We've talked about parents and grandparents being in the o category. That's because they are above us in a hierarchy.
Children amd grandchildren are in the a category because they are below us in that hierarchy.
This is also true of other people who are superiors. The police, the prime minister, the king are are all in the o category.
Robots, being nah made movable objects are in the a category. This is my robot. Tāku karetao.
But when AI takes over and the rebels are iving underground and the robots are flying around on the surface shooting at us are humanity is enslaved and robots are our overlords, then they will be in the o category.
Tōku karetao. This is my robot, master! Don't kill me.
There's this hand signal
O is adove us
A ia below us
So my boss is in the o category and I would say kei te aroha ahau ki tōku rangatira.
I love my boss. Don't kill me!
And he would say
Aw... Kei te aroha ahau ki āku kaimahi.
I love my workers. Bless.
And āku not tāku because he has more than one employee.
What about brothers and sisters? Well if you guessed that older siblings are in the o category and younger one are in the a category I'd say: oh my gosh! you are so clever! But you're completely wrong. Sorry.
Yeah, Nah.
Your siblings are in the o category regardless of their age. So your generation and above are o, and the next generation down is a.
So kei te kaha tōku teina. My younger sibling of the same gender as me is strong.
And
He tukakana ōku.
I have older brothers.
Kua haere ati tōku tēina ki te whare o ōku tuākana.
My younger brother has gone to the house of my older brothers.
Friends are also in the o category. So you would say tōku hoa, my friend, or ōku hoa, my friends.
Now here's a tricky one.
Your wife or husband or partner is, surprisingly, in the a category.
So you would talk about tāku tªnɛ or tāku wªhinɛ.
But!
If you use the word hɔa then it turns into the o category.
So if you call your partner your girlfriend you would say tōku hɔa wahinɛ and if you call him your boyfriend you would say tōku hɔa tªnɛ.
So is that person you love in the a or the o category? It depends what you call them.
And if you have a wife and a girlfriend you'd say:
Tāku wªhinɛ... I'd like you to meet tōku tɔa wªhinɛ.
Good luck with that one!