tā / tō + pronoun
Two or More Possessors
Keep the possessor’s pronoun after tā or tō.
How It Works
Tō tāua whare is the house of you and me. Tō māua whare is the house of me and one other person, excluding you. The inclusive/exclusive distinction remains visible.
Change tō to ō for plural possessions, as in ō rāua whare. Choose a or o separately from the number and identity of the possessors. These are two independent decisions.
Examples (3)
- He nui tō tāua whare.
The house of you and me is big.
- Kei konei tā mātou pukapuka.
Our book is here (three or more possessors, excluding you).
- Kei te kura ā rāua tamariki.
Their children are at school (two possessors).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Introduce a separate nonsingular possessor pronoun after tā or tō for one item, or ā or ō for several. Keep possessor membership, possessed-item number and category distinct; rāua in the published example identifies two third-person possessors.
- āku / ōkuMy Plural Possessions
The singular/plural possession contrasts establish that possessed-item number and a/o category are separate choices before a separate possessor pronoun is introduced.
Level 2 - mātou / tātouA Group with or Without You
Larger-group pronouns explain the exclusive group of possessors in tā mātou pukapuka and preserve the corresponding inclusive option.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Practice tā / tō + pronoun in Bubblegum
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