Māori Grammar

Sentences with two possessives - a, o

Sometimes there are sentences that have two possessives: "the door of my house" or "my father's car". In the first example, the door belongs to the house and the house belongs to me. In the second sentence, the car belongs to the father and the father 'belongs' to me.

There are many similar sentences in te reo:

E toru ngā tamariki a ō māua hoa.
Our friends have three children.

In this sentence, the friends 'belong' to us, and the children 'belong' to the friends. There is a further complication here because children are in the 'a' category and friends are in the 'o' category. The a possessive relates to the children, while the ō māua possessive relates to the friends.

Kua pakaru te hīrere.
The shower has broken!

Kua kai-tohetaka koe.
You have eaten dandelion.

Kua kite koe i taku pene? He mā whero te mea na.
Have you seen my pen? It's a pink one.

Kua ora mai anō ōna mātua.
His parents have got well again.

Kua mutu ngā kōrerorero.
The discussions were over.

Kua hora a Tawa i te tēpu.
Tawa's set the table.

Kua tae mai a Hemi.
Hemi has arrived.

Kua kaha tā mātou mahi.
We have worked hard.

Kua tae mai ngā tītī.
The muttonbirds have arrived.

Kua kai pāua koe?
Have you eaten pāua?

Kua uru ia ki te kura
She entered the school.

Kua tino tāroaroa haere tō tamaiti!
Your son has become taller!

Kua pau katoa te kai i a koutou!
You have eaten up all the food!

Kua reri te parakuihi.
Breakfast is ready.

Kua rongo rātou i te kai.
They (3/+) have perceived (tasted, smelt) the food.

Kua waiho taua wāhi hei urupā mō ngā tūpāpaku.
That place was left as a burial ground for the dead.

Kua hōhā katoa au ki a koe.
I'm totally annoyed with you.

Kua mārama au ki tōu whakautu.
I've understood your response.

Kua rongo au kei te haere mai koe.
I heard you were coming.

Kua mā te wharepaku.
The toilet has been cleaned.

Kua ahatia tērā tāne?
What happened to that man?

Kua mā katoa koe!
You are completely clean!

Kua oti tā māua mahi.
Our (two people) work is done.

Kua tākarohia e mātou ngā kēmu e rua.
We've played two games.

Kua riro ia i te ringa o Aituā.
He has been taken by the hands of Misfortune.

Kua rite kōrua?
Are you two ready?

Kua kite noa atu ahau ka ngaro te reo Māori.
I saw long ago that the Māori language will disappear.

Kua hoki mai rāua i te toa.
They have returned from the shop.

Kua mutu koe?
Have you finished?

Kua moe ia
He has slept

Kua pau i a ia te kōrero tēnei pukapuka.
He has read this book right through.

Kua paru te kāuta.
The kitchen has been dirtied.

Kua tino ora a roto.
The inside is very well.

Kua mutu tāu mahi, ka haere tātou.
When your job's finished we shall go.

Kua mā ināianei?
Is it clean now?

Kua tū a Hine hei kaiārahi.
Hine has stood as a leader.

Kua tae mai rātou i Rotorua.
They have arrived here from Rototua.

Kua riro te mahi uaua i a au.
The hard work has been received by me.

Kua whai tohu koe?
Do you have a degree?

Kua kōrero ngā wāhine.
The women have spoken.

Kua kite ahau i a koe.
I have seen you.

Kua tīmata ngā mihimihi.
The speeches have begun.

Kua pau te moni i a au.
The money has been spent by me.

Kua mutu tō mahi?
Have (you) finished your work.

Kua tīkina ngā kākahu horoi e ngā tamariki.
The clean clothes have been fetched by the children.

Kua haere ia ki te kura.
She's gone to school.

Kua pakaru te rama i runga ake i te tēpu.
The light above the table is broken.

Kua haere.
[He] has gone.

Kua whakatika ia i ōna makawe.
He's straightened his hair.

Kua uhia te maunga ki te hukarere.
The mountain is covered in snow.

Kua mutu tana mahi whakareri i ngā kai.
He has finished preparing the food.

Kua moe a Tamahae i runga i te tēpu.
Tamahae has gone to sleep on the table.

Kua kai koe i tō parakuihi?
Have you had your breakfast?

Kua kai kamokamo koe?
Have you tried kamokamo?

Kua kai au i te pūhā.
I have eaten pūhā.

Kua pau ngā moni.
They money is all gone.

Kua ako a Mere i te waiata.
Mere has learnt the song.

Kua ako koe i te reo Māori?
Have you learned te reo Māori?

Kua eke atu ia ki ngā taumata o te waru tekau mā whitu tau.
She has reached the age of eighty seven years.

Kua whakamutu koe i tāu mahi?
Have you finished your work?

Kua tīkina e Mere te kai.
Mere has fetched the food.

Kua mimi te pēpi.
The baby peed.

