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

I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa.
Me and my friend drove.

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

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

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

Koa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Koa and his family.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi te mokopuna a Tawa rāua ko Aria.
Rangi is the grandchild of Tawa and Aria.

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

Mā mātou koutou e manaaki.
We will take care of you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I roto rāua ko Mere i te whare.
He and Mere were in the house.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Kauri.
Kauri and me.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Raureka rāua ko Tūhawaiki ngā mātua.
Raureka and Tāhawaiki are the parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hera rāua ko Tawa.
Hera and Tawa.

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

Kei te kura rātou ko Hata ko Pani ko Mere.
They and Hata, Pani and Mere are at the school.

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

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

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

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

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.

Niko rāua ko tōna hoa.
Niko and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

Ka kōrero māua ko Mere ki a ia.
Mere and I spoke to him.

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

I āwhinatia rātou e mātou ko aku tēina.
They were helped by me and my younger siblings.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko rātou ko ō rātou hoa ngā mea ngaro.
They and their friends are the missing ones.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Moana ngā mokopuna o Pāora rāua ko Rina.
Amaru and Moana are the grandchildren of Pāora and Rina.

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

Kua mate māua ko taku teina.
My younger sibling and I are sick.

Ko Taika rāua ko Aria ngā hoa o Rangi rāua ko Aroha.
Taika and Aria are the friends of Rangi and Aroha.

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

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 waiata a Peter, rātou ko Paul ko Mary.
Peter, Paul and Mary are singing.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Piripi rāua ko Miriama ōku mātua.
Piripi and Miriama are my parents.

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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