Māori Grammar
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Te reo Māori has two categories for nouns called the a and o categories.
The o category includes:
water and medicine
parts of things
things associated with the body (including clothes)
one's home, land and iwi
parents, grandparents and siblings
people in a superior position (a boss, police, etc)
modes of transport (including horses)
A simple possessive can use o on its own:
Te whare o te whānau.
The family's house. (Literally: the house of the family)
Te waka o Rangi.
Rangi's car. (Literally: the car of Rangi)
T-class possessives in the o category include for singular items (eg "my pen"):
tōku - my
tōu - your
tōna - his/her
tō tāua - yours and mine
tō kōrua - belonging to you two
tō māua -belonging to us two but not you
tō rāua - belonging to those two
tō tātou - ours
tō koutou - yours (3+)
tō mātou - ours (but not yours)
tō rātou - theirs
T-class possessives in the o category include for plural items (eg "my pens"):
ōku - my
ōu - your
ōna - his/her
ō tāua - yours and mine
ō kōrua - belonging to you two
ō māua -belonging to us two but not you
ō rāua - belonging to those two
ō tātou - ours
ō koutou - yours (3+)
ō mātou - ours (but not yours)
ō rātou - theirs
Note the difference between the singular and plural of things possessed, and singular and plural of owners:
tōku whare
my house
ōku whare
my houses
tō tātou whare
our house
ō tātou whare
our houses
Kua whati te waewae o te tūru.
The leg of the chair is broken.Ka roa tō tātou haerenga.
Our journey is long.Ko te whakaititianga te tohu o te mana nui.
Humility is the sign of greatness.He Pākehā te nuinga o ngā tauira i reira.
Most of the students there are Pākehā.E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.Kua whakawātea tō mātou rangatira i tōna tūranga.
Our boss has returned from his position.He rongonui te kōrero mo te patunga o Kae e Tinirau.
The story of Kae's being killed by Tinirau is famous.Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.Ko ia tētahi o tō tātou rōpū.
She is one of our group.Kaua e tū ki runga i tō rātou whāriki hou!
Do not stand on their new carpet!Ka roa noa atu tōku rerenga i roto i tōku rererangi.
I can go for miles in my airplane.He kaumātua a Tame rāua ko Niko no tērā marae.
Tame and Niko are elders of that marae.Ka nui te aroha o ngā tāngata ki te take nei.
The people feel very sympathetic to this cause.Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui o Tāne.
The totara of Tāne's great forest has fallen.Ka mihi ahau ki tōku kara, arā te kara hui o te Kuini.
I greet my flag, the great flag of the Queen.Kāore anō ngā tamariki tāne kia paraihe i ō rātou makawe.
The boys have not brushed their hear yet.Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.Ko Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.Ko ēnei ngā mahi o te hui.
These things are the work of the meeting.Ko tēnei te kōrero o te matenga o Kae.
This is the story of the death of Kae.Ko Mia te whaea o Rangi.
Mia is the mother of Rangi.Kōrero ki tērā wahine e whakamau ana i tōku pōtae.
Speak to that woman wearing my hat.Ko Ataahua te hoa wahine o Tawa.
Ataahua is the wife of Tawa.Ko Kirikiriroa te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Hamilton.Ko Amaru tōna matuakēkē.
Amaru is his uncle.He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.Me piri koe ki tōu ope.
You must stick to your party.He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.Ko ia tōku teina.
She is my younger sister.Whakapai tōu moenga, E Tawa!
Make your bed, Tawa!Ka koa tōku ngākau ki āna kupu.
My heart raced at her words.Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.He Hēmi ro kaiako o ā māua tamariki.
Our children's teacher is Hēmi.Ko Rangi tō rāua tungāne.
Rangi is their cousin.He tāokete ia no tāku wāhine.
He is a brother-in-law of my wife.Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!Kua whati te waewae o tāku tamāhine.
My daughter has a broken leg.Ko Hēmi tōna hoa tane.
Hēmi is her husband.He whāiti, he kōtiti ngā ara ki tōna takiwā.
The roads to her district are narrow and winding.Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?I tupu tōna pukurir i roto i a ia.
His anger grew within him.Ko Taika rāua ko Niko ō tātou tumuaki.
Taika and Niko are our leaders.He pai ki a koe tōku tūru hou?
Do you like my new chair?He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.Kua rere te wauria o Rua.
Rua's spirit has fled.He aha ō rātou whakaaro e pā ana ki tēnā?
What do they think about that?Ko Taika te pāpā o Koa.
Taika is Koa's father.He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?Kei hea te kakau o te toki?
Where's the handle of the axe?Ko tēnei tōku hoa pai rawa.
This is my best friend.E titiro ana ngā tauhou ki te nui o tērā rākau, o Tāne Mahuta.
The strangers gazed at the size of that tree, Tane Mahuta.Ko Aorangi te tino maunga o Ngāi Tahu.
Aorangi is the foremost mountain of Ngāi Tahu.Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.Kua oma ato ō tātou hōiho.
Our horses have escaped.No Kawatiri ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Westport.I te taha o te awa te ana o taua ngārara.
The cave of the monster was beside the river.Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.Ko Rina tōna matuakēkē.
Rina is his aunty.No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.Whakahokia tōku heru!
Give back my comb!Unumia tō rongoa!
Take your medicine!Kāore tōna motokā e haere.
His car doesn't go.Ka mīharo rātou ki te ātaahua o te wahine patupaiarehe.
They were astonished at the beauty of the fairy woman.He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.Ko Moana te tāokete o Aroha.
Moana is Aroha's sister-in-law.Hāpatia tōu ringaringa!
Raise your hand!Kua ngaro ōku whenua katoa.
All my lands are lost.Ko ngā iwi katoa o te ao kua huihui mai i tēnei rā.
All the peoples of the world have gathered here today.Ko Nikau rāua ko Ani ōku hungarei.
Nikau and Ani are my inlaws.Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.