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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Kauri te mokopuna a Taika rāua ko Ani.
Kauri is the grandchild of Taika and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tame rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tame and his family.

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Manu rāua ko Ataahua.
Hēmi and Aroha are the friends of Manu and Ataahua.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Ko Mia rāua ko Ari kei te haere ki te tāone.
Mia and Ari are going to town.

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

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

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.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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 pai a Rangi rāua ko Rina.
Rangi and Rina are good parents.

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Aroha rāua ko Honi.
Aroha and Honi are going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Pāora rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pāora and her friend.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

Ko Aria te tamāhine a Niko rāua ko Kauri.
Aria is the daughter of Niko and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Amaru.
Koa and Ani are the parents of Amaru.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Koa.
Koa and me.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

Ko Pita rāua ko Rangi.
Pita and Rangi.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Nikau rāua ko Manu.
Nikau and Manu are laughing.

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Taika rāua ko Ataahua.
Pāora and Aroha are the grandchildren of Taika and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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.