Māori Grammar

Talking about more than one person - ...rāua ko..., rātou 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.

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Talking about more than one person

rāua ko..., rātou ko... ko...

Ehara a Niko rāua ko Rina i te mātua.
Niko and Rina are not parents.

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Manu rātou ko tōna whanau.
Manu and his family.

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

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.

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

Ko Tīwana rāua ko Riripeti aku irāmutu.
Tīwana and Riripeti 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 waiata a Peter, rātou ko Paul ko Mary.
Peter, Paul and Mary are singing.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Niko rātou ko Koa ko N3 āku tamariki.
Niko, Koa and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Jacob rāua ko Hana āku tamariki.
Harnah and Jacob 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.

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Nikau rāua ko Kauri.
Tame and Mia are the grandchildren of Nikau and Kauri.

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Amaru.
Tawa and Amaru.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Aroha ngā mātua o Ari.
Pāora and Aroha are the parents of Ari.

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

Ko Nikau te mokopuna a Koa rāua ko Ataahua.
Nikau is the grandchild of Koa and Ataahua.

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 Hēmi rāua ko Aria.
The children of Hēmi and Aria were born much later.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Aroha rāua ko Pāora.
Aroha and Pāora are dancing.

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

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

Ko Rina te tamāhine a Taika rāua ko Moana.
Rina is the daughter of Taika and Moana.

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

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

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

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

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

Koa rāua ko tōna hoa.
Koa and her friend.

Ko Rangi rāua ko Mia ngā hoa o Niko rāua ko Kauri.
Rangi and Mia are the friends of Niko and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Ari.
Ari and me.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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