Māori Grammar

No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.

Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!

Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.

He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.

Ko Moana tōna matuakēkē.
Moana is his aunty.

No Whakatū ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Nelson.

He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.

Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!

Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.

Ko Ari te pāpā o Tawa.
Ari is Tawa's father.

Ko Rangi rāua ko Kauri ōku hungarei.
Rangi and Kauri are my inlaws.

He kaumātua a Pāora rāua ko Koa no tērā marae.
Pāora and Koa are elders of that marae.

Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.

He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.

Ko ngā iwi katoa o te ao kua huihui mai i tēnei rā.
All the peoples of the world have gathered here today.

Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.

Ko Kawatiri te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Westport.

Ko Aria te whaea o Tame.
Aria is the mother of Tame.

He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.

Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.

He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?

Me piri koe ki tōu ope.
You must stick to your party.

Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.

Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.

Ko Hēmi tōna matuakēkē.
Hēmi is his uncle.

Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.

Ko Aroha te hoa wahine o Nikau.
Aroha is the wife of Nikau.

E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.

Ko Koa tō rāua tungāne.
Koa is their cousin.

Ko Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.

Ko Amaru tōna hoa tane.
Amaru is her husband.

Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.

Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?