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
Ko Moana te hoa wahine o Tawa.
Moana is the wife of Tawa.He Taika ro kaiako o ā māua tamariki.
Our children's teacher is Taika.Unumia tō rongoa!
Take your medicine!Ko Rina te tāokete o Kauri.
Rina is Kauri's sister-in-law.Ka mihi ahau ki tōku kara, arā te kara hui o te Kuini.
I greet my flag, the great flag of the Queen.Ka koa tōku ngākau ki āna kupu.
My heart raced at her words.Ko Mia tōna matuakēkē.
Mia is his aunty.He tatou tō tō rātou whare.
Their house has a door.Ko to iwi Māori ngā tāngata whenua o Aotearoa.
The Māori people are the tāngata whenua of Aotearoa.Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.Ko Ari rāua ko Ani ōku hungarei.
Ari and Ani are my inlaws.Ko Ngāti Hāmuti Wera to ingoa o tērā iwi.
The name of that tribe is Ngāti Hāmuti Wera.No Whakatū ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Nelson.He kaumātua a Amaru rāua ko Rangi no tērā marae.
Amaru and Rangi are elders of that marae.Ko Ataahua te whaea o Tame.
Ataahua is the mother of Tame.Kei te haere tō māua hoa ki te whare o tō rāua whaea.
Our friend is going to their mother's house.Ko Tūhawaiki te rangatira o Murihuku i tērā ray tau.
Tūhawaiki was the chief of Murihiku last century.Kua whati te waewae o tāku tamāhine.
My daughter has a broken leg.He aha ngā whainga o tō koutou rōpū?
What are the objectives of your organisation?Kua rere te wauria o Rua.
Rua's spirit has fled.I tupu tōna pukurir i roto i a ia.
His anger grew within him.Whakapai tōu moenga, E Koa!
Make your bed, Koa!Ko Ingarangi pea te kīnga tūturu o te nuinga o te iwi Pākehā.
The original home of most Pākehā people is probably England.Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui o Tāne.
The totara of Tāne's great forest has fallen.Ko Pita tō rāua tungāne.
Pita is their cousin.He tatau tō te whare.
The house has a door.Kua whakawātea tō mātou rangatira i tōna tūranga.
Our boss has returned from his position.Ko Rangi rāua ko Mia ō tātou tumuaki.
Rangi and Mia are our leaders.He hū ō ā māua tamariki.
Our children have shoes.Kei hea ō koutou kamapūtu, tamariki mā?
Where are your gumboots, children?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!Ko te whakaititianga te tohu o te mana nui.
Humility is the sign of greatness.Ko Taika tōna hoa tane.
Taika is her husband.Ko Kirikiriroa te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Hamilton.Kua whati te waewae o te tūru.
The leg of the chair is broken.Hoake tātou ki tō rāua whare.
Let's go to their house.Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.Ko Hēmi te pāpā o Nikau.
Hēmi is Nikau's father.Kua oma ato ō tātou hōiho.
Our horses have escaped.Hāpatia tōu ringaringa!
Raise your hand!