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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E hui ana a Rama rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Rama 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 Raureka rāua ko Tūhawaiki ngā mātua.
Raureka and Tāhawaiki are the parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Ko Koa te mokopuna a Tame rāua ko Moana.
Koa is the grandchild of Tame and Moana.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Pāora rātou ko tōna whanau.
Pāora and his family.

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

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

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

He mātua pai a Hēmi rāua ko Kauri.
Hēmi and Kauri are good parents.

Ko Taika rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Ani.
Taika and Aroha are the friends of Ari and Ani.

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Ataahua ngā mokopuna o Amaru rāua ko Rina.
Niko and Ataahua are the grandchildren of Amaru and Rina.

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

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.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Aria rāua ko Pita.
Aria and Pita.

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

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

Māua ko Kauri.
Kauri and me.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

Honi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Honi and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Aroha ngā mātua o Manu.
Koa and Aroha are the parents of Manu.

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

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