Māori Grammar
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All nouns in te reo Māori fit into one of two categories - the o and the a categories.
The following are in the a category:
food and drink (but not water)
children, grandchildren
emplees and suborindates (eg students)
man-man moveable objects (a pen, a book, etc)
pets (but not horses used for riding)
work
one's wife or husband (so long as the word toa is not used)
guests or visitors
The a/ocategories are used in simple possessives:
Te pukapua a te tane.
The man's book. (Literally: the book of the man.)
He kai a Rangi tēnei.
This is Rangi's food. (LIterally: the food of Rangi.
They are also used in t-class possessives:
He pukapuka tāku.
I have a book.
He āporo tāu.
You have an apple.
He pene tāna.
He or she has a pen.
He rorohiko tā māua.
The two of us (not you) have a computer.
He tamaiti tā tāua.
We have a child.
Kua oti tā māua mahi.
Our (two people, not your) work is done.
Kei te hīkoi tā kōrua tama.
Your (2 people) son is walking.
Ka kōrero tā rāua mokopuna.
Their (2 people) grandchild is talking.
Kua tae mai tā tātou manuhiri.
Our visitor has arrived.
He tāne tā mātou ngeru.
Our cat is a male.
I pai tā koutou waita.
Your (3+) singing was good.
He aha tā rātou mahi āpōpō?
What is their task tomorrow?
In the plural, the intial t is removed:
He pukapuka āku.
I have books.
He āporo āu.
You have apples.
He pene āna.
He or she has pens.
He rorohiko ā māua.
The two of us (not you) have computers.
He tamariki ā tāua.
We have children.
Kua oti ā māua mahi.
Our (two people, not your) work (plural) is done.
Kei te hīkoi ā kōrua tama.
Your (2 people) sons are walking.
Ka kōrero ā rāua mokopuna.
Their (2 people) grandchildren are talking.
Kua tae mai ā tātou manuhiri.
Our visitors have arrived.
He tāne ā mātou ngeru.
Our cats are male.
I pai ā koutou waita.
Your (3+) singing was good.
He aha ā rātou mahi āpōpō?
What are their tasks tomorrow?
The a/o catebories are also used with n-class possessives:
Nāku tērā waea pūkoro.
That's my mobile phone.
Nāu tēnei papakupu.
This dictionary belongs to you/is yours.
Nāna tēnei pene.
This pen is his/hers.
Nā tāua tēnei tamaiti.
This child is ours (you and me).
Nā māua tēnei mahi.
This work is ours (me and him/her, not you).
Nā kōrua tēnei āporo.
This apple is yours (you two).
Nā rāua tēnei pukapuka.
This book is theirs (those two).
Nā tātou ēnei kai.
These foods are ours (all of us).
Nā mātou ēnei pukapuka.
These books are ours (us, not you).
Nā koutou ēnei tamariki.
These children are yours (you all).
Nā rātou ēnei pene.
These pens are theirs.
It is also used in the m- class possessves:
Māku tēnei pukapuka.
This book will be mine / is for me.
Māu tērā kai.
That food will be yours / is for you.
Māna tēnei pene.
This pen will be his/hers / is for him/her.
Mā tāua tēnei tamaiti.
This child will be ours (you and me).
Mā māua tēnei mahi.
This work will be ours (me and him/her, not you).
Mā kōrua tēnei kai.
This food will be yours (you two).
Mā rāua tēnei pukapuka.
This book will be theirs (those two).
Mā tātou ēnei kai.
These foods will be ours (all of us).
Mā mātou ēnei pukapuka.
These books will be ours (us, not you).
Mā koutou ēnei tamariki.
These children will be yours (you all).
Mā rātou ēnei pene.
These pens will be theirs (they).
He whero te tarakihana a Taika.
Taika's tractor is red.He pātai tā koutou?
Do you have a question?Ka riri ngā tāngata i te whaikōrero a te taitama.
The people were angry with the young man's speech.Kua pau āku moni.
