Using kore

E kore ētahi tāngata e hoki mai ki konei
Some more uses of kore

Kore is a stative verb which is sometimes used with nouns to indicate the absence or lack of that thing. A hyphen is often used to link kore to its noun, but sometimes they may be written as one word e.g. rawakore (lacking property/wealth).

Hei tauira:

I tō rāua kore mōhio, ka torutoru noa iho ngā tuna i mau i a rāua.
Because of their lack of expertise they caught only a few eels.

Kātahi te tamaiti roro-kore ko koe!
What a brainless child you are!

Tino koretake koe!
You’re absolutely useless!

Note that kore may both precede and follow the word with which it is associated. However, when kore is part of a descriptive phrase, it comes in front of the noun.

Hei tauira:

He wāhi kore kai a Waiouru.
Waiouru is a place lacking food.

Kore may be used as a verb to express the loss, absence, destruction, or departure of something.

Hei tauira:

Kua kore te ika o tērā wai.
There are no longer any fish in that stream.

Kua kore noa atu.
They disappeared a long time ago.

Kore is also commonly used for future negatives. Kua may precede kore in which case the weakest possible future negative is intended. This combination may also be used to indicate a past negative.

Hei tauira:

Kua kore au e haere.
I won’t be going. (Implies a possible change of mind)

Kua kore haere ia e whakahīhī.
He was becoming less conceited.

However, kore is more often coupled with e.

Hei tauira:

E kore koe e wareware i a au.
I will never forget you.

E kore tō tātou tēneti e hinga.
Our tent won’t fall down.

This is a stronger future negative than kāore…e. An even stronger negative is created my omitting the first e of the pattern.

Hei tauira:

Kore au e haere.
I most certainly will not go.

The addition of rawa increases the intensity even further. Using korekore together with rawa creates the strongest future negative of all.

Hei tauira:

Kore rawa tēnei haerenga whakamīharo e wareware i ngā tamariki.
The children will never ever forget this marvelous trip.

Korekore rawa rātou e whakaae ki tēnā tono.
There’s absolutely no chance of them ever agreeing to that request.

For further explanations and examples see Te Pihinga pp.89-90

Whakarongo ki ngā kōrero Māori e whai ake nei, ā, whiriwhirihia te rerenga kōrero e tika ana hei whakapākehā i aua kōrero Māori.

Listen to the sentences in Māori and then choose the correct English translation.

NOTE: For all exercises make sure you use commas, question marks, and fullstops where appropriate. You will also need to use macrons (ā,ē,ī,ō, and ū) when necessary, such as in kōrua or tēnā.