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 tōna ingoa?
What's her name?

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

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

Ko wai tino pēne?
Who is your favourite band?

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

Ko wai tana ingoa?
What's her name?

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

Ko wai ia?
Who is he/she?

Ko wai te huatahi?
Who is the first born?

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

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

Ko wai te mātāmua?
Who is the oldest?

Ko wai i haere?
Who (all) went?

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

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

Ko wai tōu whaea?
Who is your mother?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai i te totohe?
Who were arguing?

Ko wai kei te moe?
Who is sleeping?

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

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

Ko wai tōu ingoa?
What's your name?

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

Ko wai tēnei?
Who is this?

Ko wai e haere?
Who is to go?

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

Ko wai te koroua?
Who is the grandfather?

Ko wai kei te horoi?
Who is washing?

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

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

Ko wai ingoa?
What is your name?

Ko wai pāpā?
Who is your Dad?

Ko wai kei te haere mai?
Who is coming?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko ngā aha?
What are?

Ko wai teina?
Who is your younger sibling?

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

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

Ko wai koe?
Who are you?

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

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

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

Ko wai te pāpā?
Who is the father?

Ko wai ō tēina?
Who are your younger siblings?

Ko wai ēnei?
Whose are these?

Ko wai atu ka haere?
Who else is going?

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

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

Ko wai?
Who?

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

Ko wai te tamāhine?
Who is the daughter?

Ko wai te māmā?
Who is the mother?

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

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

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

Ko wai e pōhiri?
Who should be invited?

Ko wai tāua manuhiri?
Who is our visitor?

Ko wai a Manu?
Who is Manu?

Ko wai ō hoa?
Who are your friends?

Ko wai tērā?
Who is that?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai kōrua?
Who are you two?

Ko wai māmā?
Who is your Mum?

Ko Waikura tōku tuahine.
Waikura is my sister.

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

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

Ko wai tōna iwi?
What is his tribe?

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

Ko Waiokura te marae.
The marae is Waiokura.

Ko wai ngā mātua?
Who are the parents?

Ko wai kaiako pāngarau?
Who is your maths teacher?

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

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

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

Ko wai ō mātua?
Who are your parents?

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

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

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

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

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

Ko wai te whaea?
Who is the mother?

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

Ko wai ō tāua manuhiri?
Who are our visitors?