kāore he raru
The English phrase "no worries" can be translated into Māori as kāore he raru.
You use this expression to indicate that something does not bother you.
Meaning: it does not bother me (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into kāore (there is not), he (a/some) and raru (problem/trouble/difficulty).
Which one should you use?
While kāore he raru means it does not bother you, you may also use Kāore he take to mean "no problem" or "no issue" and Kei te pai to mean "all good" or "that's cool".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word raru functions as a noun meaning problem or trouble, and the phrase follows a standard negative existential structure.
Did you know?
- The word raru can also describe a state of being stuck or entangled, which adds a physical layer of meaning to the idea of 'trouble'.
- The word he in the phrase is a cognate of the Hawaiian word he, showing a deep linguistic connection between these Polynesian languages.
- In some contexts, raru can describe a person who is in trouble or a 'troublemaker', moving the phrase from a state of being to a description of a person.
Example conversation
Anahera apologizes to Rawiri for being a few minutes late.
- RawiriKua ara au, Rawiri. He raru tŁu.I'm here, Rawiri. I have a problem.
- AnaheraKāore he raru.No worries.
- RawiriTēnā koe māu.Thank you for that.
- AnaheraKāore he raru, Anahera.No worries, Anahera.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries he, CC BY-SA 4.0.
