Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 1
Asking who - Ko wai...?

We ask "who?" with either ko wai? ("who is?" - singular) or ko wai mā? ("who are?" - plural).

Ko wai te pōtiki o te whānau?
Who is the youngest in the family?

Ko wai tērā ki korā?
Who is that over there?

Ko wai i hanga i te whare?
Who built the house?

Ko wai kei roto i tana motukā?
Who is in her car?

Ko wai te ingoa o tēnei awa?
What is the name of this river?

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

Ko wai ka taraiwa i te nei?
Who will drive tonight?

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko wai ōna hoa?
Who are his/her friends.

Ko wai i horoi i ngā rīhi?
Who did the dishes?

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

Ko wai te mea e mōhio ana ki te reo Māori?
Who is the one who knows te reo Māori?

Ko wai tōu?
Who is yours? (eg who is your father?).

Ko wai te kaiwhakahaere? Ko au tonu!
Who is the orangiser? Actually, it's me!

Ko wai kei waho i te whare?
Who is that outside the house?

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

Ko wai kei te haere ki te hui?
Who is going to the hui?

Ko wai i hoko i ngā pukapuka?
Who bought the books?

Ko wai te ingoa o whānau?
What's the name of your family?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

Ko wai ka haere ki te taone ā te nei?
Who's going to town tonight?

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai te ingoa o hoa?
What's the name of your friend?

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai kei te horoi i ngā rīhi?
Who is washing the dishes.

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

Ko wai i kai i ngā āporo?
Who ate the apples?

Ko wai te ingoa o tērā wahine?
What's the name of that woman?

Ko wai i whakaatu i te kiriata?
Who showed the movie?

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko wai kei te āwhina i te kaiako?
Who is helping the teacher?

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

Ko wai kei te haere?
Who are you going with?

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

Ko wai ō koutou ingoa, kōtiro ?
What are your names, girls?

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

Ko wai ō hungarei?
Who are your parents in law?

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

Ko wai te ingoa o pāpā?
What is the name of your mother?

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai te ingoa o tērā maunga?
What is the name of that mountain?

Ko wai kei te whakahaere i te hui?
Who is running the meeting?

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

Ko wai te ingoa o whaea?
What's the name of your mum?

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

Ko wai i tiki i ngā tamariki i te kura?
Who picked up the children from school?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai kei te waiata i te waiata?
Who is singing the song?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

Ko wai kei te horoi i te rūma?
Who is cleaning the room?

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

Ko wai te tuakana o Pāora?
Who is the older sibling (same gender) of Pāora?

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai te tangata e hīkoi mai nei?
Who is the person walking this way?

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that (over there)?

Ko wai te mea pai ki te kōrero Māori?
Whose good at speaking Māori?

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

Ko wai te pāpā o Tama?
Whose Tama's dad?

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

Ko wai te koroua nui tōna aroha ki tōna whānau?
Who is the old man who has a lot of love for his whānau?

Ko wai te ingoa o kuia?
What is your grandmother's name?

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

Ko ngā aha ngā reta ra?
What are those letters?

Ko wai kei roto i te motokā?
Who is that in the car?

Ko wai?
Who?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko wai kei raro i te rākau?
Who is that under the tree?

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

Ko wai i i te kākahu?
Who packed the clothes?

Ko wai te mātāmua o whānau?
Who is the eldest in your family?

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

Ko wai kei runga i te nohoanga?
Who is that on the sofa?

Ko wai te ingoa o matua?
What's the name of your dad?

Ko wai kei te tākaro i te kēmu?
Who is playing the game?

Ko wai a Koa?
Who is Koa?

Ko wai ngā mea a ako ana i te reo Māori?
Who are the ones learning te reo Māori?

Ko wai te iwi e pai ana ki te haka?
Who is the nation who is good at doing haka?

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

Ko wai kei te tunu i te kai?
Who is cooking the food?

Ko wai ngā tamariki koi ngā hinengaro?
Who are the children with sharp minds?

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

Ko wai kei waho i te kūaha?
Who is outside the door?

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

Ko wai i tākaro i te papa tākaro?
Who played at the playground?

Ko wai i hopu i te ika?
Who caught the fish?

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

Ko wai kei te tapahi i te mīti?
Who is chopping the meat?