Māori Grammar

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Talking about more than one person

rāua ko..., rātou ko... ko...

In English, we can use "and" to talk about more than one person: "Peter, Paul and Mary".

In te reo Māori, there is a specific way to do this.

When there are only two people, and we are talking about people other than ourselves, we use rāua ko:

Kei te haere a Rangi rāua ko Hemi ki te papa tākaro.
Rangi and Hemi are going to the playground.

Ko Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua.
Brian and Fran are my parents.

Where there are more than two people, and we are talking about poeple other than ourselves, we use rātou ko... ko...

Kei te waiata a Peter, rātou ko Paul ko Mary.
Peter, Paul and Mary are singing.

When you are speaking about yourself and someone else, we do not say "me". Intead, you would use māua ko if you are just talking about you and another person, and mātou ko... ko... if you are talking about you and two or more other people:

I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa.
Me and my friend drove.

Māua ko Amaru.
Amaru and me.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

I haere mātou ko Rangi ko Hemi.
Me and Rangi and Hemi went.

Nō mua i te piringa ki a Rangi, ka moe a Papa rāua ko Tangaroa.
Before the union with Rangi, Papa was in a relationship with Tangaroa.

Ākuanei ka haere māua ko Aroha ki te tiki i a Nikau.
Soon Aroha and I will go to fetch Nikau.

Kei roto a Kahurangi rāua ko Hōhepa i tō rāua whare.
Kahurangi and Hōhepa are inside their house.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Kei te haere a Raureka rāua ko Te Naera.
Raureka and Te Naera are going.

Ko Brooklyn te mokopuna a Lynne rāua ko Barry.
Brooklyn is the grandchild of Lynne and Barry.

Ko Billy rāua ko Bob ā rāua māhanga.
Their twins are Billy and Bob.

Ko Manu rātou ko Ari ko N3 āku tamariki.
Manu, Ari and N3 are my children.

Ko Aidan rātou ko Kaia, ko Liam
Aidan and Kaia and Liam

Ko Rāwiri rāua ko Tūmanako ōku taokete.
Rāwiri and Tūmanako are my twins.

Ko Tīwana rāua ko Riripeti aku irāmutu.
Tīwana and Riripeti are my nieces/nephews.

Ko Tai, ko Moana rātou ko Rangi.
Tai, Moana and Rangi.

Ko Riripeti rāua ko Tīwana āku irāmutu.
Riripeti and Tīwana are my nieces/nephews.

Kei roto a Rangi rāua ko Tame i tō rāua whare.
Rangi and Tame are inside their (2x) house.

E whakarongo ana māua ko Paora ki te tumuaki.
Paora and I are listening to the head-master.

I mahi māua ko tōku māmā.
My mother and I (us two, but not you the listener) worked.

Kei Pōneke māua ko Sarah.
Sarah and I are in Wellington.

Kei te haere a Ataahua rāua ko Mia mā runga i te motukā.
Ataahua and Mia are travelling by car.

Ko Val te tamāhine a Una rāua ko Vic.
Val is the daughter of Una and Vic.

Kua mate māua ko taku teina.
My younger sibling and I are sick.

Kei te moe a Angie rāua ko Raiha.
Angie and Raiha are sleeping.

Kei te haere a Honi rāua ko Pita.
Honi and Pita are going.

I tērā tau ka haere mātou ko aku hoa ki Pōneke ki te tirotiro haere.
Last year me and my friends went to Wellington to look around.

Ko Rāwiri rāua ko Tūmanako ōku tungāne.
Rāwiri and Tūmanako are my brothers.

Ehara a Ari rāua ko Aria i te mātua.
Ari and Aria are not parents.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

I tērā tau i te marama o Mahuru ka haere mātou ko aku hoa mai i Papaioea ki Pōneke ki te tirotiro haere.
Last year in September me and my friends went from Palmerston North to Wellington to look around.

Mā mātou koutou e manaaki.
We will take care of you.

Ko ia te mea hangareka o rāua ko Riripeti, tōna tuahine.
She is the funny one between her and Riripeti, her sister.

Kei te ako a Taika rāua ko Pāora i ngā kupu whānau i te reo Māori.
Taika and Pāora are learning Māori 'family' words.

Tokorima. Ko aku mātua, mātou ko taku tuakana, ko taku tungane.
Five. My parents, (me) and my older sister and my brother.