My money has run out.Whakapuakina ā koutou pukepuka, tamariki nā!
Open your books, children!He pūtea ā ngā tamariki?
Do the children have any money?He kiore te mōkai a tāku tamāhine.
My daughter's pet is a rat.He pātai tā kōrua?
Do you two have a question?I te tuatahi, kāore te wahine i mahara ki tāna mātāmua.
AT first, the woman did not recognise her first-born.He pātai ā kōrua?
Do you two have any questions?He tino ora tā rāua pāmu.
Their farm is very productive.Ma wai tāku karanga e rongo?
Who will hear by speech?Kāore tā mātou ngeru i te tatari ki tāna kai.
Our cat is not waiting for his food.Kāore anō tā rātou kurī kia hoki mai i te pāmu.
Their dog has not yet returned from the farm.He taumaha rawa atu te pēke a Honi.
Honi's pack is very heavy.Ka kite mātou i tāna kāhui kuihi.
We saw his flock of geese.Homai tētahi o āu tiakarete, e Koro!
Give me one of your chocolates, Grandad!Ka pai ia ki tāna pāi.
He likes his beer.He wātakirihi tā Rangi.
Rangi has watercress?Ka nui āku mihi ki a koutou.
I greet your warmly.He mea whakamīharo te pikinga a Tā Edmund Hillary i Everest.
Sir Edmund Hillary's climbing of Everest was a noteworthy achievement.Manaakittia ngā mahi a ngā tīpuna.
Respect the work of the ancestors.Kei te kura ā raua tamariki.
Their children are at school.Homai tāu pēpi, e Mei!
Pass me your baby, Mei!He kai tā ngā tuna.
The eels have food.He kai ā kōrua.
You two have food.Me whakarongo koutou ki tā tātou tohutohu.
You had better listen to our instructions.Ma āku mokopuna tēnei manu.
This kite is for my grandchildren.He aha ngā kai a te iwi o Inia?
What do Indian people eat?I moe tā tāua pēpi i te moenga o tā rāua pēpi.
Our baby slept in their baby's bed.He karaka tā māua hunaonga.
Our daughter-in-law is a clerk.Kua whati te kakau o tāku kō.
The handle of my spade has snapped.He pūtea ā ngā tamariki.
The children have money.Ka tiaki te tākuta i āna tūoro.
The doctor looks after her patients.Rua rau taara tāna utu.
His pay is two hundred dollars.Na wai ēnei kūkū?
Whose mussels are these?Ngā mihi ki a koutou mo ā koutou toa ki te hī ika!
Compliments to you on your fishing skills!He kino tāna kōrero.
What he says is bad.Kua kite mātou i āu kupu i roto i tēnei reta āu.
We have seen your words in this letter of yours.Ko Aotearoa to ika a Māui.
Aotearoa is Māui's fish.Ko ia te tamaiti kēkē a Ari and Mia,
She is the niece of Ari and Mia.Ko Pani te wahine a Hata.
Pani is Hata's wife.Ka piki ā rāua tamariki i te maunga āpōpō.
Their children will climb the mountain tomorrow.He kai ā kōrua?
Do you two have any food?Kainga tāu parakuihi!
Eat your breakfast!Manaakitia āu tauira!
Look after your students!Nāu tēnei pēke nē?
This is your bag eh?Ka pai ā mātou kaimahi katoa.
All our workers are doing well.He wātakirihi tā Aria?
Does Aria have any watercress?Ko Pere te ingoa o tā rāua ngeru.
Their cat's name is Pere.Nāku, nāu rānei?
is this mine or yours?Nāu tēnei papakupu.
This dictionary belongs to you/is yours.Ko Hata tāna tāne.
Hata is her husband.Nāku tēnei maika, nāu tēnei ārani, nāna tērā tōtiti.
This banana is mine, this orange is yours, that sausage is his.Kei hea āna kapu e huna ana, me āna pereto hoki?
Where are your cups hiding, and her plates?