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 māmā?
Who is the mother?

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

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

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

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

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 tuakana o Kauri?
Who is the older sibling (same gender) of Kauri?

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

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

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

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

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

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

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

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

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

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

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

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

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

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

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

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

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

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

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

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

Ko wai?
Who?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

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

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

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

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

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

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

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

Ko wai a Koa?
Who is Koa?

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

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

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

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

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

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

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

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

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

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

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

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

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

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

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

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

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

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

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

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

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

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

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

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

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

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

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

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

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?