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