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

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

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

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 Moana te tamāhine a Tawa rāua ko Mia.
Moana is the daughter of Tawa and Mia.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi te mokopuna a Manu rāua ko Ataahua.
Hēmi is the grandchild of Manu and Ataahua.

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Aria.
Nikau and Rina are the grandchildren of Rangi and Aria.

Rangi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Rangi and her friend.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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 Amaru rāua ko Moana ngā mātua o Pāora.
Amaru and Moana are the parents of Pāora.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Kei te kanikani a Nikau rāua ko Kauri.
Nikau and Kauri are dancing.

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.

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.

Hēmi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Hēmi and his family.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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.

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

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

He mātua pai a Koa rāua ko Kauri.
Koa and Kauri are good parents.

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Amaru.
Amaru and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Honi rāua ko Aroha.
Honi and Aroha.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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