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.

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora rāua ko Mia ngā hoa o Tawa rāua ko Rina.
Pāora and Mia are the friends of Tawa and Rina.

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

Kei te haere a Koa rāua ko Aria.
Koa and Aria are going.

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Ko Niko rāua ko Ari ō tāua hoa.
Niko and Ari are our friends.

Kei te kanikani a Rangi rāua ko Rangi.
Rangi and Rangi are dancing.

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

Ko Aroha te tamāhine a Ari rāua ko Mia.
Aroha is the daughter of Ari and Mia.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Amaru.
Taika and Amaru.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Manu rāua ko Ani.
Tame and Rina are the grandchildren of Manu and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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.

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

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

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

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 Ataahua te tamaiti kei waenganui i a Tame rāua ko N3.
Ataahua is the child between Tame and N3.

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

E tākaro ana a Pita rāua ko Kauri.
Pita and Kauri are playing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pāora rātou ko tōna whanau.
Pāora and his family.

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

Koa rāua ko tōna hoa.
Koa and her friend.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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