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.

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

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

Ko Manu rāua ko Hēmi.
Manu and Hēmi.

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.

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Ko Hēmi rāua ko Mia ngā mātua o Tame.
Hēmi and Mia are the parents of Tame.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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.

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Pāora rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pāora and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Ari rāua ko Manu.
Ari and Manu are dancing.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Pita.
Pita and me.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Pāora te mokopuna a Tawa rāua ko Ani.
Pāora is the grandchild of Tawa and Ani.

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

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

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.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

Niko rātou ko tōna whanau.
Niko and his family.

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

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

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

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 Niko rāua ko Ataahua ō tāua hoa.
Niko and Ataahua are our friends.

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

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

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