Māori Grammar

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Five golden rings

counting people and things

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

 

See also:

• Ordinal numbers (First, second, third...) - tuatahi, tuarua...

Kei raro nei he kōrero mō ētahi tamariki tokotoru.
The following is a simple story about three children.

Tekau tonu ngā mokopuna a Pāora.
Pāora has exactly ten grandchildren.

E hia ngā pene? Kia hia ngā huka? Tokohia ngā tangata?
How many pens? How many sugars would you like? How many people?

Tokorima ngā tākuta o konei.
There are five doctors from here.

Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.

Tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are a few guests.

Tokohia ngā tamariki a ō kaumātua?
How many children do your grandparents have?

Tokowhā ngā tāne kaha kei kōnei.
There are four strong men here.

Tokoono mātou, ko ōku mātua, me ōku tuākana.
There are six of us, my parents and my older sisters.

Tokorua ngā hoa.
There are two friends.

Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.

Kāore e tokorua ngā hoa.
There are not two friends.

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.

Kāore e tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are not five people.

Tokohia kē mai nei ngā tāngata e tae mai ana mō te kai!
What a lot of people are arriving for the food!

Tokohia kei roto i tō whānau?
How many in your family?

Tokoono ngā tauira.
There are six students.

Tokoono ngā tāngata kei tōku whare e noho ana.
There are six people living at my house.

Tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are seven teachers.

Nāu, ka tokowaru koutou.
With you, that makes eight.

Āe, tokorua ōku tungāne, tokorima ōku tēina.
Yes, I have two brothers and five younger sisters.

Tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are two children.

Tokorua ōku tuākana.
I have two older siblings (of the same gender as me).

Tokoono ngā kōtiro kua haere.
The six girls have gone.

Tokorua ā māua tamariki.
We have two children.

Tokoiwa rātou i tū ki te kōrero.
Nine of them stood to talk.

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.

Tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are three elders.

Tokohia ngā tāmgata?
How many people are there?

Tokorima ngā tauira e katakata ana ki a ia.
There are five students laughing at him.

E āhei ana au ki te kawe i ētehi tamariki tokorima i tōku waka.
I can transport five kids on my car.

Kāore e tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are not a few guests.

Kāore e tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are not two children.

Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.

Tokoono ngā tāngata e noho ana kei tōku whare.
There are six people living at my house.

Ka whakatika aua wāhine nei, ka whai atu i taua tokotoru.
Those women stood up and followed those three.

Tokohia ngā tangata e haere mai?
How many people are coming?

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?
How many people in your family?

Ā, tekau mātou, tokowaru ngā tamariki.
Ah, there are ten of us, eight kids.

Nō te tataunga o Taranga i ana tamariki, tokorima kē rātou.
When Taranga counted her children, there were five instead.

Tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are five people.

Tekau mā rua ngā tamariki.
There are twelve children.

Kāore e tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are not three elders.

Kāore e tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are not eight police officers.

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tae atu ki reira?
How many people arrived there?

Kua tae atu te tokorua nei ki te wharekai.
The pair have arrived at the restaurant.

Tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are eight police officers.

Kotahi te kuia, tokotoru ngā tamariki.
One grandmother, three children.

Tokohia kē mai nei...
What a lot of people...

Ka tika hoki! Tokohia kei tō whānau?
That's right! How many in your family?

Tokohia ā koutou ākonga?
How many students do you have?

Tokorua aku tēina, tokotoru aku tuahine.
I've got two younger brothers (and) I have three sisters.

Tokohia i tae mai ki te whakarongo ki te pirimia?
How many people are coming to hear the Prime Minister?

Ka hia koutou?
How many of you were there?

Tokorua ngā wāhine kei tēnei rūma.
There are two women in this room.

Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.

Kāore e tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are not seven teachers.

Kāore e tokoono ngā tauira.
There are not six students.

Tokorima. Ko aku mātua, mātou ko taku tuakana, ko taku tungane.
Five. My parents, (me) and my older sister and my brother.

Tokoiwa pea.
About nine (people).

Kotahi tōku tungāne.
I have one brother.

Tokotoru aku irāmutu.
I have 3 neices.

Tokohia ngā tangata i reira?
How many people were there?

Tokotorua āu tamariki?
Have you got three children?

Kia ora Mia, tokohia kei tō whānau?
Hey Mia, how many in your family?