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

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

Ari rāua ko tōna hoa.
Ari and her friend.

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

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

Ko Aroha rāua ko Pita kei te haere ki te tāone.
Aroha and Pita are going to town.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Niko.
Rangi and Niko.

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

Amaru rātou ko tōna whanau.
Amaru and his family.

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

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?

Ko Ari rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Pāora rāua ko Kauri.
Ari and Aria are the grandchildren of Pāora and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Tame.
Tawa and Ani are the parents of Tame.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Taika rāua ko Hera.
Taika and Hera are playing.