Māori Grammar

▶

Negations of identity sentences

ehara...

Identity sentences start with ko.

The basic structure is:

Ko + [Thing being identified] + [Identifying information]

For example:

Ko Rangi tōku ingoa.
My name is Rangi

These sentences are negated with ehara (not kāore):

Ehara tōku ingoa i a Rangi.
My name is not Rangi.

Note that the order of the parts of the sentence are reversed.

Categorising sentences that start with he are also negated by ehara and so the precise meaning is determined by context.

He ngeru tērā.
That is a cat.

Ko ngeru tērā.
That is the cat.

Ehara tērā i te ngeru.
That is not a cat.
That is not the cat.

Ehara a Amaru i te matua.
Amaru is not a parent.

Ehara tērā wahine i te kaiako.
That woman isn't a teacher.

Ehara te ākonga i te māngai.
The student is not a representative.

Ehara tēnā i te whakaaro pai e tama.
That's not a good idea guys.

Ehara i a Nikau ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Nikau didn't pick these flowers.

Ehara tēnā pereti i te wera.
That plate is not hot.

Ehara a Mia i te pirihimana.
Mia is not a policeman.

Ehara āu i ēnā.
Those ones are not yours.

Ehara i a au te karakia i taki.
I was not the one who recited the prayer.

Ehara te kaiako i te kaikōrero.
The teacher is not a speaker.

Ehara ia i te hamo pango.
She's not a coward.

Ehara māu te kai nei.
This food isn't for you.

Ehara tēnei i te ara kino.
This is not a bad road.

Ehara tāu i tēnā.
That one is not yours.

Ehara koe i te āwhina.
You are not a helper.

Ehara tēnei i te mahi uaua.
This is not a difficult task.

Ehara te tāne i te kaihanga.
The man is not a builder.

Ehara koe i te tangata poto.
You aren't a short person.

Ehara tō hoa i te tangata anuhea.
Your friend isn't an ugly person.

Ēhara i a Ponga te hē nei.
The fault is not Ponga's.

Ehara i te miti kau te hapa pai ki a au.
It's not meat that I like for dinner.

Ehara i te mīti kau (te hapa pai ki a au).
It's not meat (the dinner that I like).

Ehara ngā tēina i te tohunga whakairo.
The younger ones are not master carvers.

Ehara ia i te tangata atawhai.
He is not a kind person.

Ehara a Rangi i te tangata pakari.
Rangi is not a mature person.

Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.

Ehara a Tawa i te kaiako.
Tawa isn't a teacher.

Ehara a Mere i te kaiako nui.
Mere is not an important teacher.

Ehara tērā i te Pirimia.
That's not the Prime Minister.

Ehara au i te ākonga.
I am not a student.

Ehara tēnei i te hokomaha.
This is not a supermarket.

Ehara ōna waka i a Aotea, i a Tākitimu, i a Mataaua.
Aotea, Tākitimu and Mataaua are not his canoes.

Ehara rāua i te kaiwhakaako.
They are not teachers.

Ehara koe i te tangata mākoko.
You're not a lazy person.

Ehara mō Māui taku kōrero.
My talk is not about Māui.

Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara.
That tree is not a tōtara.

Ehara tōku whaea i te kuia.
My mother is not an elder.

Ehara koe i te hoa pai.
You are not a good friend.

Ehara ērā i ngā mea tawhito.
Those are not the old ones.

Ehara ia i te wahine atamai.
She is not a clever woman.

Ehara tēnei mahi i te mahi ngāwari.
This work isn't easy work.

Ehara tērā i te mea tawhito.
That is not the old one.

Ehara tēnei i te motokā.
This is not a car.

Ehara te manu pango i te manu māori.
The blackbird is not a native bird.

Ehara ērā i te ngeru.
Those are not cats.

Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara, he rimu kē.
That is not a tōtara, it's actually a rimu.

Ehara tōku pāpā i te rangatira.
My father is not a leader.

Ehara te teina i te tohunga whakairo.
The younger one is not a master carver.

Ehara ia i te tangata.
Ehara is not a man.

Ehara ia i te kaiako.
He is not a teacher.

Ehara au i te kaiako.
I am not a teacher.

Ehara a Taika rāua ko Rina i te mātua.
Taika and Rina are not parents.

Ehara koe i te kaikōrero.
You are not a speaker.

Ehara ia i te nēhi.
She is not a nurse.

Ehara tērā i a Kauri, ko Ataahua kē.
That person is not Kauri, it is Ataahua.

Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.

Ehara tēnei i te papa tākaro.
This is not a playground.

Ehara ia i te kaitākaro whutupōro.
She is not a rugby player.

Ehara ia i te tamaiti kaha.
He is not a strong child.

Ehara a Niko i te kaitaraiwa pahi.
Niko is not a bus driver.

Ehara tērā tāne i te rangatira.
That man is not the boss.

Ehara rāua i te ākonga.
They aren't students.

Ehara ngā tamariki i te kaitākaro.
The children are not athletes.

Ehara a Aria i te tangata mahi kai.
Aria isn't a hunter-gatherer-grower of food.

Ehara ēnei i te ara kikino.
These are not bad roads.

Ehara ia i te pēpi.
He isn't a baby.

Ehara koe i te tangata mohio.
You are not a knowledgeable person.

Ehara tērā i a Hēmi.
That is not Hēmi.

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

Ehara tērā i te kārearea, he kāhu kē.
That is not a falcon, it is actually a hawk.