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 Tame rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Amaru rāua ko Kauri.
Tame and Aria are the grandchildren of Amaru and Kauri.

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

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

He mātua pai a Rangi rāua ko Aroha.
Rangi and Aroha are good 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.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Kei te katakata a Taika rāua ko Aroha.
Taika and Aroha are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

E tākaro ana a Tawa rāua ko Rangi.
Tawa and Rangi are playing.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Amaru rāua ko tōna hoa.
Amaru and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ehara a Taika rāua ko Aria i te mātua.
Taika and Aria are not parents.

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

Māua ko Mia.
Mia and me.

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Tawa rāua ko Aroha.
Niko and Kauri are the friends of Tawa and Aroha.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Manu rāua ko Tawa.
Manu and Tawa are dancing.

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

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

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

Kei te hui a Niko rāua ko Hēmi ki te pātaka kōrero.
Niko and Hēmi 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 Kayte rāua ko Denis, ko Beverley
Kayte and Denis and Beverley

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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 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.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Aria.
Tame and Aria.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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