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Ko Tai rāua ko Moana ngā ingoa o ōku hoa.
The names of my friends are Tai and Moana.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

I roto rāua ko Mere i te whare.
He and Mere were in the house.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

Kei te waiata a Peter, rātou ko Paul ko Mary.
Peter, Paul and Mary are singing.

Nō muri i te piringa o Rangi rāua ko Papa ka whānau mai ngā tamariki.
After the union of Rangi and Papa, the children were born.

Ko Rāwiri rāua ko Tūmanako aku tama.
Rāwiri and Tūmanako are my sons.

Ko Chris te tama a Richard rāua ko Gin.
Chris is the son of Richard and Gin.

Ko Rangi rāua ko Tawa kei te haere ki te tāone.
Rangi and Tawa are going to town.

Ko Koa rāua ko Amaru.
Koa and Amaru.

Ko Kayte rāua ko Denis, ko Beverley
Kayte and Denis and Beverley

Ko Timi rāua ko Jen aku mātua.
Timi and Jen are my parents.

Ko Kauri rāua ko Niko ō tāua hoa.
Kauri and Niko are our friends.

Kei te kura rātou ko Hata ko Pani ko Mere.
They and Hata, Pani and Mere are at the school.

Ka haere māua ko Hera ki te hokomaha tiki ai.
Hera and I are going to the supermarket to shop.

Mā mātou koutou e manaaki.
We (3+ exclusive) will take care of you.

Ko Amaru rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Tame.
Amaru and Ani are the parents of Tame.

Ko rātou ko ō rātou hoa ngā mea ngaro.
They and their friends are the missing ones.

Nō Te Tai Tokerau, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the Northland region, but my family and I are staying here.

Ko Hone rāua ko Rāhera ōku mātua.
Hone and Rāhera are my parents.

Ko Pita rātou ko Paul, ko Mere.
Peter, Paul and Mere.

Kua tūtaki au ki a Taika rāua ko tana hoa wahine, ko Ataahua.
I have met Taika and his girlfriend, Ataahua.

Kei te oma a Mere rātou ko Hariata, ko Matiu, ko Ropata.
Mere, Hariata, Matiu and Ropata are running.

Nā wai a Papa rāua ko Rangi i whakawehe?
Who separated Papa and Rangi?

Ko Sally rāua ko Tīmoti ōku mātua.
My parents are Sally and Timoti.

I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa.
Me and my friend drove.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Hone rāua ko Rāhera ōku hungawai.
Hone and Rāhera are my parents-in-law.

Ko Liam te mokopuna a Beverley rāua ko Denis.
Liam is the grandchild of Beverley and Denis.

I haere mātou ko aku hoa mā runga i te waka o Betsy ki te takutai, ki Te Māhia.
Me and my friends went on Betsy's car to the beach, to Māhia.

I hea a Retitia rāua ko Mihinui?
Where were Retitia and Mihinui?

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

I hea a Miti rāua ko Auau?
Where were Miti and Auau?

Ka kōrero ia ki a māua ko Mere.
He spoke to Mere and me.

I te ata o te Rāhoroi ka haere mātou ko taku whānau ki Taranaki ki te whakatā.
On Saturday morning my family and I went to Taranaki for a holiday.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

E tākaro ana a Aria rāua ko Hēmi.
Aria and Hēmi are playing.

Ko Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua.
Brian and Fran are my parents.

Ko Aroha te tamaiti kei waenganui i a Nikau rāua ko N3.
Aroha is the child between Nikau and N3.

Māua ko Manu.
Manu and me.

Ari rāua ko tōna hoa.
Ari and her friend.

I āwhinatia rātou e mātou ko aku tēina.
They were helped by me and my younger siblings.

No Te Kaha mātou ko Hata mā.
Hata and I and the rest are from Te Kaha.

He mātua pai a Rangi rāua ko Kauri.
Rangi and Kauri are good parents.

Ko Moana rāua ko Rina ōku tuāhine.
Moana and Rina are my sisters.

Kei te kanikani a Rangi rāua ko Tame.
Rangi and Tame are dancing.

Kei te hui a Rama rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Rama and Pita are meeting in the library.

I hiahia a Ataahua rāua ko Mia ki te tūtaki i a rāua anō.
Ataahua and Mia wanted to meet each other.

Arā, ko au te tama a Hone rāua ko Rāhera.
That is, I am the child of Hone and Rāhera.

