Māori Grammar
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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
Tekau tonu ngā mokopuna a Aroha.
Aroha has exactly ten grandchildren.Tokohia kei roto i tō whānau?
How many in your family?Tokoono ngā tāngata kei tōku whare e noho ana.
There are six people living at my house.Tokohia ngā tangata i reira?
How many people were there?Tokohia i tae mai ki te whakarongo ki te pirimia?
How many people are coming to hear the Prime Minister?Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?
How many people in your family?Ka tika hoki! Tokohia kei tō whānau?
That's right! How many in your family?Tokoono ngā kōtiro kua haere.
The six girls have gone.Tokoono mātou, ko ōku mātua, me ōku tuākana.
There are six of us, my parents and my older sisters.Kāore e tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are not two children.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.Kāore e tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are not three elders.Tokorima ngā tākuta o konei.
There are five doctors from here.Kua tae atu te tokorua nei ki te wharekai.
The pair have arrived at the restaurant.Tokohia ngā tāngata i tae atu ki reira?
How many people arrived there?Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.Tokoiwa pea.
About nine (people).E āhei ana au ki te kawe i ētehi tamariki tokorima i tōku waka.
I can transport five kids on my car.Kotahi tōku tungāne.
I have one brother.Āe, tokorua ōku tungāne, tokorima ōku tēina.
Yes, I have two brothers and five younger sisters.Tokorua ā māua tamariki.
We have two children.Tokotoru aku irāmutu.
I have 3 neices.Tokoono ngā tāngata e noho ana kei tōku whare.
There are six people living at my house.Nāu, ka tokowaru koutou.
With you, that makes eight.Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.Kāore e tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are not a few guests.Tokotoru ngā tama kei te papa tākaro.
There are three boys at the playground.Tokotorua āu tamariki?
Have you got three children?Tokorima ngā tauira e katakata ana ki a ia.
There are five students laughing at him.Tokoiti ngā manuhiri.
There are a few guests.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.Tokohia kē mai nei ngā tāngata e tae mai ana mō te kai!
What a lot of people are arriving for the food!Ā, tekau mātou, tokowaru ngā tamariki.
Ah, there are ten of us, eight kids.Tokowaru ngā pēpi kei tēnei kōhanga.
There are eight babies at this creche.Nō te tataunga o Taranga i ana tamariki, tokorima kē rātou.
When Taranga counted her children, there were five instead.Tokohia ngā tamariki a ō kaumātua?
How many children do your grandparents have?Kāore e tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
There are not seven teachers.Tokorua ngā hoa.
There are two friends.Tokorua ōku tuākana.
I have two older siblings (of the same gender as me).Tokorima. Ko aku mātua, mātou ko taku tuakana, ko taku tungane.
Five. My parents, (me) and my older sister and my brother.Tokorua ngā tamariki.
There are two children.Kāore e tokorua ngā hoa.
There are not two friends.Tekau mā rua ngā tamariki.
There are twelve children.Tokoono ngā tauira.
There are six students.Tokohia kē mai nei...
What a lot of people...Tokohia ngā tāmgata?
How many people are there?Tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are eight police officers.Kia ora Ari, tokohia kei tō whānau?
Hey Ari, how many in your family?Kotahi te kuia, tokotoru ngā tamariki.
One grandmother, three children.Ka hia koutou?
How many of you were there?Tokowhā ngā tāne kaha kei kōnei.
There are four strong men here.Tokotoru ngā tangata kaumātua.
There are three elders.Kāore e tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are not five people.Tokohia ngā tangata e haere mai?
How many people are coming?E hia ngā pene? Kia hia ngā huka? Tokohia ngā tangata?
How many pens? How many sugars would you like? How many people?Tokorua aku tēina, tokotoru aku tuahine.
I've got two younger brothers (and) I have three sisters.Ka whakatika aua wāhine nei, ka whai atu i taua tokotoru.
Those women stood up and followed those three.Tokoiwa rātou i tū ki te kōrero.
Nine of them stood to talk.Tokohia ā koutou ākonga?
How many students do you have?Tokorua ngā wāhine kei tēnei rūma.
There are two women in this room.Kāore e tokowaru ngā pirihimana.
There are not eight police officers.Tokorima ngā tāngata.
There are five people.Kei raro nei he kōrero mō ētahi tamariki tokotoru.
The following is a simple story about three children.