Māori Grammar

Talking about more than one person - ...rāua ko..., rātou 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.

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Talking about more than one person

rāua ko..., rātou ko... ko...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Ko Hera rāua ko Tame.
Hera and Tame.

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 Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Taika rāua ko Moana.
Koa and Aria are the grandchildren of Taika and Moana.

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

Nō Tāmaki-makau-rau, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Auckland, but my family and I are staying here.

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Ko Rina te tamāhine a Pāora rāua ko Ataahua.
Rina is the daughter of Pāora and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Mia ngā mātua o Amaru.
Hēmi and Mia are the parents of Amaru.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Ko Ataahua te mokopuna a Tawa rāua ko Ani.
Ataahua is the grandchild of Tawa and Ani.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Ko Aria rāua ko Moana ōku tuāhine.
Aria and Moana are my sisters.

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

Māua ko Rangi.
Rangi and me.

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

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

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

Niko rātou ko tōna whanau.
Niko and his family.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Pāora rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pāora and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Manu rāua ko Tawa mā runga i te motukā.
Manu and Tawa are travelling by car.

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ataahua ngā hoa o Tame rāua ko Aroha.
Nikau and Ataahua are the friends of Tame and Aroha.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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