Māori Grammar

▶

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Tawa.
Koa and Ani are the parents of Tawa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Amaru ō tāua hoa.
Taika and Amaru are our friends.

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

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.

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

Nikau rāua ko tōna hoa.
Nikau and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nō Whakatamacr;ne, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Whakatamacr;ne, but my family and I are staying here.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Māua ko Rangi.
Rangi and me.

Ko Niko rāua ko Rina ngā hoa o Hēmi rāua ko Kauri.
Niko and Rina are the friends of Hēmi and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Pita rāua ko Niko.
Pita and Niko are playing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Koa te mokopuna a Manu rāua ko Aria.
Koa is the grandchild of Manu and Aria.

Kei te katakata a Honi rāua ko Kauri.
Honi and Kauri are laughing.

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

Kei te kanikani a Mia rāua ko Ataahua.
Mia and Ataahua are dancing.

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Tame rāua ko Rina.
Pāora and Mia are the grandchildren of Tame and Rina.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Pāora rāua ko Taika.
Pāora and Taika are going.

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

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Nikau.
Amaru and Nikau.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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