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

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

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

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

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

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

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

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

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

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

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

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

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

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

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

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

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

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

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

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

Ko wai?
Who?

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

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

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

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

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

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

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

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

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

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

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

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

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

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

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

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

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

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

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

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

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

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

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

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

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 Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

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

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

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

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

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

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

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

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

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

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

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

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

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

Ko wai a Rangi?
Who is Rangi?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

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

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?