Exercise Seven
Possession
In a previous activity in this module you have learnt how to use a and o with kinship terms. In this exercise we build upon those lessons and learn another use of the o category. When something that is owned or possessed is part of something else then you must use the o category. Therefore things that would usually take the a category take o if they are part of something, such as a group.
Hei tauira:
| E hia ngā tau o Neihana? | How old is Nathan? |
| Ko wai te ingoa o te tamāhine a Tarati? | What is the name of Tarati's daughter? |
| Ngā tamariki a Tarati. | Tarati's children. |
| Ngā tamariki o te kura. | The children of the school. |
Note the difference in the examples above. In the second example the children are part of school so o is used.
| Te kūaha o te motokā. | The door of the car. |
| Te tuanui o te whare. | The roof of the house. |
The door is part of the car and the roof is part of the house therefore o is used.
For further explanations and exercises see Te Kākano Pukapuka Tātaki p.16.
Whakakīa ngā āputa.
Fill the gaps.
Kei wareware i a koe ngā piko, ngā tohu pātai, ngā ira kati me ngā tohutō i ngā wāhi e tika ana.
E whā tekau mā tahi ngā tau
English translation: Wiremu is forty-one years old.
Ko wai te ingoa
English translation: What is the name of Wiremu and Tarati’s son?
E hia ngā pene
English translation: How many pens does Mere have?
Tokohia ngā ākonga
English translation: How many students are there at this university?
Ko wai ngā hoa
English translation: Who are Nathan’s friends, Te Hererīpene?
Kei waho te manuhiri i te kēti
English translation: The visitors are outside the gate of the marae.
Kei te haere a Mīria mā ki te kite i ngā taonga
English translation: Mīria and the others are going to see the treasures of Te Papa Tongarewa.
Kei te hōhā ngā tamariki
English translation: Wiremu and Tarati’s children are getting bored.
E rua ngā ngeru
English translation: There are two cats at Mīria and the others’ house.
Kei te kai ngā tamariki i ngā mātaitai
English translation: The children are eating the seafood of the seafood gardens.
E rua tekau mā rua ngā korowai ātaahua
English translation: Te Papa Tongarewa has twenty-two beautiful cloaks.
Kei hea te hungarei
English translation: Where does Eruera’s mother-in-law live?