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.

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.

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 Amaru rāua ko Mia ō tāua hoa.
Amaru and Mia are our friends.

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

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 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.

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hēmi rāua ko tōna hoa.
Hēmi and her friend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Amaru rāua ko Aroha ngā mātua o Rangi.
Amaru and Aroha are the parents of Rangi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ehara a Hēmi rāua ko Ataahua i te mātua.
Hēmi and Ataahua are not parents.

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Kauri ngā mokopuna o Nikau rāua ko Rina.
Tame and Kauri are the grandchildren of Nikau and Rina.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ari rātou ko tōna whanau.
Ari and his family.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

Ko Pita te mokopuna a Koa rāua ko Ani.
Pita is the grandchild of Koa and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

Ko Tawa rāua ko Kauri ngā hoa o Manu rāua ko Rina.
Tawa and Kauri are the friends of Manu and Rina.

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Tame rāua ko Honi.
Tame and Honi are dancing.

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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 Ari rāua ko Ataahua.
Ari and Ataahua.

Māua ko Manu.
Manu and me.

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

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

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

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 Rāwiri rātou ko Tūmanako, ko Rongomai, me tana tāne a Moana, aku mokopuna.
Rāwiri, Tūmanako, Rongomai, and Moana, her husband, are my grandchildren.