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...

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Ko Pita rātou ko Hēmi ko N3 āku tamariki.
Pita, Hēmi and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

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.

Koa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Koa and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Ari rāua ko Hera.
Ari and Hera are playing.

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

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 Manu rāua ko Mia.
The children of Manu and Mia were born much later.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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.

Nikau rāua ko tōna hoa.
Nikau and her friend.

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

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

Ko Aria te tamāhine a Taika rāua ko Ani.
Aria is the daughter of Taika and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Kei te kanikani a Tame rāua ko Pāora.
Tame and Pāora are dancing.

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Ko Rangi rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Tame rāua ko Moana.
Rangi and Kauri are the friends of Tame and Moana.

Māua ko Honi.
Honi and me.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Kei roto a Pita rāua ko Hēmi i tō rāua whare.
Pita and Hēmi 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.

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

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

Ko Amaru te mokopuna a Ari rāua ko Mia.
Amaru is the grandchild of Ari and Mia.

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Hera.
Ari and Hera.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Ataahua ngā mokopuna o Pāora rāua ko Aria.
Hēmi and Ataahua are the grandchildren of Pāora and Aria.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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