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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Pāora.
Rangi and Pāora.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ko Hera rāua ko Kauri kei te haere ki te tāone.
Hera and Kauri are going to town.

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

Ko Niko rāua ko Ani ngā mātua o Manu.
Niko and Ani are the parents of Manu.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 kanikani a Ari rāua ko Taika.
Ari and Taika are dancing.

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

Ehara a Koa rāua ko Rina i te mātua.
Koa and Rina are not parents.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Moana ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Mia.
Tame and Moana are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Mia.

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

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

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

Kei te haere a Niko rāua ko Pita.
Niko and Pita are going.

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Māua ko Tawa.
Tawa and me.

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Aroha ngā hoa o Ari rāua ko Kauri.
Nikau and Aroha are the friends of Ari and Kauri.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Amaru rātou ko tōna whanau.
Amaru and his family.

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.

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

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

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

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

Amaru rāua ko tōna hoa.
Amaru and her friend.

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 hiahia a Aria rāua ko Tame ki te tūtaki i a rāua anō.
Aria and Tame wanted to meet each other.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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.

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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