Māori Grammar

Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.

Ko Ahuriri te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Napier.

Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.

Ko Mia tōna matuakēkē.
Mia is his aunty.

Ko Rina te whaea o Ari.
Rina is the mother of Ari.

Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!

Ko ngā iwi katoa o te ao kua huihui mai i tēnei rā.
All the peoples of the world have gathered here today.

Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!

Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.

He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.

Ko Niko rāua ko Ani ōku hungarei.
Niko and Ani are my inlaws.

Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.

Me piri koe ki tōu ope.
You must stick to your party.

Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.

He kaumātua a Koa rāua ko Rangi no tērā marae.
Koa and Rangi are elders of that marae.

Ko Taika te pāpā o Manu.
Taika is Manu's father.

Ko Amaru tōna matuakēkē.
Amaru is his uncle.

He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?

No Kāpiti ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Kāpiti.

He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.

Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.

No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.

He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.

Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.

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 Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.

Ko Tame tōna hoa tane.
Tame is her husband.

Ko Kauri te hoa wahine o Pāora.
Kauri is the wife of Pāora.

Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.

E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.

Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?

Ko Honi tō rāua tungāne.
Honi is their cousin.