Kua tango au i ōku hū.
I have removed my shoes.

Kua mamae tōku kakī.
My neck is sore.

Kua mutu te mahi.
Work has finished.

Kua mutu?
Have you finished?

Kua oti i taku pāpā te kai te tunu.
My father has finished cooking.

Kua pānui koe i te puka wetereo?
Have you read the grammar guide?

Kua tae atu koe ki tāwāhi?
Have you been overseas?

Kua whana te tama i te pōro.
The boy has kicked the ball.

Kāore anō au kia kai, ernmgari kei te matekei au.
I have not yet eaten, but I am starving.

Kua reri?
(Are you) ready?

Kua hora te tēpu?
Has the table been set?

Kua tīmata te kēmu.
The game has started.

Kua haere au.
I'm off.

Kua whakahokia ki a ia te tamaiti i mauria e ngā pirihimana i te marama o Oktopa.
The child who was taken by the police in October has been returned to her.

Kua moumou rātou i te rehu horoi.
They have wasted the soap powder.

Kua mā katoa koe ināianei.
You're all clean now.

Kua pakaru i a Ataahua?
Did Ataahua break it?

Kua haere ngā tamariki ki te kura.
The children have gone to school.

Kua tae mai tā tātou manuhiri.
Our visitors have arrived.

Kua kitea e koe? Ko te aha? Ko tāku waea pūkoro?
Have you seen it? What? My cell phone?

Kua haere kē i mua tata o taku taenga atu.
He left just before I arrived.

Kua hoki mai ia.
She has returned.

Kua rongo koe i te waiata hou?
Have you heard the new song?

Kua reri te kai.
The food is ready.

Kua tae katoa mai rātou.
They have all arrived.

Kua hoki te waka ki te kāinga.
The car has returned home.

Kua kai au.
I have eaten.

Kua mīia e koe tō kope.
You peed your nappy.

Kua rongo koe i te tītī?
Have you heard the muttonbird?

Kua mā tō kanohi ināianei.
Your face is all clean now.

Kua tiki koe i te kai?
Have you got the food?

Kua mā te ruma?
Is the room clean?

Kua kī kē te hōro i te tamariki.
The hall was full of children.

Kua mutu tāku mahi i a au.
My work has been finished by me. (I've stopped working)

Kua haere a Amaru ki tāwāhi.
Amaru's gone overseas.

Kua hokona tēnei rorohiko māu.
This computer has been bought for you.

Kua mutu i a koe tō mahi?
Have you finished your work?

Kua piki te ngeru ki runga i te tūru.
The cat has climbed onto the chair.

Kua mahia te mahi pai e kōrua.
The good work has been done by you two

Kua kitea e koe? Ko te aha? Ko tāku waea pūkoro?
Have you seen it? What? My cell phone?

Kua horoia e koe ō niho?
Have you cleaned your teeth?

Kua roa ake te mahi i tāku i whakaaro ai.
The job has taken longer than I thought.

Kua rima ōna tau.
She has reached five years.

Kua haere mai rātou kia whakaakona ai ki te reo Māori.
They have come in order to be taught Māori.

Kua tae te rīpoata ki te kaiako.
The report has been given to the teacher.

Kua horoi koe i ngā pereti?
Have you done the dishes?

Kua ora mai anō te tamaiti.
The child is well again.

Kua mutu te hui.
The meeting has finished.

Kua haere ia ki te toa ki te hoko hikareti.
She's gone to the store to buy cigarattes.

Kua tākaro rāua i te whutupaoro.
They have played rugby.

Kua kitea e koe?
Have you seen it?

Kua tae mai rātou?
Have they arrived?

Kua mau te ika i a Pani.
Pani has caught the fish.

Kua mōhio ia ki te kōrero pukapuka.
She knows how to book read.

Kua kī te waka.
The car is full.

Kua mutu i a koe?
Have you finished?

Kua whakatika au i te moenga.
I've made the bed.

Kua oma ngā tamariki i te papa tākaro.
The children have run in the playground.

Kua tika katoa kai me ngā mīti atu.
All the food, including the meat, should be ready now.

Kua piki au i te maunga o Tongariro.
I've climbed the mountain Tongariro.

Kua ngaro taku pukapuka.
My book is lost.

Kua whakapai ngā rīhi.
The dishes have been cleaned.

Kua mā te ipupara?
Is the rubbish bin clean?

Kua mārama a Rangi i te kaupapa.
Rangi has understood the topic.

Kua pari te tai.
The tide is high.

Kua ruaki koe ki runga i a Pāpā.
You just threw up on Daddy.

Kua horahia te kai.
This food has been spread out before us.

Kua maroke pai koe ināianei.
You're all dry now.

Kua hōhā au ki tēnei tū āhuatanga.
I'm sick (bored) of this carry on.

Kua toto tana ihu.
His nose has started bleeding.