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