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

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

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

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

Tame rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tame and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Aroha.
Nikau and Aroha.

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 Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Aria ngā mātua o Rangi.
Taika and Aria are the parents of Rangi.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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.

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

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

Ko Kauri rāua ko Mia ōku tuāhine.
Kauri and Mia are my sisters.

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

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

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Niko rāua ko Rina.
Nikau and Aroha are the friends of Niko and Rina.

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Moana ngā mokopuna o Ari rāua ko Ani.
Tawa and Moana are the grandchildren of Ari and Ani.

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

Ko Hone rāua ko Rāhera ōku mātua
Hone and Rāhera 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.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Ko Aria rāua ko Tawa ō tāua hoa.
Aria and Tawa are our friends.

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

Kei te kanikani a Honi rāua ko Hera.
Honi and Hera 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.

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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.

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

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

Kei te haere a Nikau rāua ko Aroha.
Nikau and Aroha are going.

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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?

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Mia rāua ko tōna hoa.
Mia and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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