Māori Grammar
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Te reo Māori has two categories for nouns called the a and o categories.
The o category includes:
water and medicine
parts of things
things associated with the body (including clothes)
one's home, land and iwi
parents, grandparents and siblings
people in a superior position (a boss, police, etc)
modes of transport (including horses)
A simple possessive can use o on its own:
Te whare o te whānau.
The family's house. (Literally: the house of the family)
Te waka o Rangi.
Rangi's car. (Literally: the car of Rangi)
T-class possessives in the o category include for singular items (eg "my pen"):
tōku - my
tōu - your
tōna - his/her
tō tāua - yours and mine
tō kōrua - belonging to you two
tō māua -belonging to us two but not you
tō rāua - belonging to those two
tō tātou - ours
tō koutou - yours (3+)
tō mātou - ours (but not yours)
tō rātou - theirs
T-class possessives in the o category include for plural items (eg "my pens"):
ōku - my
ōu - your
ōna - his/her
ō tāua - yours and mine
ō kōrua - belonging to you two
ō māua -belonging to us two but not you
ō rāua - belonging to those two
ō tātou - ours
ō koutou - yours (3+)
ō mātou - ours (but not yours)
ō rātou - theirs
Note the difference between the singular and plural of things possessed, and singular and plural of owners:
tōku whare
my house
ōku whare
my houses
tō tātou whare
our house
ō tātou whare
our houses
He rongonui te kōrero mo te patunga o Kae e Tinirau.
The story of Kae's being killed by Tinirau is famous.Ko Rina te whaea o Tame.
Rina is the mother of Tame.Kāore anō ngā tamariki tāne kia paraihe i ō rātou makawe.
The boys have not brushed their hear yet.He whāiti, he kōtiti ngā ara ki tōna takiwā.
The roads to her district are narrow and winding.Ko tēnei tōku hoa pai rawa.
This is my best friend.Ka nui te aroha o ngā tāngata ki te take nei.
The people feel very sympathetic to this cause.Kaua e tū ki runga i tō rātou whāriki hou!
Do not stand on their new carpet!Ko ia tētahi o tō tātou rōpū.
She is one of our group.Kōrero ki tērā wahine e whakamau ana i tōku pōtae.
Speak to that woman wearing my hat.Ko Aria tō rāua tungāne.
Aria is their cousin.He aha ō rātou whakaaro e pā ana ki tēnā?
What do they think about that?Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.Ko Hēmi te pāpā o Rangi.
Hēmi is Rangi's father.Ka roa noa atu tōku rerenga i roto i tōku rererangi.
I can go for miles in my airplane.He tatau tō te whare.
The 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.Kua ngaro ōku whenua katoa.
All my lands are lost.I te taha o te awa te ana o taua ngārara.
The cave of the monster was beside the river.E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.Ko Moana te tāokete o Mia.
Moana is Mia's sister-in-law.Ko ia tōku teina.
She is my younger sister.Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.Kua whati te waewae o te tūru.
The leg of the chair is broken.Ko Kirikiriroa te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Hamilton.No Te Tai Tokerau ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from the Northland region.He kaumātua a Koa rāua ko Manu no tērā marae.
Koa and Manu are elders of that marae.He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.Hāpatia tōu ringaringa!
Raise your hand!Kāore tōna motokā e haere.
His car doesn't go.Ko tēnei te kōrero o te matenga o Kae.
This is the story of the death of Kae.Ko Amaru tōna hoa tane.
Amaru is her husband.Ka mihi ahau ki tōku kara, arā te kara hui o te Kuini.
I greet my flag, the great flag of the Queen.I tupu tōna pukurir i roto i a ia.
His anger grew within him.He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.He Hēmi ro kaiako o ā māua tamariki.
Our children's teacher is Hēmi.Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.Kua whati te waewae o tāku tamāhine.
My daughter has a broken leg.Ko Aria te hoa wahine o Niko.
Aria is the wife of Niko.He tāokete ia no tāku wāhine.
He is a brother-in-law of my wife.Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui o Tāne.
The totara of Tāne's great forest has fallen.Ko Aorangi te tino maunga o Ngāi Tahu.
Aorangi is the foremost mountain of Ngāi Tahu.Kua rere te wauria o Rua.
Rua's spirit has fled.Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!Ko te whakaititianga te tohu o te mana nui.
Humility is the sign of greatness.Kua oma ato ō tātou hōiho.
Our horses have escaped.Whakapai tōu moenga, E Mia!
Make your bed, Mia!Ko Tawa tōna matuakēkē.
Tawa 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.Ka roa tō tātou haerenga.
Our journey is long.He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.Ko Pāora rāua ko Ani ōku hungarei.
Pāora and Ani are my inlaws.Ko Ataahua tōna matuakēkē.
Ataahua is his aunty.E titiro ana ngā tauhou ki te nui o tērā rākau, o Tāne Mahuta.
The strangers gazed at the size of that tree, Tane Mahuta.Ka koa tōku ngākau ki āna kupu.
My heart raced at her words.Kua whakawātea tō mātou rangatira i tōna tūranga.
Our boss has returned from his position.Ko Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.Ka mīharo rātou ki te ātaahua o te wahine patupaiarehe.
They were astonished at the beauty of the fairy woman.He Pākehā te nuinga o ngā tauira i reira.
Most of the students there are Pākehā.Unumia tō rongoa!
Take your medicine!Ko ēnei ngā mahi o te hui.
These things are the work of the meeting.Whakahokia tōku heru!
Give back my comb!He pai ki a koe tōku tūru hou?
Do you like my new chair?Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!Ko Ari rāua ko Amaru ō tātou tumuaki.
Ari and Amaru are our leaders.