tamaiti / tamariki
An Irregular Plural
Te tamaiti means the child; ngā tamariki means the children.
How It Works
Tamaiti is singular, and tamariki is its plural counterpart. Learn both complete forms. Their difference does not provide a productive instruction for changing other noun endings.
Compare Kei te waiata te tamaiti., “The child is singing,” with Kei te waiata ngā tamariki., “The children are singing.” The subject phrase changes number while the verbal predicate keeps the same form.
Other determiners combine with the corresponding lexical forms: tētahi tamaiti means “a child,” tēnei tamaiti means “this child,” and ēnei tamariki means “these children.” Plural tamariki is therefore not restricted to phrases beginning with ngā. It also occurs in address to children. This is an exceptional lexical number distinction, rather than an English-style plural ending.
Examples (4)
- Kei te waiata te tamaiti.
The child is singing.
The subject phrase is singular.
- Kei te waiata ngā tamariki.
The children are singing.
Plural tamariki leaves the verbal predicate unchanged.
- Kei te kāinga tēnei tamaiti.
This child is at home.
Tēnei combines with tamaiti.
- Kei waho ētahi tamariki.
Some children are outside.
Ētahi combines with tamariki.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Introduce the child–children pair within ordinary noun phrases. Show that tamariki combines with plural determiners beyond ngā while the verbal predicate remains unchanged.
Related Patterns
Practice tamaiti / tamariki in Bubblegum
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