Māori Grammar

Talking about more than one person - ...rāua ko..., rātou 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.

Kua mate te Pirimia.
The Prime Minister has died.

Kua hinga au.
I have been defeated.

I tere oti te mahi.
The work was completed quickly.

Kua mate noa atu ia.
He has passed away.

Kua hinga au?
Have I been defeated (lost)?

I mate ia ki te awa.
He died at the river.

Ki te mutu te ua, ka haere ahau.
If it stops raining I will go.

Ka mutu tā tātou mahi āpōpō.
Our work will be finished tomorrow.

Kua pau taku wītipiki.
My weetbix are used up.

Kua kī tōku puku.
My tummy is full.

Kua pau te miraka.
The milk has run out.

Kua pau te kai.
The food has been consumed.

Kua ngaro taku pene.
My pen has been lost.

Kua mutu te kai.
The food has finished.

Āe, kua mutu au.
Yes, I've finished.

Tae rawa atu rātou, kua mate te koroua.
By the time they got there, the old man had died.

Kua mutu te horoi rīhi.
Washing dishes has finished

Kua tata hū te wai.
The water's almost boiled.

Ka whara ia.

Ki te hinga te kāwanatanga, me whakahaere he pōti.
If the government falls, there has to be an election.

I wareware ngā rīwai.
The spuds got forgotten.

Kei hinga koe!
You'll fall over!

Ka mau te ika.
The fish is caught.

Kua tutuki te mahi.
The job has been done.

Kua pau te miraka.
The milk's all gone.

Kua kī taku puku.
My tummy is full.

Kua pakaru te wini.
The window is broken.

Kua pakaru te matapihi.
The window has been broken.

Kua ngāo taku pene.
My pen is lost.

I mate ia ki te hōhipera i Ākarana.
He died in hospital in Auckland.

Kua kī tō puku?
Is your tummy full?

Kua mutu taku kai.
My meal is finished.

Ka mahue a Puhihuia i te taha o te tangata i a ia rā te patu pounamu.
Puhihuia was left beside the man who had the greenstone weapon.

Kua kī tō puku?
Is your tummy full?

Kua mutu te tangi a te pēpi.
The baby's crying has finished.

Kua māuiui koe.
You are sick. You have become sick.

Kua hū te wai.
The water has boiled.

Kua mutu ngā mahi.
The work is over.

Kua mate te kurī?
Has the dog died?

Kua pau te kai, kei te hoki te tokorua ki ō rāua kāinga.
The food has been consumed, the pair are returning to their homes.

Kua whati tōku waewae.
My leg has been broken.

Kua mahue te kurī.
The dog has been left behind.

Ka mutu te kura.
School has finished.

Kua hinga koe?
Have you fallen down?