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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Māua ko Kauri.
Kauri and me.

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

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

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

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

Ko Aroha te tamāhine a Taika rāua ko Mia.
Aroha is the daughter of Taika and Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Pāora rāua ko tōna hoa.
Pāora and her friend.

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

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

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

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

Ko Ari rāua ko Ataahua ngā hoa o Nikau rāua ko Ani.
Ari and Ataahua are the friends of Nikau and Ani.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Niko te mokopuna a Amaru rāua ko Rina.
Niko is the grandchild of Amaru and Rina.

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

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

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

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

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

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

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

Hēmi rātou ko tōna whanau.
Hēmi and his family.

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

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

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

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.

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

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

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

Ko Aria rāua ko Ataahua ōku tuāhine.
Aria and Ataahua are my sisters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tawa rāua ko Ani ngā mokopuna o Taika rāua ko Moana.
Tawa and Ani are the grandchildren of Taika and Moana.

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

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

Kei te haere a Hēmi rāua ko Koa.
Hēmi and Koa are going.

Ko Nikau rāua ko Honi.
Nikau and Honi.

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