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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Ani ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Kauri.
Tame and Ani are the friends of Ari and Kauri.

Ko Manu rāua ko Rina ngā mātua o Nikau.
Manu and Rina are the parents of Nikau.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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 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 Aroha rāua ko Kauri ō tāua hoa.
Aroha and Kauri are our friends.

Honi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Honi and her friend.

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 ōku tungāne.
Rāwiri and Tūmanako are my brothers.

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 katakata a Tawa rāua ko Amaru.
Tawa and Amaru are laughing.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

Māua ko Ari.
Ari and me.

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Tawa rāua ko Aria.
Niko and Aroha are the grandchildren of Tawa and Aria.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Kei te haere a Koa rāua ko Mia.
Koa and Mia are going.

Ehara a Amaru rāua ko Ataahua i te mātua.
Amaru and Ataahua are not parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Manu.
Hēmi and Manu.

Kei te kanikani a Rangi rāua ko Taika.
Rangi and Taika are dancing.

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Rina te tamāhine a Pāora rāua ko Aroha.
Rina is the daughter of Pāora and Aroha.