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

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

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

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

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

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

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

Ko wai a Ari?
Who is Ari?

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

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

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

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

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

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

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

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

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

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

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

Ko wai?
Who?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

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

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

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

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

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

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

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

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

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

Ko wai tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

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

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

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

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

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

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

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

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

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

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

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

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

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

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

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

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

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

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

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

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

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

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

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

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

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?

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

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 māuiui?
Who is sick?

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

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

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

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?