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 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.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tame rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tame and his family.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aria rāua ko Pāora.
Aria and Pāora.

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

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 mātua o Koa.
Ari and Ani are the parents of Koa.

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

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

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 te haere a Nikau rāua ko Mia.
Nikau and Mia are going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

Honi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Honi and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hera te mokopuna a Pāora rāua ko Ataahua.
Hera is the grandchild of Pāora and Ataahua.

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

Māua ko Koa.
Koa and me.

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Hēmi rāua ko Tawa.
Hēmi and Tawa are playing.

Ko Niko rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Taika rāua ko Aria.
Niko and Kauri are the friends of Taika and Aria.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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.

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Aroha ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Mia.
Amaru and Aroha are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rina te tamāhine a Tame rāua ko Moana.
Rina is the daughter of Tame and Moana.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Kei te katakata a Nikau rāua ko Mia.
Nikau and Mia are laughing.

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