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...

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

Ko Rina te tamāhine a Rangi rāua ko Kauri.
Rina is the daughter of Rangi and Kauri.

Ko Nikau rāua ko Honi.
Nikau and Honi.

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Taika te mokopuna a Amaru rāua ko Ani.
Taika is the grandchild of Amaru and Ani.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Niko rāua ko Manu.
Niko and Manu are dancing.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Māua ko Rangi.
Rangi and me.

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 Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Ari ō tāua hoa.
Tame and Ari are our friends.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Rina ngā mātua o Nikau.
Hēmi and Rina are the parents of 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.

E tākaro ana a Nikau rāua ko Honi.
Nikau and Honi are playing.

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Ani.
Niko and Kauri are the friends of Ari and Ani.

Kei te haere a Taika rāua ko Tawa.
Taika and Tawa are going.

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Ataahua.
Tame and Aroha are the grandchildren of Koa and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niko rāua ko tōna hoa.
Niko and her friend.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Rangi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Rangi and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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