Māori Grammar

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi tōna matuakēkē.
Hēmi is his uncle.

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

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

Ko Aria tōna matuakēkē.
Aria is his aunty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!

Ko Ōtautahi te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Christhurch.

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

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

He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.

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

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

Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.

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

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.

Ko Ataahua tō rāua tungāne.
Ataahua is their cousin.

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

Ko Pāora tōna hoa tane.
Pāora is her husband.

Ko Ataahua te hoa wahine o Niko.
Ataahua is the wife of Niko.

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