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
Ka nui te aroha o ngā tāngata ki te take nei.
The people feel very sympathetic to this cause.Ko ia tōku teina.
She is my younger sister.Ko Aroha tōna matuakēkē.
Aroha is his aunty.Ko Mia te hoa wahine o Nikau.
Mia is the wife of Nikau.Kāore tōna motokā e haere.
His car doesn't go.Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.He Pākehā te nuinga o ngā tauira i reira.
Most of the students there are Pākehā.Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui o Tāne.
The totara of Tāne's great forest has fallen.Kaua e tū ki runga i tō rātou whāriki hou!
Do not stand on their new carpet!Kua rere te wauria o Rua.
Rua's spirit has fled.He whāiti, he kōtiti ngā ara ki tōna takiwā.
The roads to her district are narrow and winding.Kua whakawātea tō mātou rangatira i tōna tūranga.
Our boss has returned from his position.Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!Ka mihi ahau ki tōku kara, arā te kara hui o te Kuini.
I greet my flag, the great flag of the Queen.Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.Unumia tō rongoa!
Take your medicine!Ko Ari te pāpā o Tawa.
Ari is Tawa's father.Kua ngaro ōku whenua katoa.
All my lands are lost.Ko Aria tō rāua tungāne.
Aria is their cousin.Ko Rangi rāua ko Manu ō tātou tumuaki.
Rangi and Manu are our leaders.Ko ia tētahi o tō tātou rōpū.
She is one of our group.He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.Kōrero ki tērā wahine e whakamau ana i tōku pōtae.
Speak to that woman wearing my hat.He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?Kua oma ato ō tātou hōiho.
Our horses have escaped.Ka roa noa atu tōku rerenga i roto i tōku rererangi.
I can go for miles in my airplane.He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.Ko ēnei ngā mahi o te hui.
These things are the work of the meeting.Ko tēnei tōku hoa pai rawa.
This is my best friend.Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.Ka roa tō tātou haerenga.
Our journey is long.Ka koa tōku ngākau ki āna kupu.
My heart raced at her words.Ko tēnei te kōrero o te matenga o Kae.
This is the story of the death of Kae.Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.Ko Amaru tōna matuakēkē.
Amaru is his uncle.Kua whati te waewae o tāku tamāhine.
My daughter has a broken leg.He rongonui te kōrero mo te patunga o Kae e Tinirau.
The story of Kae's being killed by Tinirau is famous.He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?He kaumātua a Taika rāua ko Niko no tērā marae.
Taika and Niko are elders of that marae.Ko Rangi rāua ko Ani ōku hungarei.
Rangi and Ani are my inlaws.I tupu tōna pukurir i roto i a ia.
His anger grew within him.Whakapai tōu moenga, E Aroha!
Make your bed, Aroha!Kāore anō ngā tamariki tāne kia paraihe i ō rātou makawe.
The boys have not brushed their hear yet.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 mīharo rātou ki te ātaahua o te wahine patupaiarehe.
They were astonished at the beauty of the fairy woman.He tāokete ia no tāku wāhine.
He is a brother-in-law of my wife.Whakahokia tōku heru!
Give back my comb!Ko Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!Kua whati te waewae o te tūru.
The leg of the chair is broken.He aha ō rātou whakaaro e pā ana ki tēnā?
What do they think about that?Ko Ōtautahi te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Christhurch.Ko Kauri te tāokete o Moana.
Kauri is Moana's sister-in-law.E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.He pai ki a koe tōku tūru hou?
Do you like my new chair?Ko Rina te whaea o Koa.
Rina is the mother of Koa.Ko Aorangi te tino maunga o Ngāi Tahu.
Aorangi is the foremost mountain of Ngāi Tahu.Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.Hāpatia tōu ringaringa!
Raise your hand!He Ataahua ro kaiako o ā māua tamariki.
Our children's teacher is Ataahua.Kei hea te kakau o te toki?
Where's the handle of the axe?I te taha o te awa te ana o taua ngārara.
The cave of the monster was beside the river.Ko Pāora tōna hoa tane.
Pāora is her husband.Ko te whakaititianga te tohu o te mana nui.
Humility is the sign of greatness.Me piri koe ki tōu ope.
You must stick to your party.Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.No Te Tai Rāwhiti ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from the Eastland region.No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.Ko ngā iwi katoa o te ao kua huihui mai i tēnei rā.
All the peoples of the world have gathered here today.