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.

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

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

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

He mātua pai a Tame rāua ko Aroha.
Tame and Aroha are good parents.

Ko Taika rāua ko Hēmi.
Taika and Hēmi.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

Nō Tāmaki-makau-rau, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Auckland, but my family and I are staying here.

Ko Koa te mokopuna a Taika rāua ko Ataahua.
Koa is the grandchild of Taika and Ataahua.

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Aria ngā mātua o Niko.
Koa and Aria are the parents of Niko.

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Pita rāua ko Honi.
Pita and Honi are dancing.

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

Ko Mia te tamāhine a Ari rāua ko Moana.
Mia is the daughter of Ari and Moana.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Rangi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Rangi and his family.

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

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.

Ehara a Tawa rāua ko Rina i te mātua.
Tawa and Rina are not parents.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Māua ko Ataahua.
Ataahua and me.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

Ari rāua ko tōna hoa.
Ari and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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 i te waru karaka.
Me and my friend drove to uni at 8 o'clock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Ataahua.
Nikau and Aroha are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Ataahua.

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Aria rāua ko Ani ōku tuāhine.
Aria and Ani are my sisters.

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

Ko Honi rātou ko Rangi ko N3 āku tamariki.
Honi, Rangi and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Niko rāua ko Ataahua.
Niko and Ataahua are going.

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.