kāore e taea
An Action That Is Not Possible
Kāore e taea e + actor + affected phrase + te + action base.
How It Works
Kāore e taea denies ability or possibility. Retain the actor introduced by e, the affected phrase without active object i, and the action introduced by te. The examples put the affected phrase before the action, matching the affirmative formation taught here.
The first e belongs to the negative predicate; the second marks the actor. Neither taea nor the action base takes person or number endings. The action remains unsuffixed in this formation.
Compare Kāore a Rangi i tuhi i te reta, “Rangi did not write the letter,” with the first example. Nonperformance does not itself establish inability. Retain the te-marked action in this formation; do not choose a different action marker solely from the English verb.
Examples (3)
- Kāore e taea e Rangi te reta te tuhi.
Rangi cannot write the letter.
E marks the actor; the letter precedes the te-marked action.
- Kāore e taea e au tēnei kai te tunu.
I cannot cook this food.
The affected food has no active object i.
- Kāore e taea e ngā tamariki tēnei waiata te waiata.
The children cannot sing this song.
The plural actor does not change taea or the action base.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Deny achievability using the complete supported negative formation. Distinguish its two e particles and preserve the unsuffixed action, rather than inferring inability from a statement of nonperformance.
- ka taeaAn Action That Is Possible
The affirmative formation supplies the participant roles and te-marked action that this negative preserves.
Level 5 - kāore ... eNegating a Nonpast Action
Ordinary nonpast negation provides a useful basis for recognizing verbal e, while this lesson separately identifies the later actor-marking e in the taea frame.
Level 2