The a and o categories can be tricky but they have do have a certain kind of logic to them.
But there ae some anomalies l
What category is a ring in?
Well you might say it's a man made movable object so that's in the a category.
But you wear it on your finger and so it's associated with your body.
So it's o.
He kōura te rīnga o tōku māmā.
My mother's ring is gold.
What about an umbrella?
Well, you might say, that is definitely a man made movable object. A category.
But, an umbrella is shelter and is so like a house. It's in the o category.
Not a very big house.
Doesn't have a bedroom
Or a jaccouzzi.
Or underfloor heating.
But it does have really good ventilation.
He whero tōku rātou hamarara.
Their umbrella is red.
He hamarara tōku
I have an umbrella.
And talking about having things, a great sentence to have up your sleeve is
He pātai tāku
I have a question
You get pixie points if you say that in a te reo class.
He pātai tāku
And, remember, if I say
He pātai koe
I'm not saying to have a question but you are a question
And maybe you are
Not judging
But if you want to say you have a question
He pātai tāu
Friends are also in the o category. So you would say tōku hoa, my friend, or ōku hoa, my friends if you have more than one. Some people don't
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.
My female partner
*Tāku* wªhinɛ
My girlfriend
*Tōku* hɔa wªhinɛ
And if you have a wife and a girlfriend you'd say:
Tāku wªhinɛ... I'd like you to meet tōku jɔa wªhinɛ.
Good luck with that one!
What's the worst that can happen?