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
Kua whati te waewae o tāku tamāhine.
My daughter has a broken leg.Ko Aria te tāokete o Kauri.
Aria is Kauri's sister-in-law.He kaumātua a Manu rāua ko Nikau no tērā marae.
Manu and Nikau are elders of that marae.I tupu tōna pukurir i roto i a ia.
His anger grew within him.Kua whati te waewae o te tūru.
The leg of the chair is broken.Ko Pāora rāua ko Ataahua ō tātou tumuaki.
Pāora and Ataahua are our leaders.Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?Whakapai tōu moenga, E Mia!
Make your bed, Mia!Unumia tō rongoa!
Take your medicine!No Kawatiri ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Westport.Ko Niko rāua ko Aroha ōku hungarei.
Niko and Aroha are my inlaws.Ko Te Tai Hauāuru te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in the Westland region.Ko Tawa te pāpā o Amaru.
Tawa is Amaru's father.He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.He tāokete ia no tāku wāhine.
He is a brother-in-law of my wife.Ko Ari tōna hoa tane.
Ari is her husband.Hāpatia tōu ringaringa!
Raise your hand!Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.Ko Ataahua te hoa wahine o Pāora.
Ataahua is the wife of Pāora.Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui o Tāne.
The totara of Tāne's great forest has fallen.Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.Ko te whakaititianga te tohu o te mana nui.
Humility is the sign of greatness.Kua whakawātea tō mātou rangatira i tōna tūranga.
Our boss has returned from his position.Ko Koa tōna matuakēkē.
Koa is his uncle.Ka mihi ahau ki tōku kara, arā te kara hui o te Kuini.
I greet my flag, the great flag of the Queen.Ka koa tōku ngākau ki āna kupu.
My heart raced at her words.Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.Kua rere te wauria o Rua.
Rua's spirit has fled.Ko Nikau tō rāua tungāne.
Nikau is their cousin.He Hēmi ro kaiako o ā māua tamariki.
Our children's teacher is Hēmi.Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!Ko Mia te whaea o Rangi.
Mia is the mother of Rangi.Ko Moana tōna matuakēkē.
Moana is his aunty.