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