Exercise Two
Plural personal pronouns
You will notice that there are differences between personal pronouns in the English language and those used in Māori. In Māori the same words are used regardless of the gender of the person or people referred to. In Māori, there is a separate set of personal pronouns used to refer to three or more people. These personal pronouns are tātou (you and I), mātou (they and I), koutou (you) and rātou (they). Different words are used by the speaker to indicate whether the listener(s) or speaker are included or not.
For further explanations and exercises: Te Kākano p13.
Whiriwhirihia te kupu tika hei whakakī i ngā āputa.
Choose the correct word to fill in the gap.
Kei wareware ki te whakamahi i ngā piko, ngā tohu pātai, ngā kopi me ngā tohutō i ngā wāhi e tika ana.
Tēnā
Hello (to three or more people).
Kei te haere
Where are they (three or more people) going?
Kei te haere
We (three or more people, excluding the listener) are going to the shop.
Me haere
Shall we go and eat? (three or more people, including the listener)
Kei te haere
They (three or more people) are going to Wiremu’s farm.
Kei te aha
What are we (three or more people, including the listener) doing, friends?
Kei te haere
Are you (three or more people) going to Te Hererīpene's house?
Kei te hiakai
We (three or more people excluding the listener) are hungry.
Kei te haere
We (three or more people excluding the listener) are going to school.
Kei te pai
Are you (three or more people) okay?
Me noho
We (three or more people including the listener) must stay here.
Kei te purei kāri
They are playing cards.