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

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

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

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

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

Rangi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Rangi and his family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora te mokopuna a Pāora rāua ko Kauri.
Pāora is the grandchild of Pāora and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Mia kei te haere ki te tāone.
Niko and Mia are going to town.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Aria.
Tame and Aria.

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

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Taika ō tāua hoa.
Amaru and Taika are our friends.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Ehara a Koa rāua ko Mia i te mātua.
Koa and Mia are not parents.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rātou ko Kauri ko N3 āku tamariki.
Nikau, Kauri and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Moana ngā hoa o Amaru rāua ko Rina.
Ari and Moana are the friends of Amaru and Rina.

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

Māua ko Rangi.
Rangi and me.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Kauri te tamāhine a Hēmi rāua ko Aria.
Kauri is the daughter of Hēmi and Aria.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Kei te kura rātou ko Hata ko Pani ko Mere.
They and Hata, Pani and Mere are at the school.

Kei te waiata a Peter, rātou ko Paul ko Mary.
Peter, Paul and Mary are singing.

Ko Niko rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Aroha.
Niko and Mia are the grandchildren of Rangi and Aroha.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

Amaru rāua ko tōna hoa.
Amaru and her friend.

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

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

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 ako a Taika rāua ko Honi i ngā kupu whānau i te reo Māori.
Taika and Honi are learning Māori 'family' words.

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

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