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

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

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

Ko wai a Ataahua?
Who is Ataahua?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

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

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

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

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

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

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

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

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

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

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

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

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

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 tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

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

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

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

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

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

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

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

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

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

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

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 ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

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

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

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

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

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

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

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

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

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

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

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

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

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

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

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

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

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

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

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

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

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

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

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

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

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

Ko wai?
Who?

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

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?