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
Ka roa tō tātou haerenga.
Our journey is long.Kua rere te wauria o Rua.
Rua's spirit has fled.He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.Ko Ataahua te tāokete o Aroha.
Ataahua is Aroha's sister-in-law.Ko Te Tai Hauāuru te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in the Westland region.Ko Ani tōna matuakēkē.
Ani is his aunty.He whāiti, he kōtiti ngā ara ki tōna takiwā.
The roads to her district are narrow and winding.Ko Aorangi te tino maunga o Ngāi Tahu.
Aorangi is the foremost mountain of Ngāi Tahu.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.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 tēnei tōku hoa pai rawa.
This is my best friend.Ko Nikau rāua ko Kauri ō tātou tumuaki.
Nikau and Kauri are our leaders.Kāore tōna motokā e haere.
His car doesn't go.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 ēnei ngā mahi o te hui.
These things are the work of the meeting.Whakahokia tōku heru!
Give back my comb!Ko Pāora rāua ko Rina ōku hungarei.
Pāora and Rina are my inlaws.Kua whati te waewae o tāku tamāhine.
My daughter has a broken leg.Ka nui te aroha o ngā tāngata ki te take nei.
The people feel very sympathetic to this cause.Kua whati te waewae o te tūru.
The leg of the chair is broken.Kua mate rawa ō tātou koroua katoa.
All our old men are dead.He aha ō rātou whakaaro e pā ana ki tēnā?
What do they think about that?Kua oma ato ō tātou hōiho.
Our horses have escaped.Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.He toa ngā kuia o Waikato ki te kanikani.
The old ladies of Waikato are great dancers.Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.Ko te whakaititianga te tohu o te mana nui.
Humility is the sign of greatness.He rongonui te kōrero mo te patunga o Kae e Tinirau.
The story of Kae's being killed by Tinirau is famous.Kei hea te kakau o te toki?
Where's the handle of the axe?Ko Mere te tuahine o Mārama rāua ko Tamahae.
Mere is Marama's and Tamahae's cousin.No Whakatamacr;ne ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Whakatamacr;ne.Kua whakawātea tō mātou rangatira i tōna tūranga.
Our boss has returned from his position.He pai ki a koe tōku tūru hou?
Do you like my new chair?Ka mīharo rātou ki te ātaahua o te wahine patupaiarehe.
They were astonished at the beauty of the fairy woman.He Pākehā te nuinga o ngā tauira i reira.
Most of the students there are Pākehā.Ko Amaru tōna hoa tane.
Amaru is her husband.Ko ngā iwi katoa o te ao kua huihui mai i tēnei rā.
All the peoples of the world have gathered here today.No Te Wai Pounamu tōu tipuna wahine.
Your grandmother is from the South Island.Ka mihi ahau ki tōku kara, arā te kara hui o te Kuini.
I greet my flag, the great flag of the Queen.I te taha o te awa te ana o taua ngārara.
The cave of the monster was beside the river.He tāokete ia no tāku wāhine.
He is a brother-in-law of my wife.He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.Ko ia tētahi o tō tātou rōpū.
She is one of our group.Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.Ko ia tōku teina.
She is my younger sister.He Manu ro kaiako o ā māua tamariki.
Our children's teacher is Manu.Ko Taika te pāpā o Rangi.
Taika is Rangi's father.Kōrero ki tērā wahine e whakamau ana i tōku pōtae.
Speak to that woman wearing my hat.I tupu tōna pukurir i roto i a ia.
His anger grew within him.Ka koa tōku ngākau ki āna kupu.
My heart raced at her words.Unumia tō rongoa!
Take your medicine!Ko tēnei te kōrero o te matenga o Kae.
This is the story of the death of Kae.Me piri koe ki tōu ope.
You must stick to your party.Kua ngaro ōku whenua katoa.
All my lands are lost.Ko Mia te whaea o Koa.
Mia is the mother of Koa.Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.E rua ōu whatu, kotahi tōu ihu.
You have two eyes and one nose.He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui o Tāne.
The totara of Tāne's great forest has fallen.Haere mai ki te mihi ki tōku whanau!
Come and meet my family!Hāpatia tōu ringaringa!
Raise your hand!Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.Whakapai tōu moenga, E Ataahua!
Make your bed, Ataahua!Ko Tame tō rāua tungāne.
Tame is their cousin.Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.He kaumātua a Ari rāua ko Niko no tērā marae.
Ari and Niko are elders of that marae.Ko Moana te hoa wahine o Hēmi.
Moana is the wife of Hēmi.