te-reo-maori-toku-whanau

Lesson progress: 5 of 8

Whāinga AkoLearning goals

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Name family relationships

Recognise common words for parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren.

Describe siblings

Understand that sibling words can depend on gender and relative age.

Introduce someone

Use a person’s name and relationship in a short sentence.

Speak with care

Respect the breadth of whānau and the privacy of whakapapa.

Remember: whānau commonly means extended family or family group. In modern use it can also include close people who are not related by whakapapa.

Ngā Kupu Whānau

Whānau words. Select Listen and repeat each word slowly.

whānauextended family / family group

mātuaparents

whaeamother / aunt / respected adult woman

matuafather / uncle / respected adult man

tamaitione child

tamarikichildren

pēpibaby

mokopunagrandchild / descendant

tīpuna / tūpunaancestor / grandparent — dialect forms

whanaungarelative / relation

Local reo: You may hear different preferred words or dialect forms. Follow the usage of your whānau, iwi, hapū, kaiako or local community.

Introducing Family Members

Put the person’s name first, then say their relationship to you.

Ko Mere tōku whaea.

Mere is my mother.

Ko Hemi tōku matua.

Hemi is my father.

Ko Anahera tāku tamāhine.

Anahera is my daughter.

Ko Rāwiri tāku tama.

Rāwiri is my son.

A useful pattern: Ko [name] tōku/tāku [relationship]. Māori possessives use different categories. For now, learn each complete example as a phrase.

Sibling Relationships

Te reo Māori sibling words show the relationship between the speaker and sibling, not only the sibling’s gender.

Word	Relationship	Simple example
tuakana	older brother of a male; older sister of a female; same-gender senior cousin	Ko Maia tōku tuakana.
teina	younger brother of a male; younger sister of a female; same-gender junior cousin	Ko Ari tōku teina.
tuahine	sister or female cousin of a male	Ko Ata tōku tuahine.
tungāne	brother or male cousin of a female	Ko Tane tōku tungāne.

Take your time: Choose the word from the speaker’s point of view. If a woman speaks about her older sister, she uses tuakana. If a man speaks about his sister, he uses tuahine.

Asking About Whānau

Use the number lesson to ask how many people are in someone’s whānau.

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?

How many people are in your family?

Tokorima ngā tāngata i tōku whānau.

There are five people in my family.

Ko wai tēnei?

Who is this?

Ko Maia tōku tuakana.

Maia is my older sister or brother.

A Short Conversation

Read the English directly beneath each line, then practise both parts.

A

Ko wai tēnei?Who is this?

B

Ko Mere tōku whaea.Mere is my mother.

A

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?How many people are in your family?

B

Tokorima ngā tāngata i tōku whānau.There are five people in my family.

He Wāhi, He Whānau

Whānau relationships connect people across generations and often connect them deeply with whenua.

Coastal landscape at Ōpononi in the Hokianga, Aotearoa — Ōpononi, Hokianga. Places can hold generations of whānau memory, identity and responsibility.

Tikanga: Whānau and Whakapapa

Whānau is broader than a single household, and every person’s family story is different.

Do not assume

Whānau may include extended relatives, whāngai relationships, close community connections and many household structures.

Respect privacy

Names, photographs and whakapapa can be personal or sensitive. Ask permission before sharing someone else’s information.

Learn from whānau

Your own whānau, kaumātua and knowledgeable people are the right guides for the relationships and whakapapa that belong to you.

Kind conversation: Some people may not wish to discuss family, may be grieving, or may not know parts of their whakapapa. Allow everyone to share only what feels right.

Whakarongo, Kōrero, Tuhituhi

Listen, speak and write. Build a short whānau introduction using real or fictional practice names.

Choose three words: practise three family relationships from the vocabulary cards.
Name one person: use Ko [name] tōku/tāku [relationship].
Check the viewpoint: choose the correct sibling word for the speaker.
Count people: ask and answer Tokohia ngā tāngata i tō whānau?
Protect privacy: use invented names if you do not want to share personal details.

Knowledge Check

Open each question after choosing your answer.

1. Does “whānau” only mean parents and their children?

No. It commonly means extended family or a family group and may also include close non-kin relationships in modern contexts.

2. What is the difference between “tamaiti” and “tamariki”?

Tamaiti means one child. Tamariki means children.

3. Which word does a woman use for her brother?

Tungāne.

4. Which word does a man use for his sister?

Tuahine.

5. Why should you ask permission before sharing whānau names, photographs or whakapapa?

Because this information belongs to real people and may be personal, sensitive or culturally significant.

Lesson Completion Checklist

I can explain the broad meaning of whānau.

I know at least six whānau words.

I can introduce a family member.

I can choose a sibling word from the speaker’s viewpoint.

I can ask how many people are in a whānau.

I understand why whakapapa and privacy require care.

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Tōku Whānau