Māori Grammar

Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.

He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.

Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.

Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.

Ko ngā iwi katoa o te ao kua huihui mai i tēnei rā.
All the peoples of the world have gathered here today.

Ko Aria tōna matuakēkē.
Aria is his aunty.

He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?

Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!

He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.

He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.

Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!

Ko Niko te pāpā o Koa.
Niko is Koa's father.

Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.

Ko Ataahua te whaea o Manu.
Ataahua is the mother of Manu.

Ko Pāora tōna matuakēkē.
Pāora is his uncle.

No Te Tai Rāwhiti ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from the Eastland region.

Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.

Ko Rakiura te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Stewart Island.

No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.

He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.

Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.

Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.

Me piri koe ki tōu ope.
You must stick to your party.

He kaumātua a Hēmi rāua ko Taika no tērā marae.
Hēmi and Taika are elders of that marae.

Ko Tawa rāua ko Mia ōku hungarei.
Tawa and Mia are my inlaws.

Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.

E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.

Ko Nikau tōna hoa tane.
Nikau is her husband.

Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.

Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?

Ko Mia tō rāua tungāne.
Mia is their cousin.

Ko Aroha te hoa wahine o Amaru.
Aroha is the wife of Amaru.

Ko Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.