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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Ko Ataahua rāua ko Taika.
Ataahua and Taika.

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

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

Ko Hera te mokopuna a Amaru rāua ko Mia.
Hera is the grandchild of Amaru and Mia.

Ko Taika rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Nikau rāua ko Ataahua.
Taika and Aroha are the friends of Nikau and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aria te tamāhine a Tame rāua ko Moana.
Aria is the daughter of Tame and Moana.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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 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.

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

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

Ko Manu rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Niko rāua ko Mia.
Manu and Rina are the grandchildren of Niko and Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Hera.
Hera and me.

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Mia rāua ko Tame.
Mia and Tame are dancing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Tawa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tawa and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

Tawa rāua ko tōna hoa.
Tawa and her friend.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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