māua / tāua
Two People with or Without You
Māua excludes the listener; tāua includes the listener.
How It Works
Use tāua for you and me. Use māua for me and one other person while speaking to someone outside that pair.
The dual distinction is grammatical, not an optional English translation detail. If three or more people are included, choose tātou or mātou. A Māori verb base does not change just because the subject changes from one person to two.
Examples (3)
- Kei te haere tāua.
You and I are going.
- Kei te kai māua.
The other person and I are eating (not you).
- He hoa tāua.
You and I are friends.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Introduce exactly two people including the speaker: tāua includes the addressee, while māua pairs the speaker with someone else. The participant distinction changes the reference without adding an agreement ending to the verb.
Related Patterns
Practice māua / tāua in Bubblegum
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