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 te haere a Manu rāua ko Niko.
Manu and Niko are going.

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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.

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Koa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Koa and his family.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Niko.
Hēmi and Ani are the parents of Niko.

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

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

Ehara a Manu rāua ko Mia i te mātua.
Manu and Mia are not parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amaru rāua ko tōna hoa.
Amaru and her friend.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Ari rāua ko Manu.
Ari and Manu.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Ko Rangi rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Moana.
Rangi and Aroha are the friends of Ari and Moana.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Pāora rāua ko Kauri.
Tawa and Rina are the grandchildren of Pāora and Kauri.

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

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

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

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.

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

He mātua pai a Nikau rāua ko Ani.
Nikau and Ani are good parents.

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

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

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

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 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 Mia rāua ko Aria ō tāua hoa.
Mia and Aria are our 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 Rāhera rāua ko Tipene ōna hoa.
Her friends are Rāhera and Tīpene.

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

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

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