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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kaua

1. (negative) do not, don't, had better not - for negative commands. Other dialectal forms include aua, kauaka and kauraka.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 67; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 40-41;)

Kaua koe e haere! / Don't you go!

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See also kauaka, kauraka, aua, auaka


2. (negative) should not - used in negation following kia.

Me whakatū he pōti mō te waipiro, kia whakaaetia, kia kaua e whakaaetia ki Te Rohe Pōtae. / A referendum should be held as to whether or not alcohol should be allowed into the King Country.

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Synonyms: kauaka, kia, kauraka, auaka, auraka


3. (negative) must not - sometimes used in negation following me.

Me kaua a Kura-mōnehu e tere te whakaae atu ina tono a Rōra kia moe rāua. / Kura-mōnehu shouldn't be in a hurry to agree when Rōra requests that they wed.

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Synonyms: auaka, auraka


4. (negative) not - used when negating a single phrase, not the whole sentence.

Nō te Rātapu ia i haere ai, kaua i te Rāhoroi. / She went on Sunday, not Saturday.
Ka tū tēnei ki runga i te marae, kaua ki roto i te wharekai (Kāretu 2015). / This was held on the marae, not in the dining hall.

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Synonyms: karekau, kārekau, kāhore, kore, hore, horekau, kāore, kāre, , hore kau

kauā

1. (noun) A large kind of caterpillar.

kaua mā

1. it's not for - there are numerous variations possible with this, e.g. kaua (e tukua) mā ...kaua e (waiho) mā .... This is used particularly for commands and instructions. Kauaka may replace kaua.

Ā taihoa, mā te katoa o te whānau e whakatau, kaua mā Tītaha anake (HKK 1999:107). / Hang on a minute, it's for the whole family to decide, not for Tītaha alone.
Whakahokia mai tā mātou kupu e mea atu nei kia mutu atu tēnei Kōti, kaua e tukua mā te kino e whakamutu, engari, māu, māku e whakamutu i runga i te rangimārietanga (TW 22/6/1878:316). / Let's go back on our suggestion that this Court should end, don't let ill will put an end to it, but it is for you and me to conclude it in peace.

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kia kaua ... e ...

1. (particle) that ... should not ... - used in indirect commands.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 64-65;)

I reira ētahi tāngata e whakahē ana ki tēnei, kia kaua tātou e haere ki Hawai‘i. / There were some people there who objected to this, that we should not go to Hawai‘i.

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See also kia

kaua (rawa) [koe] e noho ka ...

1. don't you ever, don't ever.

Kaua rawa koe e noho ka kanga mai i a au (HKK 1999:111). / Don't you ever swear at me.
Kaua rawa tō tama e noho ka whakatoi i ngā kuia. / Your son should never be cheeky to the elderly women.

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Kaua e horehorea te kiri o taro

1. Somethings are best left alone.

Do not scrape the skin of the taro. /

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Kaua e haere ko tō rae anake

1. When visiting someone or going to an occasion take a koha or contribution of food.

Don't go with just your forehead. /

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Kaua e rangiruatia te hāpai o te hoe e kore te waka e ū ki uta

1. Work in unison to achieve a goal.

Do not lift the paddle out of time the canoe will not make landfall. /

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hai

1. (particle) Replaces e to form a negative imperative with kaua.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 67; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 40-41;)

Kaua hai titiro ki raro rā anō, engari ki ō waewae noa iho i a koe e tāwhai haere atu ana (HP 1991:58). / Don't look at the bottom, but just at your feet as you stride along.

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2. (particle) Replaces e in the future grammatical structure that emphasises the agent of an action. (Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 62.).

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 62;)

Kātahi au ka kī atu ki a rātau, 'Taihoa, māku hai pātai ki a Pine Taiapa.' (HP 1991:70) / Then I said to them, 'Hang on, I will ask Pine Taiapa.'

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e

1. (particle) Used before people's names of one long vowel or two short vowels when addressing them, with terms of address, and with nouns used as terms of address. Also used before koe, kōrua and koutou when they are used as terms of address.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 2;)

E Rangi, kei hea ō mōhiti? / Rangi, where are your glasses.
E hine, tīkina atu he kapu! / Girl, fetch a cup, please!
E te rangatira, he mihi nui ki a koe. / Oh chief, a great greeting to you.
E koutou, e ngā kapa toa o te motu, i hau ai ngā rongo o Te Taura Whiri i a koutou, tēnā rā koutou katoa i roto i ngā mihi mutunga kore (HM 3/1995:1). / You, the champion performing arts teams of the country, you have enhanced the reputation of the Māori Language Commission, so our eternal thanks to you all.

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2. (particle) Used before hia? and when stating numbers of things where the number begins with a word of one vowel or two short vowels.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 5, 16;)

E hia āna tāmure? E rua tekau mā tahi. / How many snapper does she have? Twenty-one.

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3. (particle) Used in commands before verbs of one long vowel or two short vowels.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 26-27, 67, 111;)

E inu, e hoa! / Drink up, mate!

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4. (particle) Used for negative commands after kaua.

Kaua e whakarongo ki a ia. / Don't listen to her.

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5. (particle) will - combines with to indicate future time when emphasising who will do something. The e will precede the verb.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 65; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 41-42;)

Pita tō tātou motokā e horoi. / Peter will clean our car.

