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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Māua ko Manu.
Manu and me.

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Nikau.
Ari and Nikau.

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.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Ani ngā hoa o Amaru rāua ko Rina.
Ari and Ani are the friends of Amaru and Rina.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Barry rāua ko Lynne ōku mātua.
Barry and Lynne are my 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 te moe a Angie rāua ko Raiha.
Angie and Raiha are sleeping.

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Moana ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Kauri.
Tame and Moana are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Aroha rāua ko Amaru.
Aroha and Amaru are going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Kei te katakata a Honi rāua ko Ari.
Honi and Ari are laughing.

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

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

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.

Kei te kanikani a Nikau rāua ko Kauri.
Nikau and Kauri are dancing.

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

Ehara a Pāora rāua ko Aroha i te mātua.
Pāora and Aroha are not parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua
Brian and Fran 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.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Ko Tawa rātou ko Tame ko N3 āku tamariki.
Tawa, Tame and N3 are my children.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Rangi rāua ko Niko.
Rangi and Niko are playing.

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Tawa.
Koa and Ani are the parents of Tawa.

Hera rāua ko tōna hoa.
Hera and her friend.

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

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

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

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 Mia te tamāhine a Niko rāua ko Moana.
Mia is the daughter of Niko and Moana.

Nikau rātou ko tōna whanau.
Nikau and his family.