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.

Māua ko Tawa.
Tawa and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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.

He mātua a Pani rāua ko Hata,.
Pani and Hata are 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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Amaru kei te haere ki te tāone.
Niko and Amaru are going to town.

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

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

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

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

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

Aria rāua ko tōna hoa.
Aria and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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 Hēmi rāua ko Moana ngā mokopuna o Pāora rāua ko Mia.
Hēmi and Moana are the grandchildren of Pāora and Mia.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Kauri.
Hēmi and Kauri.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Ko Taika rātou ko Mia ko N3 āku tamariki.
Taika, Mia and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

Ko Ataahua te mokopuna a Rangi rāua ko Kauri.
Ataahua is the grandchild of Rangi and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ari ō tāua hoa.
Nikau and Ari are our friends.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

He mātua pai a Ari rāua ko Moana.
Ari and Moana are good parents.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Mia ngā mātua o Tawa.
Niko and Mia are the parents of Tawa.

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

Kei te kanikani a Tame rāua ko Koa.
Tame and Koa are dancing.

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Koa rāua ko Aria.
Nikau and Kauri are the friends of Koa and Aria.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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.