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).
Nāku te wāti nei,
This watch is mine.No Paikea ia.
He is descended from Paikea.Nō Ari te paihikara.
The bike belongs to Ari.Nāku ērā pene.
Those pens belong to me.Nō wai te whare rā?
Who does that house belong to?Nā ngā tamariki te papa tākaro.
The playground belongs to the children.Nāku tēnei pouaka whakaata.
This television is mine.Na wai ēnā kōtiro mōhio?
Whose are those clever girls?Nāku ngā kī.
The keys are mine.Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
That's my mobile phone.Nō rāua tērā waka.
That car belongs to them.Nō Mere tēnei tūru.
This chair belongs to Mere.Nāku tēnei.
This belongs to me.No tōku tuahine ngā waka whero.
The red car belongs to my older sibling.Nāu tēnei kapu.
This cup belongs to you.Nōku te whare iti.
The small house is mine.Na Taika and Ani.
They are Taika's and Ani's.Nā tātou ēnei hēki.
These eggs belong to us.Na wai tēnei tamaiti?
Who does this child belong to?Nā ngā tauira tēnei pepa.
This paper belongs to the students.Nō tā māua tama tērā whare.
That house belongs to our son.Nā mātou ngā taputapu.
The tools belong to us.Nōku tēnei waka rererangi.
This airplane is mine.Nōku tēnei hāte.
That shirt belongs to me.Nōku te koti nei.
This coat is mine.Nō Ngāti Awa a Hēmi.
Hēmi belongs to Ngāti Awa.Nāku ngā kura rā!
Those feathers belong to me!Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
Ehara i a au tērā waea pūkoro.No ngā tāngata i roto i te whare nui.
They belong to all the people in the meeting house.No te iwi whānui te whare nui, a Mataatua.
The meeting house Mataatua belongs to the whole tribe.Nā ngā kaiako ngā pukapuka.
The books belong to the teachers.Na Pita taua waka whero.
That red car belongs to Pita.Nōku te motopaika rā.
That motorbike over there is mine.Nā ngā tamariki ēnei pukapuka.
These books belong to the children.Nōku tēnei motoka.
This car is mine.Nō ngā tauira tēnei paihikara.
This bicycle belongs to the students.Nāu tēnei?
Does this belong to you?Nō te whānau tēnei whenua.
This land belongs to the family.Nōku tēnei motopaika.
This motorbike is mine.Nāna tērā kapu.
That cup belongs to him.Nā Pita tēnei kāmera.
This camera belongs to Pita.Nā ngā tauira ēnei pene.
These pens belong to the students.No Hawaiki tātou katoa.
We are all from Hawaiki.Nōku tēnei whare.
This house belongs to me.Nōu tēnei motokā.
This car is yours.Nōu tērā whare.
That house belongs to you.Nā rāua ngā pukapuka e rua.
The two books belong to them.Nāku te moni nei.
This money is mine.No wai mā ēnei hū?
Who do these shoes belong to?No Kāpiti rāua.
They are from Kāpiti.Nā wai tēnei pene?
Who does this pen belong to?Nō te marae ēnei tūru.
These chairs belong to the marae.Na wai te waka whero?
Who does the red car belong to?Nā Rangi tēnēi pene.
This pen belongs to Rangi.Nōku ēnei hū Nike.
These Nike shoes are mine.Nāhau tēnei?
Does this belong to you?Nōku tēnei waka ātea.
This spaceship is mine.Nā Mere tēnei rāpeti.
This rabbit belongs to Mere.Nāku te kete nei.
This kit is mine.Nāu tēnei rorohiko.
This computer belongs to you.Mā wai ērā rahopūru?
Who are those avocados for?Nā tō rāua māmā tēnei.
This belongs to their mother.No Āhia pea te ritenga Māori.
Māori culture may have originated in Asia.Nōku tēnei motokā.
This car is mine.No Ngāti Whātua ia.
She belongs to Ngāti Whātua.Nōu tērā, nōna tēnā, nōku tēnei.
That belongs to you, that belongs to her, this belongs to me.Nōku tēnei whare.
This house is mine.No rātou tēnei poupou.
This house-post belongs to them.Nōku tērā waka.
That car belongs to me.Nōna ēnei tīpuna.
These ancestors are his.Nā wai ēnei pene?
Who do these pens belong to?Nāu tēnei kuri.
This dog belongs to you.Nāku tēnei pukapuka.
This book belongs to me.Nā rātou ērā rīhi paru.
Those dirty dishes are theirs.Nō te kurī te whare rā.
That house belongs to the dog.Nāku tēnei kāri nama.
This credit card is mine.Nā ō tātou manuhiri pea?
Perhaps they belong to our guests?Nā ngā tamariki tēnei tāwhiri.
This kite belongs to the children.Nōku ēnā hū.
Those shoes are mine.Nō te whānau tēnei whare.
This house belongs to the family.Nāku tēnei maika, nāu tēnei ārani, nāna tērā tōtiti.
This banana is mine, this orange is yours, that sausage is his.Na wai ēnei taputapu katoa?
Whose is all this gear?