Māori Grammar

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 Ani tōna matuakēkē.
Ani is his aunty.

Manaakitia ōu kaumātua!
Respect your elders!

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

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

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

Kei hea ngā uri o Te Rangihiroa? Kāore ōna uri.
Where are the descendants of Te Rangihiroa? He had none.

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

Ko Te Whanganui-a-Tara te kāinga o te tipuna tāne o te whānau.
The grandfather of the family lives in Wellington.

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

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

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

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

Kāore tō tāua matua i haere ki tāna hui.
Our father did not go to his meeting.

Ko Rina te whaea o Rangi.
Rina is the mother of Rangi.

No Tāmaki-makau-rau ā koutou irāmutu.
Your nieces are from Auckland.

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

Ko Amaru te pāpā o Hēmi.
Amaru is Hēmi's father.

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

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

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

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

He kaumātua a Pāora rāua ko Manu no tērā marae.
Pāora and Manu are elders of that marae.

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

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?

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

Ko Koa tōna hoa tane.
Koa is her husband.

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

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

Ko Kauri te hoa wahine o Tame.
Kauri is the wife of Tame.

Ko Ataahua tō rāua tungāne.
Ataahua is their cousin.