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.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

Ko Tame rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Amaru.
Tame and Ani are the parents of Amaru.

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

Ehara a Tawa rāua ko Aroha i te mātua.
Tawa and Aroha are not parents.

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

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

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

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

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.

Ko Tame rāua ko Niko kei te haere ki te tāone.
Tame and Niko are going to town.

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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.

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Hera.
Hera and me.

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Moana ngā hoa o Rangi rāua ko Rina.
Nikau and Moana are the friends of Rangi and Rina.

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

Ko Ataahua te tamāhine a Niko rāua ko Mia.
Ataahua is the daughter of Niko and Mia.

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.

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

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.

He mātua pai a Pāora rāua ko Aria.
Pāora and Aria are good parents.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Barry rāua ko Lynne ōku mātua.
Barry and Lynne 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.

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Kauri ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Moana.
Taika and Kauri are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Moana.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Tawa rāua ko Aria.
Tawa and Aria are laughing.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

Ko Nikau rāua ko Amaru.
Nikau and Amaru.

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

Hēmi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Hēmi and her friend.

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora te mokopuna a Ari rāua ko Rina.
Pāora is the grandchild of Ari and Rina.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Taika ki te hokomaha tiki ai.
Taika and I are going to the supermarket to shop.

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

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

Tame rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tame and his family.

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