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

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

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.

Koa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Koa and his family.

Ko Taika rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Amaru rāua ko Kauri.
Taika and Rina are the grandchildren of Amaru and Kauri.

Kei te haere a Hēmi rāua ko Aria.
Hēmi and Aria are going.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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 Ani rāua ko Ataahua ōku tuāhine.
Ani and Ataahua are my sisters.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Manu rāua ko Aria ngā mātua o Rangi.
Manu and Aria are the parents of Rangi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Hēmi rāua ko Moana.
Pāora and Aroha are the friends of Hēmi and Moana.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

Māua ko Koa.
Koa and me.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rātou ko Pāora ko N3 āku tamariki.
Ari, Pāora and N3 are my children.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

Ataahua rāua ko tōna hoa.
Ataahua and her friend.

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

Nō Te Waipounamu, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the South Island, but my family and I are staying here.

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

Ko Manu te mokopuna a Nikau rāua ko Kauri.
Manu is the grandchild of Nikau and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Rangi.
Niko and Rangi.

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

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

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

Ko Mia rāua ko Rangi ō tāua hoa.
Mia and Rangi are our friends.

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Koa rāua ko Aroha.
Koa and Aroha are playing.

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

Ko Ataahua te tamāhine a Tawa rāua ko Aria.
Ataahua is the daughter of Tawa and Aria.

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

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

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

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