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 Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Kei te haere a Hera rāua ko Pāora.
Hera and Pāora are going.

Taika rātou ko tōna whanau.
Taika and his family.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Ko Nikau rāua ko Ani ngā mokopuna o Hēmi rāua ko Aroha.
Nikau and Ani are the grandchildren of Hēmi and Aroha.

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

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

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

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

Ko Honi rāua ko Nikau kei te haere ki te tāone.
Honi and Nikau are going to town.

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

Aria rāua ko tōna hoa.
Aria and her friend.

He mātua pai a Amaru rāua ko Ataahua.
Amaru and Ataahua are good 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.

Ko Tawa rāua ko Moana ngā mātua o Ari.
Tawa and Moana are the parents of Ari.

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Brian rāua ko Fran ōku mātua.
Brian and Fran are my 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 Kauri rāua ko Mia ōku tuāhine.
Kauri and Mia are my sisters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Aria ngā hoa o Pāora rāua ko Ani.
Rangi and Aria are the friends of Pāora and Ani.

Ko Ari rāua ko Hēmi.
Ari and Hēmi.

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

Ko Aroha te tamāhine a Koa rāua ko Ataahua.
Aroha is the daughter of Koa and Ataahua.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Tawa te mokopuna a Taika rāua ko Moana.
Tawa is the grandchild of Taika and Moana.

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

Māua ko Tame.
Tame and me.

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

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

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

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

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

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