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