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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Pita rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pita and her friend.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Māua ko Tawa.
Tawa and me.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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.

Ehara a Rangi rāua ko Moana i te mātua.
Rangi and Moana are not parents.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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.

Ko Niko rāua ko Ani ngā hoa o Tame rāua ko Mia.
Niko and Ani are the friends of Tame and Mia.

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.

Ko Aroha rātou ko Taika ko N3 āku tamariki.
Aroha, Taika and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

Pāora rātou ko tōna whanau.
Pāora and his family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Tawa.
Hēmi and Tawa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Moana.
Amaru and Aria are the grandchildren of Koa and Moana.

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

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

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