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...

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

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

Tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are a few guests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tokorua ngā hoa.
There are 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.

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

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

Tokohia ngā tāmgata?
How many people are there?

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

Tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are eight police officers.

Tokorua ā māua tamariki.
We have two children.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are two children.

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

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

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

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

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

Kotahi tōku tungāne.
I have one brother.

Tokotorua āu tamariki?
Have you got three children?

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

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

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

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

Tekau mā rua ngā tamariki.
There are twelve children.

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

Tokoono ngā tauira.
There are six students.

Tokotoru aku irāmutu.
I have 3 neices.

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

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

Ka hia koutou?
How many of you were there?

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

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

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

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

Tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are five people.

Tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are three elders.

Tokoiwa pea.
About nine (people).

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

Tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are seven teachers.

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