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6. (particle) Used with verbs and ana to show action in progress.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 12, 120;)

Kei raro te koroua i te pōhutukawa e moe ana. / The old man is asleep under the pōhutukawa tree.

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7. (particle) Used before the verb with the particles ai, nei, and to show progress in action or a temporary state.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 12, 120;)

Ko wai tērā e tū mai ? / Who is that standing over there?

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8. (particle) will not - used after kāore before verbs in negative sentences when saying something will not be done.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 75-76;)

Kāore ahau e wehi ahakoa ko wai (TAH 8/1954:48). / I'm not afraid of anyone.

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See also kāore ... e


9. (particle) will not - used before kore and the verb in the future negative pattern.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 89-90;)

E kore tēnei wahine rangatira e wareware tata i ngā iwi i manaakitia ki tōna marae whakapaipai (TAH 3/1953:6). / This noble woman will not be forgotten in a hurry by the tribes that were hosted on her beautiful marae.

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See also e kore ... e


10. (particle) if, when.

E whiti koe ki tāwāhi, me hoko mai he hūtu hou mōku. / When you go overseas, buy me a new suit, please.
E kite koe i te nohoanga i ngā ware haere hei hoa kai tahi mō rātau (TTT 1/9/1923:1). / If you see a place where commoners are sitting go and eat with them.

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11. (particle) Used before the verb in 'if not' questions after ki te kore ....

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 67;)

Ki te kore e ua, ka haere tātou. / If it doesn't rain we'll go.

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12. (particle) Used before the verb in negative sentences using kua kore.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 89-90; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 55;)

Paku noa iho te mataratanga atu o te waka i mua i a mātau, kua kore e kitea atu (HP 1991:182). / The distance from the vehicle in front of us was quite small, but it could no longer be seen.

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See also kua kore


13. (particle) will - in classical Māori used by itself in front of a verb without nei, , , ana or ai as a future time indicator.

Tērā pea e tae mai ia. / Perhaps she will arrive.

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14. (particle) Used before the verb in 'why not' questions after he aha ... i kore ai.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 23;)

He aha koe i kore ai e pōti? / Why didn't you vote?

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15. (particle) so that ... will not/would not - used after kia kore.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 31-32;)

I whara te upoko o Tūpaea, ā, whakahaua ana e Hikareia he taua pouturiao hei hari i tana irāmutu ki Tauranga, kia kore ai a Ngāi Te Rangi e mahue ngārahu kore (TTR 1990:373). / Tūpaea was wounded in the head, so Hikareia ordered a guard of warriors to take his nephew to Tauranga so that Ngāi Te Rangi would not be left leaderless.

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See also kia kore ai ... e ...

kauaka

1. (interjection) do not, don't, should not - variation of kaua.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 67; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 40-41;)

Kauaka taua tamaiti e whakaaetia kia tauera i tōna kanohi ki te tauera o te katoa (TTT 1/11/1927:686). / That child should not be allowed to dry his face with the towel used by everybody.

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See also kaua

Synonyms: kaua, kia, kauraka, auaka, auraka

kauraka

1. (negative) do not, don't, should not, had better not - for negative commands. Variation of kaua.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 67; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 40-41;)

Kauraka e pēnā atu mō te maruahiahi ngā mahi e meatia ana mō te ata (KO 15/9/1884:7). / Do not defer till the evening what should be done in the morning (a whakataukī about procrastinating).

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See also kaua

Synonyms: kauaka, kaua, kia, auaka, auraka

aua

1. (negative) do not, don't - shortened form of kaua.

Aua hoki e hiahia ki te wahine a tōu hoa, aua hoki e hiahia ki te whare o tōu hoa, ki tana māra, ki tana pononga tāne, ki tana pononga wahine, ki tana kau, ki tana kāihe, ki tētahi mea rānei a tōu hoa (PT Tiuteronomi 5:21). / Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

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auraka

1. (negative) do not, don't, had better not, should not, must not - variation of kaua.

E kui mā nei, auraka au e hakua (W 1971:22). / Elderly ladies, you should not complain about me.

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See also kaua, kauaka, kauraka

Synonyms: kaua, auaka, kauaka, kia, kauraka

hei

1. (particle) at, in, on, with - sometimes used of future time or place.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 48;)

Hei te ata tāua haere ai. / We will go in the morning.

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See also hai

Synonyms: runga, , ā, i, kei,


2. (particle) Used with kinship terms to show relationships.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 54;)

Hei mokopuna ahau mā rātou. / I am a grandchild to them.

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See also hai


3. (particle) for, to, as, as a means of - denoting future purpose, intention, etc. In this usage hei is followed by active transitive verbs, but is not used with intransitive verbs, verbs in the passive or with statives.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 76;)

Anei te oka hei tapahi i te mīti. / Here is the butcher knife to cut the meat.

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See also hei aha, hai


4. (particle) replaces e to form a negative imperative with kaua.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 67; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 40-41;)

Kaua hei titiro whakararo! / Don't look down!

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5. (particle) replaces e in the future grammatical structure to emphasise the agent of an action.

Ka riro te wai hei whakanoa. / It is the water's job to remove the tapu.

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