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

Nō Te Whanganui-a-Tara, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Wellington, but my family and I are staying here.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Ani.
Pāora and Rina are the grandchildren of Rangi and Ani.

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

Kauri rāua ko tōna hoa.
Kauri and her friend.

E hui ana a Rama rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Rama and Pita 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 Hone rāua ko Rāhera ōku mātua
Hone and Rāhera are my parents.

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

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.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Kei te kanikani a Rangi rāua ko Honi.
Rangi and Honi are dancing.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Ari.
Ari and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Mia te tamāhine a Nikau rāua ko Aria.
Mia is the daughter of Nikau and Aria.

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.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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 Nikau te tamaiti kei waenganui i a Rangi rāua ko N3.
Nikau is the child between Rangi and N3.

Ko Tame rāua ko Rina ngā mātua o Niko.
Tame and Rina are the parents of Niko.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Ataahua.
Koa and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Kei te katakata a Aria rāua ko Niko.
Aria and Niko are laughing.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Moana ngā hoa o Tawa rāua ko Kauri.
Ari and Moana are the friends of Tawa and Kauri.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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