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 Honi rāua ko Rangi i tō rāua whare.
Honi and Rangi are inside their (2x) house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He mātua pai a Amaru rāua ko Moana.
Amaru and Moana are good parents.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Ko Rina te tamāhine a Rangi rāua ko Ani.
Rina is the daughter of Rangi and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 katakata a Taika rāua ko Ataahua.
Taika and Ataahua are laughing.

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.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Nikau rāua ko Moana.
Koa and Aroha are the grandchildren of Nikau and Moana.

Kei te kanikani a Niko rāua ko Koa.
Niko and Koa are dancing.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Rina ngā mātua o Hēmi.
Pāora and Rina are the parents of Hēmi.

Niko rātou ko tōna whanau.
Niko and his family.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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.

Kei te haere a Amaru rāua ko Manu.
Amaru and Manu are going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Kauri.
Nikau and 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.

Pita rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pita and her friend.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

Māua ko Taika.
Taika and me.

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

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 Ari rāua ko Aria ngā hoa o Amaru rāua ko Ataahua.
Ari and Aria are the friends of Amaru and Ataahua.

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

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