Māori Grammar
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The family of n-class possessives is used to indicate established possession. This is different from simple ownership which uses t-class possessives (tāku, tōku, tāu, tōu, etc). They mean that someone owns something (I own a car). Words like nāku, nōku, nāu etc emphasise the ownership in a more emphatic way.
He pene tāku.
I own a pen.
Nāku tērā pene.
That pen belongs to me! It is my pen - not yours!
Such a sentence might be used in a dispute about ownership ("Hey! Get out of there! That's my car!") or in response to a mistake ("Hey! That's my coffee you are drinking!") or in response to a question.
There are a range of possible subjects in this sentence structure:
Nāku tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to me.
Nāu tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you.
Nānā tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to him or her.
Nā tāua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you and me.
Nā māua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to us two (not you).
Nā kōrua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you two.
Nā rāua tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to those two.
Nā tātou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to us.
Nā mātou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to us (not you).
Nā koutou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to you (3+).
Nā rāutou tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to them (3+).
Nā Rangi tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to Rangi.
Nā Rangi rāua ko Mere tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to Rangi and Mere.
Nā te kaiako tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to the teacher.
Nā ngā tamariki tēnei pene.
This pen belongs to the children.
Like the t-class possessives, the n-class possessives also use the a and o categories:
Nāku tēnei pukapuka.
This is my book.
Nōku tēnei whare.
This is my house.
Nāu tēnā kai.
That is your food.
Nōu tēnā wai.
That is your water.
The n-class possessives denote established (past) ownership, while the related m-class possessives denote future unrealised possession:
Māku tēnei pene.
This pen is for me (or will be mine).
Nā mātou ngā taputapu.
The tools belong to us.Nō ngā tauira tēnei paihikara.
This bicycle belongs to the students.Nā rāua ngā pukapuka e rua.
The two books belong to them.No ngā tāngata i roto i te whare nui.
They belong to all the people in the meeting house.Nō wai te whare rā?
Who does that house belong to?Nōku tēnei waka ātea.
This spaceship is mine.Nā wai ēnei pene?
Who do these pens belong to?Na Nikau taua waka whero.
That red car belongs to Nikau.Nōku tēnei motoka.
This car is mine.Nā ngā kaiako ngā pukapuka.
The books belong to the teachers.No rātou tēnei poupou.
This house-post belongs to them.No Hawaiki tātou katoa.
We are all from Hawaiki.Nōku ēnā hū.
Those shoes are mine.No Kirikiriroa rāua.
They are from Hamilton.Nōku tēnei waka rererangi.
This airplane is mine.Nōku tērā waka.
That car belongs to me.Nāu tēnei rorohiko.
This computer belongs to you.Nā wai tēnei pene?
Who does this pen belong to?No Āhia pea te ritenga Māori.
Māori culture may have originated in Asia.Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
That's my mobile phone.Nāu tēnei?
Does this belong to you?Nō Kauri te paihikara.
The bike belongs to Kauri.No Ngāti Whātua ia.
She belongs to Ngāti Whātua.Nāku tēnei pukapuka.
This book belongs to me.Nā tō rāua māmā tēnei.
This belongs to their mother.Nā Taika tēnēi pene.
This pen belongs to Taika.Nōku ēnei hū Nike.
These Nike shoes are mine.Nōku te whare iti.
The small house is mine.Nāna tērā kapu.
That cup belongs to him.Nōu tērā whare.
That house belongs to you.Nā ngā tamariki te papa tākaro.
The playground belongs to the children.Nā ngā tamariki tēnei tāwhiri.
This kite belongs to the children.Na wai ēnei taputapu katoa?
Whose is all this gear?Nōku te koti nei.
This coat is mine.No wai mā ēnei hū?
Who do these shoes belong to?Na Niko and Mia.
They are Niko's and Mia's.Nō tā māua tama tērā whare.
That house belongs to our son.Nā ō tātou manuhiri pea?
Perhaps they belong to our guests?Nāku ngā kī.
The keys are mine.Na wai ēnā kōtiro mōhio?
Whose are those clever girls?Nō Ngāti Awa a Nikau.
Nikau belongs to Ngāti Awa.No Paikea ia.
He is descended from Paikea.Nō te whānau tēnei whenua.
This land belongs to the family.Nā Mere tēnei rāpeti.
This rabbit belongs to Mere.Nā ngā tamariki ēnei pukapuka.
These books belong to the children.Nāu tēnei kuri.
This dog belongs to you.Mā wai ērā rahopūru?
Who are those avocados for?Nōna ēnei tīpuna.
These ancestors are his.Nōku te motopaika rā.
That motorbike over there is mine.Nō te kurī te whare rā.
That house belongs to the dog.No tōku tuahine ngā waka whero.
The red car belongs to my older sibling.Na wai tēnei tamaiti?
Who does this child belong to?Nāku ērā pene.
Those pens belong to me.Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
Ehara i a au tērā waea pūkoro.Nōku tēnei hāte.
That shirt belongs to me.Nāku ngā kura rā!
Those feathers belong to me!Nā rātou ērā rīhi paru.
Those dirty dishes are theirs.Nō rāua tērā waka.
That car belongs to them.Nā ngā tauira ēnei pene.
These pens belong to the students.Na wai te waka whero?
Who does the red car belong to?Nā tātou ēnei hēki.
These eggs belong to us.Nō te marae ēnei tūru.
These chairs belong to the marae.No te iwi whānui te whare nui, a Mataatua.
The meeting house Mataatua belongs to the whole tribe.Nōku tēnei whare.
This house is mine.Nōku tēnei motopaika.
This motorbike is mine.Nāku te wāti nei,
This watch is mine.Nā Pita tēnei kāmera.
This camera belongs to Pita.Nāku tēnei.
This belongs to me.Nāku te rakuraku nā.
That guitar belongs to me.Nō Hine tēnei whare.
This house belongs to Hine.Nō Mere tēnei tūru.
This chair belongs to Mere.Nā ngā tauira tēnei pepa.
This paper belongs to the students.Nāu tēnei kapu.
This cup belongs to you.Nōu tēnei motokā.
This car is yours.Nāku tēnei maika, nāu tēnei ārani, nāna tērā tōtiti.
This banana is mine, this orange is yours, that sausage is his.Nāku tēnei pouaka whakaata.
This television is mine.Nōku tēnei whare.
This house belongs to me.Nāku tēnei kāri nama.
This credit card is mine.Nāku te kete nei.
This kit is mine.Nāku te moni nei.
This money is mine.Nāhau tēnei?
Does this belong to you?Nōu tērā, nōna tēnā, nōku tēnei.
That belongs to you, that belongs to her, this belongs to me.