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.

Koa rāua ko tōna hoa.
Koa and her friend.

Ko Tame rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Rangi.
Tame and Ani are the parents of Rangi.

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Hēmi.
Amaru and Hēmi.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Kua tūtaki au ki a Koa rāua ko tana hoa wahine, ko Aroha.
I have met Koa 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 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 Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua
Brian and Fran are my parents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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.

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

Ehara a Hēmi rāua ko Moana i te mātua.
Hēmi and Moana are not parents.

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Ko Manu rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Taika rāua ko Mia.
Manu and Aria are the grandchildren of Taika and Mia.

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

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

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 Ari rāua ko Niko kei te haere ki te tāone.
Ari and Niko are going to town.

Ko Kauri te tamāhine a Pāora rāua ko Ataahua.
Kauri is the daughter of Pāora and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Niko rātou ko tōna whanau.
Niko and his family.

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

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

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

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

Nō Te Waipounamu, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the South Island, but my family and I are staying here.

Māua ko Hēmi.
Hēmi and me.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Moana ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Aria.
Amaru and Moana are the friends of Ari and Aria.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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