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