rangi rāua ko Mere tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to Rangi and Mere.
Nā te kaiako tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to the teacher.
Nā ngā tamariki tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to the children.
Like the t-class possessives, the n-class possessives also use the a and o categories:
Nāku tēnei pukapuka.
This is my book.
Nōku tēnei whare.
This is my house.
Nāu tēnā kai.
That is your food.
Nōu tēnā wai.
That is your water.
The n-class possessives denote established (past) ownership, while the related m-class possessives denote future unrealised possession:
Māku tēnei pene.
This pen is for me (or will be mine).
Nōku te whare iti.
The small house is mine.Nā ngā tauira ēnei pene.
These pens belong to the students.Nōku tēnei hāte.
That shirt belongs to me.Nāku te moni nei.
This money is mine.Nā ō tātou manuhiri pea?
Perhaps they belong to our guests?No Ngāti Whātua ia.
She belongs to Ngāti Whātua.Nōu tērā whare.
That house belongs to you.Nā Pita tēnei kāmera.
This camera belongs to Pita.Nāna tērā kapu.
That cup belongs to him.Nā mātou ngā taputapu.
The tools belong to us.No Hawaiki tātou katoa.
We are all from Hawaiki.No ngā tāngata i roto i te whare nui.
They belong to all the people in the meeting house.Nāku te wāti nei,
This watch is mine.Nōu tēnei motokā.
This car is yours.Nō wai te whare rā?
Who does that house belong to?Nōku tēnei waka ātea.
This spaceship is mine.Na wai tēnei tamaiti?
Who does this child belong to?Nā Mere tēnei rāpeti.
This rabbit belongs to Mere.Nōku te motopaika rā.
That motorbike over there is mine.Nō Mere tēnei tūru.
This chair belongs to Mere.Nā wai ēnei pene?
Who do these pens belong to?No tōku tuahine ngā waka whero.
The red car belongs to my older sibling.Nāku tēnei pouaka whakaata.
This television is mine.Nāu tēnei?
Does this belong to you?Nōku tēnei motoka.
This car is mine.Nōku ēnei hū Nike.
These Nike shoes are mine.No Āhia pea te ritenga Māori.
Māori culture may have originated in Asia.Nā tō rāua māmā tēnei.
This belongs to their mother.Nāu tēnei kuri.
This dog belongs to you.Nōku tēnei whare.
This house belongs to me.No wai mā ēnei hū?
Who do these shoes belong to?Nāku ngā kī.
The keys are mine.Nō rāua tērā waka.
That car belongs to them.Nō Tawa te paihikara.
The bike belongs to Tawa.Nāu tēnei kapu.
This cup belongs to you.Nāku tēnei.
This belongs to me.No Whakatū rāua.
They are from Nelson.No Paikea ia.
He is descended from Paikea.Na wai te waka whero?
Who does the red car belong to?Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
That's my mobile phone.Nō te marae ēnei tūru.
These chairs belong to the marae.Nā Tame tēnēi pene.
This pen belongs to Tame.Na wai ēnei taputapu katoa?
Whose is all this gear?Nā wai tēnei pene?
Who does this pen belong to?Nōku tērā waka.
That car belongs to me.Nō tā māua tama tērā whare.
That house belongs to our son.Nā ngā tamariki te papa tākaro.
The playground belongs to the children.Nāku te rakuraku nā.
That guitar belongs to me.Nāku tēnei maika, nāu tēnei ārani, nāna tērā tōtiti.
This banana is mine, this orange is yours, that sausage is his.Nāku te kete nei.
This kit is mine.Na wai ēnā kōtiro mōhio?
Whose are those clever girls?No te iwi whānui te whare nui, a Mataatua.
The meeting house Mataatua belongs to the whole tribe.Nōku tēnei motokā.
This car is mine.Mā wai ērā rahopūru?
Who are those avocados for?Nā rātou ērā rīhi paru.
Those dirty dishes are theirs.Nā ngā tamariki tēnei tāwhiri.
This kite belongs to the children.No rātou tēnei poupou.
This house-post belongs to them.Nō Hine tēnei whare.
This house belongs to Hine.Nāu tēnei rorohiko.
This computer belongs to you.Nōna ēnei tīpuna.
These ancestors are his.Nā rāua ngā pukapuka e rua.
The two books belong to them.Na Honi taua waka whero.
That red car belongs to Honi.Nāku ngā kura rā!
Those feathers belong to me!Nōku te koti nei.
This coat is mine.Nāku tēnei kāri nama.
This credit card is mine.Nā ngā tamariki ēnei pukapuka.
These books belong to the children.Nōku tēnei whare.
This house is mine.Nōku tēnei waka rererangi.
This airplane is mine.Nōku ēnā hū.
Those shoes are mine.Nō Ngāti Awa a Manu.
Manu belongs to Ngāti Awa.Nōku tēnei motopaika.
This motorbike is mine.Nāhau tēnei?
Does this belong to you?Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
Ehara i a au tērā waea pūkoro.Nō te whānau tēnei whare.
This house belongs to the family.Nō ngā tauira tēnei paihikara.
This bicycle belongs to the students.Nō te kurī te whare rā.
That house belongs to the dog.Nā ngā tauira tēnei pepa.
This paper belongs to the students.Na Koa and Moana.
They are Koa's and Moana's.Nōu tērā, nōna tēnā, nōku tēnei.
That belongs to you, that belongs to her, this belongs to me.Nāku tēnei pukapuka.
This book belongs to me.Nāku ērā pene.
Those pens belong to me.Nō te whānau tēnei whenua.
This land belongs to the family.Nā ngā kaiako ngā pukapuka.
The books belong to the teachers.