Māori Grammar

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

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

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

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

No Te Waipounamu ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from the South Island.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Ko Tame te pāpā o Pāora.
Tame is Pāora's father.

Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!

Ko Kauri tōna matuakēkē.
Kauri is his aunty.

Ko Rangi rāua ko Aroha ōku hungarei.
Rangi and Aroha are my inlaws.

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

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

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

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

Ko Taika tōna matuakēkē.
Taika is his uncle.

Ko Te Tai Tonga te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Southland.

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

He kaumātua a Ari rāua ko Koa no tērā marae.
Ari and Koa are elders of that marae.

Ko Aria te whaea o Tawa.
Aria is the mother of Tawa.

Ko Amaru tōna hoa tane.
Amaru is her husband.

Ko Mia te hoa wahine o Manu.
Mia is the wife of Manu.

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

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

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

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

Ko Manu tō rāua tungāne.
Manu is their cousin.