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

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

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

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

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

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

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

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

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

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

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

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

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

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

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

Ko wai?
Who?

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

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

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

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

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

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

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

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

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

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

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

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

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

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

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

Ko wai a Ari?
Who is Ari?

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

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

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

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

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

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

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

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

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

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

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

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

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

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

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

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?