Ko Flo rāua ko Rāwiri ōku kaumātua.
Flo and Rāwiri are my grandparents.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Ko Aroha te tamāhine a Nikau rāua ko Mia.
Aroha is the daughter of Nikau and Mia.

Kei te haere atu rātou ko Hone, ko Hōhepa, ko Tai.
Hone, Hōhepa and Tai are going.

Ko Riripeti rāua ko Tīwana ā māua tamariki.
Riripeti and Tīwana are our children.

E hui ana a Rama rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Rama and Pita are meeting in the library.

Ko Moki rāua ko Tū-te-kawa ngā rangatira.
Moki and Tu-te-kawa were the chiefs.

I hararei mātou ko aku hoa.
My friends and I had a holiday.

Ko Piripi rāua ko Miriama ōku mātua.
Piripi and Miriama are my parents.

Ko Raureka rāua ko Tūhawaiki ngā mātua.
Raureka and Tāhawaiki are the parents.

I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa ki te whare wānanga.
Me and my friend drove to uni.

Kei muri a Miriama rāua ko Rehutai i te pahi.
Miriama and Rehutai are behind the bus.

Ko Hone rāua ko Rāhera ōku mātua
Hone and Rāhera are my parents.

He hoa piritahi rāua ko Rāwiri.
He and Rāwiri are best friends.

Ko Jacob rāua ko Hana āku tamariki.
Harnah and Jacob are my children

I muri i te piringa o Rangi rāua ko Papa ka whānau mai ngā tamariki.
After the union of Rangi and Papa the children were born.

Kei te hui a Honi rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Honi and Pita are meeting in the library.

Ko Rāwiri rātou ko Tūmanako, ko Rongomai, me tana tāne a Moana, aku mokopuna.
Rāwiri, Tūmanako, Rongomai, and Moana, her husband, are my grandchildren.

Kei te tangi a Mereana rāua ko Paul.
Mereana and Paul are crying.

Ko Tawa rāua ko Aria ngā hoa o Niko rāua ko Ani.
Tawa and Aria are the friends of Niko and Ani.

Ko Rongomai rāua ko Moana ōku mātua.
Rongomai and Moana are my parents.

Ko Taika te mokopuna a Manu rāua ko Ataahua.
Taika is the grandchild of Manu and Ataahua.

Nō te wā o te piringa o Rangi rāua ko Papa ka tupu te werawera, ka rērere te kohu.
At the time of the union of Rangi and Papa, the heat grew, the mist rose.

He mātua a Pani rāua ko Hata,.
Pani and Hata are parents.

Kei mua a Miriama rāua ko Rehutai i te pahi.
Miriama and Rehutai are in front of the bus.

Ko Rāhera rāua ko Tipene ōna hoa.
Her friends are Rāhera and Tīpene.

I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa ki te whare wānanga i te waru karaka.
Me and my friend drove to uni at 8 o'clock.

Kei te katakata a Pāora rāua ko Rangi.
Pāora and Rangi are laughing.

Ko Barry rāua ko Lynne ōku mātua.
Barry and Lynne are my parents.

Ka kōrero māua ko Mere ki a ia.
Mere and I spoke to him.

Nō muri noa mai ka whānau mai ngā tamariki a Koa rāua ko Kauri.
The children of Koa and Kauri were born much later.

Hēmi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Hēmi and his family.

Ko Jim rāua ko Doug aku taokete.
Jim and Doug are my brother in laws.

Ko Mere rāua ko Lennon āku tamariki.
Mere and Lennon are my children.

Ko Aroha rāua ko Timi ana mātua.
Aroha and Timi are her parents.

Ko Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua
Brian and Fran are my parents

Ehara ngā rangatira i a Moki rāua ko Tū-te-kawa.
Moki and Tū-te-kawa were not the chiefs.

Ko māua ko Mere ngā kaiāwhina.
Mere and I are the helpers.

Ko Isaac te tama a Phill rāua ko Angie.
Isaac is the son of Phill and Angie.

Kei te haere a Riria rāua ko Larisa ki konā
Riria and Larisa are going there (by you the listener).

Ko Pāora rāua ko Moana ngā mokopuna o Ari rāua ko Rina.
Pāora and Moana are the grandchildren of Ari and Rina.

Ko Rāhera rāua ko Hone ōku tūpuna.
Rāhera and Hone are my ancestors.