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