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.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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.

He mātua pai a Nikau rāua ko Rina.
Nikau and Rina are good parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

Māua ko Ataahua.
Ataahua and me.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Mia ngā hoa o Amaru rāua ko Aroha.
Tame and Mia are the friends of Amaru and Aroha.

Tawa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tawa and his family.

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Kauri.
Rangi and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Koa kei te haere ki te tāone.
Hēmi and Koa are going to town.

Ko Amaru te mokopuna a Ari rāua ko Kauri.
Amaru is the grandchild of Ari and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Tawa rāua ko Tame.
Tawa and Tame are dancing.

Ko Ani te tamāhine a Hēmi rāua ko Ataahua.
Ani is the daughter of Hēmi and Ataahua.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

Pita rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pita and her friend.

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

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

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

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Rina ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Moana.
Taika and Rina are the grandchildren of Rangi and Moana.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Koa rāua ko Aria ngā mātua o Nikau.
Koa and Aria are the parents of Nikau.