Māori Grammar

Negations of the present tense (I am not working) - Kāore... i te...

To say "I am walking" in te reo we would use the present tense kei te:

Kei te hīkoi ahau.
I am walking.

To say that we are not walking we would use kāore... i te...

Kāore au i te hīkoi.
I am not walking.

Note that the verb hīkoi ("walk") and the pronoun au ("I") have swapped places. This because in a normal sentence using kei te, the action comes first (kei te oma), but in a negation of that sentence, the person we are talking (the subject of the sentence) about comes first (kāore au).

See how the verb and the subject swap places:

Kei te waiata ia.
She is singing.

Kāore ia i te waiata.
She is not singing.

Kei te oma ngā tamariki.
The children are running.

Kāore ngā tamariki i te oma.
The children are not running.

▶

We are arguing. No we're not!

Negative kei te

Kāore au i te mōhio he aha he waiata māku.
I don't know what to sing.

Kāore au i te hiamoe.
I am not sleepy.

Kāore a Rangi i te mahi i te whare.
Rangi is not working at home.

Kāore koe i te horoi i ngā rīhi.
You are not washing the dishes.

Kāore au i te tākaro i tērā kēmu.
I'm not playing that game.

Kāore au i te mōhio he aha he kai māku.
I don't know what to eat.

Kāore koe i te mahi.
You are not at work.

Kāore ngā toa i te kaha.
The warriors are not strong.

Kāore koe i te āmaimai?
Are you not nervous?

Kāore i te tino pai.
I am not very well.

Kāore koe i te matekai?
Are you not hungry?

Kāore rātou i te oma ki te kura.
They are not running to school.

Kāore rātou i te pōuri?
Are they not sad?

Kāore ia i te kai mīti.
He doesn't eat meat.

Kāore au e rata ki te kai a te ngeru, he haunga.
I don't like cat food, it stinks.

Kāore au i te mārama.
I don't understand.

Kāore rātou i te hīkoi i nanahi.
They weren't walking yesterday.

Kāore au e pai ki te takurua, he makariri rawa.
I don't like winter, it's too cold.

Kāore au i te hiakai.
I am not hungry.

Kāore ngā kaiako i te riri?
Are the teachers not angry?

Kāore ngā kurī i te hiamoe.
The dogs are not sleepy.

Kāore ngā pakeke i te kai i te kānga pirau.
The elderly are not eating the rotten corn.

Kāore i te pai.
I'm not good.

Kāore au i te kauhoe.
I am not swimming.

Kāore au i te pai ki tēnā mahi.
I don't like it when you do that.

Kāore ngā wāhine i te kōrero.
The women are not talking.

Kāore au i te pīrangi ki tētehi kai pērā i tēnei ata.
I do not want any food like that this morning.

Kāore a Rua i te pānui i te pukapuka.
Rua isn't reading the book.

Kāore koe i te māuiui?
Are you not sick?

Kāore koe i te ngenge?
Are you not tired?

Kāore au i te mōhio he aha he whakaaro māku.
I don't know what to think.

Kāore koutou i te harikoa?
Are you not happy?

Kāore au i te mōhio he aha he pātai māku.
I don't know what to ask.

Kāore te kaimahi i te ngenge.
The worker is not tired.

Kāore au i te mōhio.
I don't know.

Kāore ia i kite i te toka.
He did not see the rock.

Kāore i te wera.
It isn't hot.

Kāore a Ari i te haere mai?
Isn't Ari coming?

Kāore ia i te tuhituhi i te reta.
She is not writing the letter.

Kāore a Hine i te harikoa.
Hine is not happy.

Kāore i te ua.
It is not raining.

Kāore a Kauri i te hīkoi ki te kura.
Kauri isn't walking to school.

Kāore i te waitara.
It's not hailing.

Kāore i runga i te tēpu te pene.
The pen is not on the table.

Kāore tā mātou ngeru i te tatari ki tāna kai.
Our cat is not waiting for his food.

Kāore ngā tamariki i te pukuriri.
The children are not grumpy.

Kāore au i te kōrero ki a koe.
I am not talking to you.

Kāore ia i te makariri?
Is he/she not cold?

Kāore au i te taraiwa, ka haere mā runga i te waka rererangi.
I'm not driving, I'm going by plane.

Ā, kāore au i te mōhio.
Um, I don't know.

Kāore au i te kai i ngā ata.
I don't eat in the mornings.

Kāore rātou i te haere.
They are not going.

Kāore au i te kai i te miraka tepe.
I don't eat yoghurt.

Kāore te hau i te pupuhi.
The wind is not blowing.

Kāore ia i te whakarongo.
He is not listening.

Ngā whakapāha, kāore au i te mārama ki tō kōrero.
My aplogies, I don't understand what you are saying.

Kāore ngā tamariki i te moe.
The children are not sleeping.

Kāore ngā tamariki i te hiamoe?
Are the children not sleepy?

Kāore au i te haere ki te mahi.
I am not going to work.

Kāore te kapa haka i te waiata.
The haka group is not singing.

Kāore au i te pai ki tēnei pāhotanga. Whakawhiti ki tētahi atu.
I don't like this programme. Change over to a different one.

Kāore a Pita i te matekai.
Pita is not hungry.

Kāo, kāore au i te tino mārama.
No, I don't quite understand.

Kāore a Pita i te tākaro i te papa tākaro.
Pita is not playing at the playground.

Kāore tōku pāpā i te hoko i tētahi rorohiko.
My father isn't buying the computer.

Kāore a Manu i te haere mai.
Manu is not coming.

Kāore ia i te tuhituhi i te reta.
He is not writing the letter.

Kāore ia i te pīrangi ki tērā waka.
She does not want that car.

Kāore te pene i runga i te tēpu.
The pen is not on the table.

Kāore ngā wāhine i te pōuri.
The women are not sad.

Kāore koe i te mōhio.
You do not know.

Kāore au i te haere.
I am not going.

Kāore a Hōne i te kai i te āporo.
Hōne is not eating the apple.

Kāore au i te pānui i te pukapuka.
I am not reading the book.

Kāore ia e āhei ki te haere.
She will not be able to go.

Kāore ia i te hīkoi.
She is not walking.

Kāore a Rangi i te tū.
Rangi is not standing.

Kāore au e haere i te hekenga o te ua.
I won't go because of the falling rain.

Kāore i te pai au.
I'm not good.

He māia ia. Kāore ia i te mataku.
She is brave. She isn't scared.

Kāore koe i te mōhio ki taku pātai?
You don't know my question?

Kāore ngā pirihimana i te riri.
The policemen are not angry.