Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 1
Asking who - Ko wai...?

We ask "who?" with either ko wai? ("who is?" - singular) or ko wai mā? ("who are?" - plural).

Ko wai ngā mea a ako ana i te reo Māori?
Who are the ones learning te reo Māori?

Ko wai kei te haere ki te hui?
Who is going to the hui?

Ko wai kei te waiata i te waiata?
Who is singing the song?

Ko wai kei te whakahaere i te hui?
Who is running the meeting?

Ko wai te kaiwhakahaere? Ko au tonu!
Who is the orangiser? Actually, it's me!

Ko wai kei te tākaro i te kēmu?
Who is playing the game?

Ko wai tērā ki korā?
Who is that over there?

Ko wai te mea e mōhio ana ki te reo Māori?
Who is the one who knows te reo Māori?

Ko wai te koroua nui tōna aroha ki tōna whānau?
Who is the old man who has a lot of love for his whānau?

Ko wai te mātāmua o tō whānau?
Who is the eldest in your family?

Ko wai kei te āwhina i te kaiako?
Who is helping the teacher?

Ko wai kei te horoi i ngā rīhi?
Who is washing the dishes.

Ko wai kei runga i te nohoanga?
Who is that on the sofa?

Ko wai te pāpā o Tama?
Whose Tama's dad?

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

Ko wai te ingoa o tō pāpā?
What is the name of your mother?

Ko wai i horoi i ngā rīhi?
Who did the dishes?

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai kei waho i te kūaha?
Who is outside the door?

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

Ko wai?
Who?

Ko wai kei roto i tana motukā?
Who is in her car?

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

Ko wai i hopu i te ika?
Who caught the fish?

Ko wai tō kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

Ko wai i tiki i ngā tamariki i te kura?
Who picked up the children from school?

Ko wai mā i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

Ko wai te ingoa o tō whānau?
What's the name of your family?

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

Ko wai kei te horoi i te rūma?
Who is cleaning the room?

Ko wai mā kei te haere?
Who are you going with?

Ko wai tōu?
Who is yours? (eg who is your father?).

Ko wai mā ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko wai te ingoa o tēnei awa?
What is the name of this river?

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

Ko wai i hoko i ngā pukapuka?
Who bought the books?

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

Ko wai tō teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

Ko wai ō koutou ingoa, kōtiro mā?
What are your names, girls?

Ko wai te tangata e hīkoi mai nei?
Who is the person walking this way?

Ko wai te tuakana o Rangi?
Who is the older sibling (same gender) of Rangi?

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

Ko wai rā kei te tapahi i te mīti?
Who is chopping the meat?

Ko wai i hanga i te whare?
Who built the house?

Ko wai kei te tunu i te kai?
Who is cooking the food?

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

Ko wai te mea pai ki te kōrero Māori?
Whose good at speaking Māori?

Ko wai kei waho i te whare?
Who is that outside the house?

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

Ko wai kei roto i te motokā?
Who is that in the car?

Ko wai i tākaro i te papa tākaro?
Who played at the playground?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that (over there)?

Ko wai tō pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

Ko wai i whakaatu i te kiriata?
Who showed the movie?

Ko wai kei raro i te rākau?
Who is that under the tree?

Ko wai tō ingoa?
What is your name?

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai ka taraiwa i te pō nei?
Who will drive tonight?

Ko wai i kai i ngā āporo?
Who ate the apples?

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko ngā aha ngā reta ra?
What are those letters?

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

Ko wai te ingoa o tērā maunga?
What is the name of that mountain?

Ko wai te ingoa o tō matua?
What's the name of your dad?

Ko wai tō tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

Ko wai tō tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

Ko wai te ingoa o tērā wahine?
What's the name of that woman?

Ko wai i kī i te kākahu?
Who packed the clothes?

Ko wai te iwi e pai ana ki te haka?
Who is the nation who is good at doing haka?

Ko wai ōna hoa?
Who are his/her friends.

Ko wai mā ēnei?
Whose are these?

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

Ko wai ka haere ki te taone ā te pō nei?
Who's going to town tonight?

Ko wai ngā tamariki koi ngā hinengaro?
Who are the children with sharp minds?

Ko wai te ingoa o tō whaea?
What's the name of your mum?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai te ingoa o tō kuia?
What is your grandmother's name?

Ko wai tō māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

Ko wai a Ataahua?
Who is Ataahua?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

Ko wai ō hungarei?
Who are your parents in law?

Ko wai te pōtiki o te whānau?
Who is the youngest in the family?

Ko wai te ingoa o tō hoa?
What's the name of your friend?

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?