kāore
/ˈkaːo.re/
In Māori, the word for "no" is kāore.
kāore is a particle used to show disagreement, negation or to indicate that something does not exist. It can be used as a standalone one-word answer to a yes/no question to mean "No."
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Which one should you use?
kāhore is a variant of kāore used in specific dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form kāhore is used in certain dialects, such as those in Northland or on the East Coast.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a particle, kāore is used to negate a sentence or to indicate the non-existence of something. When you want to negate a continuous action (to say that someone "is not [verb-ing]"), kāore is often followed by the particle i te and a verb.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of kāore is /ˈkaːo.re/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In formal oratory, known as whaikōrero, a speaker might avoid a blunt kāore to maintain social harmony, instead using longer, more indirect phrases to express disagreement.
- Māori is a Polynesian language, and you can find cognates of the negation particles in other Pacific languages, reflecting a shared ancestral root for the concept of 'no'.
- The length of the 'a' sound in the first syllable of kāore is held longer due to the macron, marking it as a distinct phonetic feature.
Examples in context
- "He kaputī anō māu?" "Kāore.""Would you like some more tea?" "No, thanks."This example shows kāore used as a one-word response to a question.Tatoeba #4844459 by iarere91, translation #4271763 by megamanenm
- Kāore i ngā pirihimana he taunakitanga hei whakatūturu i tērā.The police have no evidence to prove that.This example shows how kāore is used to indicate the non-existence of something (evidence).Tatoeba #6186219 by iarere91, translation #6178038 by OsoHombre
- Kāore e taea te haere i te pō.It is not possible to go at night.
Example conversation
Tane asks Kahu if she has finished her work.
- TaneKua oti tō mahi?Is your work finished?
- KahuKāore anō.Not yet.
- TaneHe wā roa ake?Will it take longer?
- KahuAe, ka roa tonu.Yes, it will still be a while.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kāore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
