What Takes A: Children, Pets and Chosen Things

Level 3

The a class usually goes with children, pets and things a person chooses, makes or gives away.

How It Works

The Reference Grammar describes the a class as relationships the owner chooses, creates or controls, and things that can be carried. Its examples are kaʻu puke “my book”, kaʻu keiki “my child”, kaʻu ʻīlio “my dog”, kaʻu kula “my school”, kaʻu wahine “my wife” and kaʻu pā ʻāina “my field”.

  • kāu ʻeke “your bag”
  • kāna pōpoki “his or her cat”
  • kāna leka “his or her letter”, one the person wrote

Food and tools are commonly listed in the a class in textbooks, as in kaʻu mea ʻai “my food”. The pages we read do not list them, so check a new noun with a teacher or a speaker. English Wikipedia also puts friends and spouses in the a class, where the Reference Grammar puts friends in the o class.

Examples (4)

  1. Ke hānai nei ʻo Noelani i kāna ʻīlio.

    Noelani is feeding her dog.

    A pet takes the a class.

  2. Ua lawe au i kaʻu ʻeke i ke kula.

    I took my bag to school.

    A bag you carry takes the a class.

  3. Ke kākau nei ʻo Keoni i kāna leka.

    Keoni is writing his letter.

    A letter you write is made by you, so it takes the a class.

  4. Ua ʻike ʻo ia i kāu pōpoki.

    He or she saw your cat.

    A pet takes the a class.

Common Mistakes

  • The wrong class for a child.

    koʻu keiki
    kaʻu keiki

    A child is a person you raise, so a child takes the a class.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

What Takes A: Children, Pets and Chosen ThingsLevel 3

Learn This First

Learners need the two-class idea before the list of a-class nouns.

Words in This Pattern

kaʻukāukāna