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...

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

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Aria rāua ko Tawa.
Aria and Tawa are laughing.

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

Pāora rātou ko tōna whanau.
Pāora and his family.

Ko Pita rāua ko Kauri kei te haere ki te tāone.
Pita and Kauri are going to town.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Ko Nikau rāua ko Hēmi.
Nikau and Hēmi.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Kauri te tamāhine a Rangi rāua ko Rina.
Kauri is the daughter of Rangi and Rina.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koa rāua ko tōna hoa.
Koa and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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 Niko rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Nikau.
Niko and Ani are the parents of Nikau.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rātou ko Mia ko N3 āku tamariki.
Amaru, Mia and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Aria ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Mia.
Hēmi and Aria are the friends of Ari and Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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 Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Māua ko Ataahua.
Ataahua and me.

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

E tākaro ana a Tame rāua ko Taika.
Tame and Taika are playing.

Ko Niko te mokopuna a Koa rāua ko Moana.
Niko is the grandchild of Koa and Moana.

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 hiahia a Rangi rāua ko Ari ki te tūtaki i a rāua anō.
Rangi and Ari wanted to meet each other.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Tame rāua ko Ani.
Taika and Rina are the grandchildren of Tame and Ani.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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