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.

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Mia ngā hoa o Hēmi rāua ko Ani.
Ari and Mia are the friends of Hēmi and Ani.

Pāora rātou ko tōna whanau.
Pāora and his family.

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

E tākaro ana a Ari rāua ko Hera.
Ari and Hera are playing.

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

Rangi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Rangi and her friend.

Kei te haere a Ataahua rāua ko Tawa.
Ataahua and Tawa are going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ataahua ngā mātua o Taika.
Nikau and Ataahua are the parents of Taika.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Ko Aroha rāua ko Aria.
Aroha and Aria.

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

Māua ko Kauri.
Kauri and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Amaru rāua ko Ani.
Tame and Mia are the grandchildren of Amaru and Ani.

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

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 Aria te tamāhine a Tawa rāua ko Moana.
Aria is the daughter of Tawa and Moana.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Ko Pita rāua ko Pāora kei te haere ki te tāone.
Pita and Pāora are going to town.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Hēmi rāua ko Nikau.
Hēmi and Nikau are dancing.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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