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 kanikani a Ataahua rāua ko Hera.
Ataahua and Hera are dancing.

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

Tawa rātou ko tōna whanau.
Tawa and his family.

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Manu rāua ko Aria ngā mokopuna o Koa rāua ko Ani.
Manu and Aria are the grandchildren of Koa and Ani.

Rangi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Rangi and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tawa te mokopuna a Ari rāua ko Aroha.
Tawa is the grandchild of Ari 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.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Mia rāua ko Ataahua ōku tuāhine.
Mia and Ataahua are my sisters.

E tākaro ana a Amaru rāua ko Nikau.
Amaru and Nikau are playing.

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

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

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

Nō Tāmaki-makau-rau, engari kei konei mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana.
From Auckland, but my family and I are staying here.

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

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

Māua ko Taika.
Taika and me.

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

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

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

Kei te katakata a Ari rāua ko Koa.
Ari and Koa are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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 Hera rāua ko Aroha.
Hera and Aroha.

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

Ehara a Pāora rāua ko Aria i te mātua.
Pāora and Aria are not parents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Moana ngā mātua o Taika.
Nikau and Moana are the parents of Taika.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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.