Māori Grammar
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People are counted using the prefix toko- with the numbers two to nine. (Objects and animals are counted with e.)
kotahi - one person
tokorua - two people
tokotoru - three people
tokowhā - four people
tokorima - five people
tokoono - six people
tokowhitu - seven people
tokowaru - eight people
tokoiwa - nine people
tekau - ten people
Note that tokoono is pronounced toko-ono and not tokōno.
In addition, the following are also used:
tokoiti - few people, not many people
tokomaha - many people
tokohia? - how many people?11
Tekau mā rua ngā tamariki.
There are twelve children.Kotahi te kuia, tokotoru ngā tamariki.
One grandmother, three children.Tekau tonu ngā mokopuna a Taika.
Taika has exactly ten grandchildren.Tokohia ngā tāngata i tae atu ki reira?
How many people arrived there?Kāore e tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are not a few guests.Tokorua ā māua tamariki.
We have two children.Tokohia ngā tamariki a ō kaumātua?
How many children do your grandparents have?He kotahi te kūmera i roto i te rourou mā ngā tāngata tokorua.
There was one small round basket containing one kūmera belonging to two men.Kāore e tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are not two children.Kāore e tokorua ngā hoa.
There are not two friends.Kia ora Rangi, tokohia kei tō whānau?
Hey Rangi, how many in your family?Tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are seven teachers.Tokoiwa rātou i tū ki te kōrero.
Nine of them stood to talk.Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.Tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are eight police officers.Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?
How many people in your family?Tokoono ngā tāngata e noho ana kei tōku whare.
There are six people living at my house.Tokowhā ngā tāne kaha kei kōnei.
There are four strong men here.Kāore e tokoono ngā tauira.
There are not six students.Kāore aku tamariki, engari he tokomaha āku irāmutu, tekau mā rima rātou.
I don't have any kids, but I have many nieces and nephews, there are fifteen of them.Ka hia koutou?
How many of you were there?Ā, tekau mātou, tokowaru ngā tamariki.
Ah, there are ten of us, eight kids.Tokotorua āu tamariki?
Have you got three children?Ka tika hoki! Tokohia kei tō whānau?
That's right! How many in your family?Kāore e tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are not three elders.Kāore e tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are not five people.Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.Tokorima ngā tauira e katakata ana ki a ia.
There are five students laughing at him.Kāore e tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are not seven teachers.Tokohia i tae mai ki te whakarongo ki te pirimia?
How many people are coming to hear the Prime Minister?Tokohia ngā tāmgata?
How many people are there?Tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are two children.Tokohia kei roto i tō whānau?
How many in your family?Kei raro nei he kōrero mō ētahi tamariki tokotoru.
The following is a simple story about three children.E hia ngā pene? Kia hia ngā huka? Tokohia ngā tangata?
How many pens? How many sugars would you like? How many people?Tokoono ngā kōtiro kua haere.
The six girls have gone.Tokoono ngā tāngata kei tōku whare e noho ana.
There are six people living at my house.Tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are five people.Nāu, ka tokowaru koutou.
With you, that makes eight.Kua tae atu te tokorua nei ki te wharekai.
The pair have arrived at the restaurant.Kāore e tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are not eight police officers.Tokohia kē mai nei...
What a lot of people...Tokorima. Ko aku mātua, mātou ko taku tuakana, ko taku tungane.
Five. My parents, (me) and my older sister and my brother.Tokotoru aku irāmutu.
I have 3 neices.Tokoiwa pea.
About nine (people).Tokohia ngā tangata e haere mai?
How many people are coming?Tokorua aku tēina, tokotoru aku tuahine.
I've got two younger brothers (and) I have three sisters.Tokoono mātou, ko ōku mātua, me ōku tuākana.
There are six of us, my parents and my older sisters.Tokohia kē mai nei ngā tāngata e tae mai ana mō te kai!
What a lot of people are arriving for the food!Tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are a few guests.Tokorua ngā hoa.
There are two friends.Ka whakatika aua wāhine nei, ka whai atu i taua tokotoru.
Those women stood up and followed those three.Nō te tataunga o Taranga i ana tamariki, tokorima kē rātou.
When Taranga counted her children, there were five instead.Tokorua ngā wāhine kei tēnei rūma.
There are two women in this room.Tokoono ngā tauira.
There are six students.E āhei ana au ki te kawe i ētehi tamariki tokorima i tōku waka.
I can transport five kids on my car.Āe, tokorua ōku tungāne, tokorima ōku tēina.
Yes, I have two brothers and five younger sisters.