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.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Amaru rāua ko Hēmi.
Amaru and Hēmi are dancing.

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

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.

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

Rangi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Rangi and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Amaru rāua ko Rina.
Hēmi and Aroha are the grandchildren of Amaru and Rina.

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Kauri ngā mātua o Manu.
Tawa and Kauri are the parents of Manu.

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

Ko Aroha rāua ko Tame kei te haere ki te tāone.
Aroha and Tame are going to town.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Mia ngā hoa o Koa rāua ko Moana.
Tame and Mia are the friends of Koa and Moana.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hera rātou ko Kauri ko N3 āku tamariki.
Hera, Kauri and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

Ko Koa te mokopuna a Ari rāua ko Ani.
Koa is the grandchild of Ari and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Hēmi.
Amaru and Hēmi.

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

Māua ko Ataahua.
Ataahua and me.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Tawa rāua ko Rangi.
Tawa and Rangi are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rangi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Rangi and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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