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.

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Kauri.
Kauri and me.

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Rina ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Mia.
Niko and Rina are the friends of Ari and Mia.

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

Ko Pita rāua ko Rangi.
Pita and Rangi.

Nō Te Tai Rāwhiti, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the Eastland region, but my family and I are staying here.

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

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

Niko rāua ko tōna hoa.
Niko and her friend.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ataahua ngā mātua o Amaru.
Nikau and Ataahua are the parents of Amaru.

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.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

Ko Manu rāua ko Ani ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Aria.
Manu and Ani are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Aria.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Kei te katakata a Hera rāua ko Kauri.
Hera and Kauri are laughing.

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

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

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

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

Tawa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tawa and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

Ko Taika te mokopuna a Tame rāua ko Mia.
Taika is the grandchild of Tame and Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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.

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

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

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

Ko Aroha te tamāhine a Koa rāua ko Moana.
Aroha is the daughter of Koa and Moana.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Manu rāua ko Rangi.
Manu and Rangi are going.