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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Mia ngā mātua o Pāora.
Nikau and Mia are the parents of Pāora.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Ko Kauri rāua ko Niko ō tāua hoa.
Kauri and Niko are our friends.

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

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 kanikani a Ari rāua ko Hēmi.
Ari and Hēmi are dancing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nō Te Whanganui-a-Tara, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Wellington, but my family and I are staying here.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Ko Rangi te mokopuna a Manu rāua ko Rina.
Rangi is the grandchild of Manu and Rina.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Ko Manu rātou ko Honi ko N3 āku tamariki.
Manu, Honi and N3 are my children.

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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 Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Kei te katakata a Taika rāua ko Koa.
Taika and Koa are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

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

Māua ko Pita.
Pita and me.

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

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

Kauri rāua ko tōna hoa.
Kauri and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aroha te tamāhine a Hēmi rāua ko Ani.
Aroha is the daughter of Hēmi and Ani.

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Ari rāua ko Moana.
Tawa and Aria are the grandchildren of Ari and Moana.

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Niko rāua ko Ari.
Niko and Ari are going.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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 Hēmi rāua ko Aroha.
Hēmi and Aroha.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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