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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tākaro ana a Manu rāua ko Niko.
Manu and Niko are playing.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Amaru rāua ko tōna hoa.
Amaru and her friend.

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ataahua ō tāua hoa.
Nikau and Ataahua are our friends.

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

Ko Tawa rātou ko Rangi ko N3 āku tamariki.
Tawa, Rangi and N3 are my children.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

Amaru rātou ko tōna whanau.
Amaru and his family.

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Rina ngā mātua o Hēmi.
Ari and Rina are the parents of Hēmi.

Kei te kanikani a Aroha rāua ko Taika.
Aroha and Taika are dancing.

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Hera.
Rangi and Hera.

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 Ani rāua ko Aria ōku tuāhine.
Ani and Aria are my sisters.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

Ko Manu rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Aroha.
Manu and Mia are the grandchildren of Koa and Aroha.

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Mia rāua ko Amaru.
Mia and Amaru are laughing.

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

He mātua pai a Niko rāua ko Ataahua.
Niko and Ataahua are good parents.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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 Raureka rāua ko Te Naera.
Raureka and Te Naera are going.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Rangi rāua ko Mia.
Tame and Kauri are the friends of Rangi and Mia.

Ko Taika te mokopuna a Amaru rāua ko Aroha.
Taika is the grandchild of Amaru and Aroha.

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