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.

Māua ko Rangi.
Rangi and me.

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Aroha rāua ko Pita.
Aroha and Pita are dancing.

Ehara a Niko rāua ko Rina i te mātua.
Niko and Rina are not parents.

Ko Tawa rāua ko Aria ō tāua hoa.
Tawa and Aria are our friends.

Ko Hera rāua ko Hēmi.
Hera and Hēmi.

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

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

Ari rātou ko tōna whanau.
Ari and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te hui a Ataahua rāua ko Mia ki te pātaka kōrero.
Ataahua and Mia 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.

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

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

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

Ko Kauri te tamāhine a Amaru rāua ko Aria.
Kauri is the daughter of Amaru and Aria.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Mia ngā mātua o Manu.
Nikau and Mia are the parents of Manu.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Ari rāua ko Niko.
Ari and Niko are going.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Amaru rāua ko Manu.
Amaru and Manu are playing.

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.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

He mātua pai a Hēmi rāua ko Ataahua.
Hēmi and Ataahua are good parents.

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

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

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

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

Aroha rāua ko tōna hoa.
Aroha and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Rangi rāua ko Aria.
Taika and Kauri are the friends of Rangi and Aria.

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

Ko Aria rātou ko Hera ko N3 āku tamariki.
Aria, Hera and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Niko rāua ko Aroha.
Tawa and Mia are the grandchildren of Niko and Aroha.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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