Māori Grammar

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Five golden rings

counting people and things

People are counted using the prefix toko- with the numbers two to nine. (Objects and animals are counted with e.)

kotahi - one person
tokorua - two people
tokotoru - three people
tokowhā - four people
tokorima - five people
tokoono - six people
tokowhitu - seven people
tokowaru - eight people
tokoiwa - nine people
tekau - ten people

Note that tokoono is pronounced toko-ono and not tokōno.

In addition, the following are also used:

tokoiti - few people, not many people
tokomaha - many people
tokohia?  - how many people?11

 

See also:

• Ordinal numbers (First, second, third...) - tuatahi, tuarua...

Tekau mā rua ngā tamariki.
There are twelve children.

Kotahi tōku tungāne.
I have one brother.

Ā, tekau mātou, tokowaru ngā tamariki.
Ah, there are ten of us, eight kids.

Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tae atu ki reira?
How many people arrived there?

E āhei ana au ki te kawe i ētehi tamariki tokorima i tōku waka.
I can transport five kids on my car.

Tokorua ngā wāhine kei tēnei rūma.
There are two women in this room.

Kāore e tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are not three elders.

Tokoono ngā tauira.
There are six students.

Kāore e tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are not seven teachers.

Tokorima ngā tākuta o konei.
There are five doctors from here.

He kotahi te kūmera i roto i te rourou mā ngā tāngata tokorua.
There was one small round basket containing one kūmera belonging to two men.

Tokoiwa pea.
About nine (people).

Tokoono ngā kōtiro kua haere.
The six girls have gone.

Tokohia kē mai nei...
What a lot of people...

Tokohia kē mai nei ngā tāngata e tae mai ana mō te kai!
What a lot of people are arriving for the food!

Nāu, ka tokowaru koutou.
With you, that makes eight.

Tokorua ā māua tamariki.
We have two children.

Tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are five people.

Tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are three elders.

Kāore e tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are not a few guests.

Tokohia ngā tangata i reira?
How many people were there?

Kua tae atu te tokorua nei ki te wharekai.
The pair have arrived at the restaurant.

Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?
How many people in your family?

Tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are two children.

Tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are seven teachers.

Tokoiwa rātou i tū ki te kōrero.
Nine of them stood to talk.

Kāore aku tamariki, engari he tokomaha āku irāmutu, tekau mā rima rātou.
I don't have any kids, but I have many nieces and nephews, there are fifteen of them.

Tokowhā ngā tāne kaha kei kōnei.
There are four strong men here.

Tekau tonu ngā mokopuna a Tame.
Tame has exactly ten grandchildren.

Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.

Tokohia ngā tangata e haere mai?
How many people are coming?

Kāore e tokoono ngā tauira.
There are not six students.

Kei raro nei he kōrero mō ētahi tamariki tokotoru.
The following is a simple story about three children.

Tokorima. Ko aku mātua, mātou ko taku tuakana, ko taku tungane.
Five. My parents, (me) and my older sister and my brother.

Tokorua aku tēina, tokotoru aku tuahine.
I've got two younger brothers (and) I have three sisters.

Tokorima ngā tauira e katakata ana ki a ia.
There are five students laughing at him.

Tokohia ā koutou ākonga?
How many students do you have?

Tokotorua āu tamariki?
Have you got three children?

Tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are eight police officers.

Ka tika hoki! Tokohia kei tō whānau?
That's right! How many in your family?

Kāore e tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are not five people.

Kāore e tokorua ngā hoa.
There are not two friends.

Kāore e tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are not two children.

Nō te tataunga o Taranga i ana tamariki, tokorima kē rātou.
When Taranga counted her children, there were five instead.

Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.

Tokorua ngā hoa.
There are two friends.

Tokohia kei roto i tō whānau?
How many in your family?

Tokohia ngā tāmgata?
How many people are there?

Tokotoru aku irāmutu.
I have 3 neices.

Kāore e tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are not eight police officers.

Tokohia i tae mai ki te whakarongo ki te pirimia?
How many people are coming to hear the Prime Minister?

E hia ngā pene? Kia hia ngā huka? Tokohia ngā tangata?
How many pens? How many sugars would you like? How many people?

Kotahi te kuia, tokotoru ngā tamariki.
One grandmother, three children.

Āe, tokorua ōku tungāne, tokorima ōku tēina.
Yes, I have two brothers and five younger sisters.

Kia ora Aria, tokohia kei tō whānau?
Hey Aria, how many in your family?

Ka hia koutou?
How many of you were there?

Tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are a few guests.

Tokoono ngā tāngata kei tōku whare e noho ana.
There are six people living at my house.

Tokorua ōku tuākana.
I have two older siblings (of the same gender as me).

Tokoono mātou, ko ōku mātua, me ōku tuākana.
There are six of us, my parents and my older sisters.

Ka whakatika aua wāhine nei, ka whai atu i taua tokotoru.
Those women stood up and followed those three.

Tokoono ngā tāngata e noho ana kei tōku whare.
There are six people living at my house.

Tokohia ngā tamariki a ō kaumātua?
How many children do your grandparents have?