Traveling with Kids

1. Ko wai tō ingoa?

   ko wai tō i-ngo-a

   What is your name?

   Usage

   Asking a child their name

   Grammar Note

   ko wai is an identity question pattern asking "who is"

2. E hia ō tau?

   e hi-a ō tau

   How old are you?

   Usage

   Asking how old a child is

   Grammar Note

   ō is the "o-class" possessive meaning "your"

3. Ka pai rawa atu!

   ka pai ra-wa a-tu

   Excellent! Very well done!

   Usage

   Strongly praising a child's achievement

   Grammar Note

   rawa atu is an intensifying adverbial phrase meaning "very much"

4. Kaua e tangi

   kau-a e ta-ngi

   Don't cry

   Usage

   Comforting a crying child

   Grammar Note

   kaua e + verb forms a prohibition "don't do"

5. Haere ki ō mātua

   hae-re ki ō mā-tu-a

   Go to your parents

   Usage

   Telling a lost child to return to their parents

   Grammar Note

   ki is a directional preposition meaning "to / toward"

6. Kei te ngenge koe?

   kei te nge-nge koe

   Are you tired?

   Usage

   Checking if a child is tired

   Grammar Note

   kei te + adjective expresses current state

7. Āe, ka taea!

   ā-e, ka tae-a

   Yes, you can do it!

   Usage

   Encouraging a child, saying they can do it

   Grammar Note

   ka taea expresses ability or possibility "can do / is achievable"

8. Tākaro tahi tāua

   tā-ka-ro ta-hi tā-u-a

   Let's play together

   Usage

   Inviting a child to play together

   Grammar Note

   tāua is the dual pronoun "we two" (speaker and listener only)

9. He aha tāu e hiahia ana?

   he a-ha tā-u e hi-a-hi-a a-na

   What do you want?

   Usage

   Asking a child what they want

   Grammar Note

   e + verb + ana is the Māori present continuous construction

10. Me noho pai

    me no-ho pai

    Sit/stay nicely / Behave well

    Usage

    Asking a child to behave well and sit quietly

    Grammar Note

    me + verb is the imperative/hortative form ("should / do ...")

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