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 i i te kākahu?
Who packed the clothes?

Ko wai?
Who?

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

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

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

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

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

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

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

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

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

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

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

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

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

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

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

Ko wai a Ari?
Who is Ari?

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

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

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

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

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

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

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

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

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

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

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

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

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 kei te haere?
Who are you going with?

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

Ko wai kei te māuiui?
Who is sick?

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

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

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

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

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

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

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

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

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

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

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

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?