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 Taika rāua ko Rangi ō tāua hoa.
Taika and Rangi are our friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Rangi rāua ko Rina ngā hoa o Koa rāua ko Moana.
Rangi and Rina are the friends of Koa and Moana.

Ko Ani rāua ko Mere.
Ani and Mere.

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

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

Ko Ataahua rāua ko Kauri.
Ataahua and Kauri.

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

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

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

Koa rāua ko tōna hoa.
Koa and her friend.

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

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

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

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 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.

Ari rātou ko tōna whanau.
Ari and his family.

Rātou ko ōna hoa.
She and her friends.

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Taika rāua ko Aroha ngā mātua o Hēmi.
Taika and Aroha are the parents of Hēmi.

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

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

Ko Tanya rāua ko Sarah
Tanya and Sarah

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

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

Kei te katakata a Niko rāua ko Manu.
Niko and Manu are laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

Kei te kanikani a Aria rāua ko Pāora.
Aria and Pāora are dancing.

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

Ko Nikau te mokopuna a Amaru rāua ko Kauri.
Nikau is the grandchild of Amaru and Kauri.

He mātua pai a Manu rāua ko Ani.
Manu and Ani are good parents.

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

Māua ko tōku hoa.
My friend and I.

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

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

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

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.

Mātou ko ōku hoa.
My friends and I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Aidan rāua ko Liam
Aidan and Liam

Ko Hana rāua ko Jacob
Harnah and Jacob

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

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

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

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

Kei te hui 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Mātou ko tōku whānau.
Me and my family.

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

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.

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

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

Mātou ko Hata.
Hata and the rest of us.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko Tame rāua ko Mia ngā mokopuna o Rangi rāua ko Ataahua.
Tame and Mia are the grandchildren of Rangi and Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koutou ko tōu whanau.
You and your family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Māua ko Niko.
Niko and me.