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.

▶

Talking about more than one person

rāua ko..., rātou ko... ko...

Niko rātou ko tōna whanau.
Niko and his family.

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ataahua ngā mātua o Tawa.
Nikau and Ataahua are the parents of Tawa.

Ko Manu rāua ko Pita.
Manu and Pita.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Ko Ani te tamāhine a Ari rāua ko Aroha.
Ani is the daughter of Ari and Aroha.

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

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

Niko rāua ko tōna hoa.
Niko and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Moana ngā hoa o Taika rāua ko Rina.
Rangi and Moana are the friends of Taika and Rina.

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

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

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

Māua ko Koa.
Koa and me.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

Ko Amaru rātou ko Manu ko N3 āku tamariki.
Amaru, Manu and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hera te mokopuna a Hēmi rāua ko Kauri.
Hera is the grandchild of Hēmi and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Ataahua.
Tame and Aria are the grandchildren of Koa and Ataahua.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

Nō Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Gisborne, but my family and I are staying here.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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.

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