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.

Māua ko Niko.
Niko and me.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Hera.
Hēmi and Hera.

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

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

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

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).

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

Koa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Koa and his family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Rangi ō tāua hoa.
Ari and Rangi 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.

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Aroha ngā mātua o Niko.
Amaru and Aroha are the parents of Niko.

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Aroha rātou ko Manu ko N3 āku tamariki.
Aroha, Manu and N3 are my children.

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

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

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

Ko Amaru te mokopuna a Pāora rāua ko Moana.
Amaru is the grandchild of Pāora and Moana.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Ko Aria te tamāhine a Taika rāua ko Ataahua.
Aria is the daughter of Taika and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

Pita rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pita and her friend.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Kei te kanikani a Hera rāua ko Koa.
Hera and Koa are dancing.

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Ani.
Ari and Rina are the grandchildren of Rangi and Ani.

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

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

Kei te katakata a Taika rāua ko Ari.
Taika and Ari are laughing.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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.

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

Nō Te Tai Hauāuru, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From the Westland region, but my family and I are staying here.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Mia ngā hoa o Koa rāua ko Kauri.
Tawa and Mia are the friends of Koa and Kauri.

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

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