Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 3
Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

A passive sentence is one which describes something being done something, such as "the boy was hit" or "the song was sung". In te reo Māori this is indicated by a passive ending on the verb:

Kei te aroha te whaea ki te tamaiti.
The mother loves the child. (active)

Kei te arohaina te tamaiti e tōna whaea.
The child is loved by his mother. (passive)

To negate a passive sentence, we begin with kāore.

 

Kāore ia i te kimihia e ōna hoa.
His friends aren't looking for him.

Kāore tēnei e tukua kia haere e ia.
She won't let this one go.

Kāore anō kia kitea te kōtiro iti.
The little girl has not yet been found.

Kāore a Aroha i te whāia e rātou.
Aroha is not being chased by them.

Kāore anō kia kitea e ia tāna tamāhine.
He has not yet found his daughter.

Kāore anō aua nanakia kia whiua.
Those rascals have not yet been punished.

Kāore anō kia kitea te kōtiro a ngā kaikimi.
The girl has not yet ben found by the searchers.

Kāore a Niko i te whāia.
Niko is not being chased.

Kāore rāua i whāia e Pita.
They were not chased by Pita.