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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Hera.
Hera and me.

Ko Mia te tamāhine a Hēmi rāua ko Moana.
Mia is the daughter of Hēmi and Moana.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ari rātou ko tōna whanau.
Ari and his family.

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Aria ngā hoa o Tame rāua ko Ataahua.
Taika and Aria are the friends of Tame and Ataahua.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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 Niko rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Kauri.
Niko and Rina are the grandchildren of Koa and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Pāora rāua ko Manu.
Pāora and Manu are playing.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

Rangi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Rangi and her friend.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Kauri.
Rangi and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nō Te Tai Rāwhiti, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the Eastland region, but my family and I are staying here.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

Ehara a Pāora rāua ko Aria i te mātua.
Pāora and Aria are not parents.

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

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

He mātua pai a Rangi rāua ko Ataahua.
Rangi and Ataahua are good parents.

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

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

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.