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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Ehara a Tawa rāua ko Ani i te mātua.
Tawa and Ani are not parents.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Ataahua ngā mokopuna o Nikau rāua ko Kauri.
Amaru and Ataahua are the grandchildren of Nikau and Kauri.

Kauri rāua ko tōna hoa.
Kauri and her friend.

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

Nō Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Gisborne, but my family and I are staying here.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

Ko Nikau te mokopuna a Koa rāua ko Mia.
Nikau is the grandchild of Koa and Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Manu rāua ko Mia ō tāua hoa.
Manu and Mia are our friends.

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Kei te katakata a Koa rāua ko Aroha.
Koa and Aroha are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Tawa.
Rangi and Tawa.

Ko Moana te tamāhine a Taika rāua ko Aroha.
Moana is the daughter of Taika and Aroha.

Ko Ari rāua ko Rina ngā mātua o Pāora.
Ari and Rina are the parents of Pāora.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Taika.
Taika and me.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Ataahua rāua ko Kauri.
Ataahua and Kauri are playing.

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

Hēmi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Hēmi and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Ataahua ōku tuāhine.
Ani and Ataahua are my sisters.

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

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.

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Tame rāua ko Mia.
Niko and Kauri are the friends of Tame and Mia.

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam