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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Māua ko Rangi.
Rangi and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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.

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.

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Ataahua ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Rina.
Amaru and Ataahua are the grandchildren of Rangi and Rina.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rātou ko Kauri ko N3 āku tamariki.
Rangi, Kauri and N3 are my children.

Ko Ari rāua ko Nikau ō tāua hoa.
Ari and Nikau are our friends.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi te mokopuna a Niko rāua ko Ani.
Hēmi is the grandchild of Niko and Ani.

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

Ari rātou ko tōna whanau.
Ari and his family.

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Aria ngā mātua o Nikau.
Hēmi and Aria are the parents of Nikau.

E tākaro ana a Honi rāua ko Aroha.
Honi and Aroha are playing.

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.

Ko Amaru rāua ko Taika.
Amaru and Taika.

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

Kei te haere a Koa rāua ko Manu.
Koa and Manu are going.

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

Ko Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua
Brian and Fran 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.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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 ōku taokete.
Rāwiri and Tūmanako are my twins.

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

Aria rāua ko tōna hoa.
Aria and her friend.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Koa rāua ko Kauri.
Tame and Aroha are the friends of Koa and Kauri.

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.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

He mātua pai a Manu rāua ko Mia.
Manu and Mia are good parents.

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