Māori Grammar

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Belonging to a place -
Belonging to a reason
Belonging to a reason
nā / nō

can be used to tallk about belonging to a place, or where someone comes from. It is a possessive and means "I belong to..."

Nō hea koe? is used to ask a person "where are you from?" but could also be translated as "Where do ytou belong?" or "What is your place of origin?’"

hea ia?
Where is she from?

Ahuriri is.
She is from Napier.

See also:

Tāmaki-makau-rau toku pāpā.
My dad's from Auckland.

konei au.
I am from here.

hea tana pāpā?
Where's his dad from?

Kāpiti au.
I am from Kāpiti.

hea a Kauri?
Where is Kauri from?

Te Tai Rāwhiti a ia, Taranaki au.
He came from the Eastland region, and I came from Taranaki.

Te Tai Tokerau au.
I am from the Northland region.

Te Tai Tokerau tōku pāpā.
My dad is from the Northland region.

te Tairāwhiti rātou.
They are from the east coast.

hea koe e hoa?
Where are you from mate?

Ingarangi a Rangi.
Rangi is from England.

Whakatamacr;ne ia.
S/he's from Whakatamacr;ne.

Te Tai Rāwhiti hoki ahau.
I'm also from the East Coast.

hea ō tūpuna?
Where are your ancestors from?

Kotirangi Ingarangi hoki ōku tūpuna.
My ancestors are from Scotland and England.

Waikato ahau.
I'm from Waikato.

Ngāpuhi rāua.
They are from Ngāpuhi.

whea ō ?
Where did you get your shoes from?

Rakiura tōku māmā.
My mum's from Stewart Island.

te toa hokorua ngā .
The shoes come from the second hand shop.

whea ōu ?
Where did you get your shoes from?

Waikanae hoa?
Is your friend from Waikanae?

Rarotonga ōna tūpuna.
Her ancestors are from Rarotonga.

whea waka hou?
Where did you get your new car from?

Kirikiriroa tōku hoa.
My friend is from Hamilton.

Kāpiti ahau.
I am from Kapiti.

hea tērā ākonga?
Where is that student from?

whea ēnei maika?
Where do these bananas come from?

Ehara au Tāmaki Makaurau.
I'm not from Auckland.

whea tēnei reta?
Where is this letter from?

hea hoa?
Where is your friend from?

Ngāpuhi rāua.
The're from Ngāpuhi.

hea tērā koroua?
Where's that elder from?

Amerika māmā?
Is your mother from America?

te toa hokorua.
From the second-hand shop.

Ngāti Raukawa tōku pāpā.
My father is from Ngāti Raukawa.

Ōtautahi a Hemi.
Hemi is from Christchurch.

Waikato tōna whaea.
His/Her mother is from Waikato.

hea te ope?
Where is the travelling party from?

hea tēnei pāua?
Where did this pāua come from?

te hokomaha.
From the supermarket.

Ngāti Kahungunu tōku hoa.
My friend is from Ngāti Kahungunu.

Amerika ahau.
I'm from America.

tēhea rohe koe?
Which region are you from?

Raratonga a ia, Takapuna au.
He is from Raratonga, and I am from Takapuna.

te toa ēnei maika.
These bananas from from the shop.

Ko Rangi taku pāpā. Ngāti Porou ia.
Rangi is my dad. He's from Ngāti Porou.

Ehara a Rangi Whanganui.
Rangi is not from Whanganui.

whea ēnei taewa?
Where do these potatoes comes from?

konei au.
I am from here.

Taranaki rāua.
They are from Taranaki.

hea ō rare?
Where are your lollies from?

hea ō mātua?
Where are your parents from?

whea tēnā tēpu?
Where did you get that table from?

Ko Pani ngā kaiwhakahaere. Te Kaha aua tāngata.
Pani and the others are the organisers. Those people are from Te Kaha.

hea pāpā?
Where's your dad from?

Ōtautahi tōku pāpā.
My dad's from Christhurch.

Ahitereiria tōku pāpā.
My dad's from Australia.

Ngāti Porou a Mere.
Mere is from Ngāti Porou.

Tauranga a Rangi.
Rangi is from Tauranga.

hea koe?
Where are you from?

tēhea rohe koe?
Which region are you from?

tēhea iwi koe?
Which ethnicity are you from?

Te Tai Tokerau tōku pāpa.
My Dad's from the Northland region.

Ngāti Toa koe?
Are you from Ngāti Toa?

hea tēnei wātakirihi?
Where is this watercress from?

Ahitereiria tēnei reta.
This letter is from Australia.

tēhea iwi koe?
Which iwi are you from?

Te Tai Tonga tōku whaea.
My mother is from Southland.

hea whānau?
Where is you family from?

Ahitereiria tōku māmā.
My mum's from Australia.

Ko tēnei he reta Ingarangi mai.
This is a letter from England.

Ahitereiria au.
I am from Australia.

Te-Tai-Tonga tōku māmā.
My mum's from the Southland region.

Kotirangi Ingarangi hoki ōku tūpuna.
My ancestors are from Scotland and England.

tēhea tāone koe?
Which town are you from?

te māra ēnei taewa.
These potatoes come from the garden.

Kotirangi ōku tūpuna.
My ancestors are from Scotland.

Tūhoe tōku kuia.
My grandmother is from Tūhoe.

Ko Mary taku whaea. Ahitereiria ia.
Mary's my mum. She's from Australia.

whea ngā ?
Where are the shoes from?

te rohe o Te Arawa a Hemi.
Hemi is from the Te Arawa region.

Aotearoa koe?
Are you from NZ?

Whanganui a Tamāhua.
Tamāhua was from Whananui.

hea ia?
Where is she from?

hea whaea?
Where is your mum from?

Poneke toku whaea.
My mum's from Wellington.

Te Tai Rāwhiti tōku pāpā.
My Dad's from the Eastland region.