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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Ani.
Niko and Mia are the grandchildren of Koa and Ani.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Ko Rangi rāua ko Rina ngā hoa o Hēmi rāua ko Aroha.
Rangi and Rina are the friends of Hēmi and Aroha.

Tawa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tawa and his family.

Nō Te Tai Rāwhiti, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the Eastland region, but my family and I are staying here.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

Ko Piripi rāua ko Miriama ōku mātua.
Piripi and Miriama 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.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

Ko Ataahua te tamāhine a Amaru rāua ko Kauri.
Ataahua is the daughter of Amaru and Kauri.

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Hera ō tāua hoa.
Taika and Hera are our friends.

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

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

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

Ko Ari te mokopuna a Taika rāua ko Mia.
Ari is the grandchild of Taika and Mia.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Ari.
Tame and Ani are the parents of Ari.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Rangi.
Tame and Rangi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He mātua pai a Niko rāua ko Aria.
Niko and Aria are good parents.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam