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.

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Talking about more than one person

rāua ko..., rātou ko... ko...

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ehara a Taika rāua ko Aroha i te mātua.
Taika and Aroha are not parents.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

Ko Aria te tamāhine a Pāora rāua ko Ani.
Aria is the daughter of Pāora and Ani.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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

He mātua pai a Ari rāua ko Mia.
Ari and Mia are good parents.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Ataahua rāua ko Honi kei te haere ki te tāone.
Ataahua and Honi are going to town.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aria rāua ko Aroha.
Aria and Aroha.

Ko Niko te mokopuna a Amaru rāua ko Ataahua.
Niko is the grandchild of Amaru and Ataahua.

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

Kei te haere a Mia rāua ko Hera.
Mia and Hera are going.

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Ari rāua ko Koa.
Ari and Koa are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Aria.
Koa and Aroha are the grandchildren of Rangi and Aria.

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

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.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Ani ngā hoa o Manu rāua ko Mia.
Hēmi and Ani are the friends of Manu and Mia.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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.

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

Tame rāua ko tōna hoa.
Tame and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Honi rāua ko Hēmi.
Honi and Hēmi are playing.

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

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

Tame rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tame and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Nikau.
Nikau and me.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.