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.
Don’t forget to use commas, question marks, and fullstops and macrons where appropriate (ā,ē,ī,ō, and ū).
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?