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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Kauri.
Hēmi and Aria are the grandchildren of Koa and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Aria.
Rangi and Aria.

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

Ataahua rāua ko tōna hoa.
Ataahua and her friend.

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Ani ngā hoa o Manu rāua ko Mia.
Ari and Ani are the friends of Manu and Mia.

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Aroha ngā mātua o Rangi.
Pāora and Aroha are the parents of Rangi.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Tawa.
Tawa and me.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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 Moana.
I have met Amaru and his girlfriend, Moana.

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

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

Ko Mere rāua ko Lennon āku tamariki.
Mere and Lennon 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

He mātua pai a Tame rāua ko Rina.
Tame and Rina are good parents.

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

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

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

Ehara a Nikau rāua ko Ani i te mātua.
Nikau and Ani are not parents.

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

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

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

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.