Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 3
Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

The past agent emphatic says who did something. It uses the nā... i... structure where the verb or mahi follows the i:

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who was the one who washed the dishes?

Nāku ngā rīhi i horoi.
I was the one who washed the dishes.

Nāu ngā rīhi i horoi.
You were the one who washed the dishes.

Nāna ngā rīhi i horoi.
He was the one who washed the dishes.

Nā tātou te waiata i waiata.
We were the ones who sang the song.

ngā tamariki te whare i whakapai.
The childred were the ones who cleaned the house

The agent emphatic has an emphasis on who did the action. Instead of simply saying "I did the dishes", the agent emphatic says: "I was the one who did the dishes".

rātou i whakapai te whare.
It was them who cleaned the house.

Nāu au i kitea mai ai ki konei.
It is because of you that I am seen here.

Tame tōku whare i hanga.
It was Tame who built my house.

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Aroha i pupuhi te manu.
Aroha shot the bird.

Ponga te kōhuru i a au.
Ponga is responsible for the treachery against me.

Nāku i tuhituhi te reta.
It was me who wrote the letter.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

ngā tamariki i whakangaro ngā mea tākaro.
It was the children who lost the toys.

rāua i whakahoki ngā pukapuka.
It was them (two) who returned the books.

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nāku i horoi te motokā.
It was me who washed the car.

rāua i whawhai ki ngā pirihimana.
It was them (two) who fought with the police.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

Nāku i kawe te pēke.
It was me who carried the bag.

Pita i mau ngā .
It was Pita who held the keys.

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

Nāku i kōrero ki a ia.
It was me who spoke to him/her.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nāku i hoko te ngeru.
It was me who bought the cat.

te kōtiro te taramu i patu.
It was the girl who hit the drum.

wai te whare i whakapai?
Who was the one who cleaned the house?

taua rōpū ngā waiata tino reka.
That group did the sweetest singing.

ngā tauira i whakarite te whakaaturanga.
It was the students who prepared the presentation.

Nāna i tiki ngā tamariki i te kura.
It was him/her who picked up the children from school.

Nāna ngā manuhiri i karanga.
She called to the guests.

te tama i tiki ngā mea tākaro.
It was the boy who fetched the toys.

te kaitāmoko tōku moko i hoahoa.
It was the tattooist who designed my tattoo.

Nāna i tunu te keke.
It was him/her who baked the cake.

ngā tamariki i kato te pūhā.
The children picked the pūhā.

Hine i te kōrero.
It was Hine who made the statement.

te ua tātou i kore ai e haere.
It was because of the rain that we didn't go.

ngā tamariki te pūhā i kato.
The children picked the pūhā.

Pita te parāoa i mahi.
Pita made the bread.

ngā mātou te whare i whakaparuparu.
It was the parents who messed up the house.

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

taku tāne te parakuihi i whakarite!
(It was) my husband (who) prepared breakfast!

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nā Ponga ahau i āwhina.
I was protected by Ponga.

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

ngā tamariki te whare i whakapai.
The children were the ones who cleaned the house.

Mere i horoi ngā pereti.
Mere and the others washed the plates.

Aria i mahi te parāoa.
Aria made the bread.

te kōtiro te kete ātaahua i raranga.
It was the girl who wove the beautiful basket.

Nāku i horoi ngā rīhi.
It was me who washed the dishes.

Kauri i tahitahi te papa.
It was Kauri who swept the floor.

Nāku i atu ki a koe.
It was me who told you.

te kaiako i ngā ture.
It was the teacher who stated the rules.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

Nāku anō taku haere mai.
I alone am responsible for my coming here.

Nāku te pukapuka hītori i pānui i te Pātaka Kōrero.
I read the history book in the library.

ngā tāngata i āwhina te whānau.
It was the people who helped the family.

rāua i hanga te whare.
It was them (two) who built the house.

te kōtiro i waiata i te waiata.
It was the girl who sang the song.

Nāku te karakia i taki.
I was the one who recited the prayer.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai a Papa rāua ko Rangi i whakawehe?
Who separated Papa and Rangi?

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Manu te waka i hoe ki te motu.
It was Manu who paddled the boat to the island.

Nāku i tiki te kai.
It was me who fetched the food.

Niko ngā keke i tunu.
Niko cooked those cakes (near you).

Manu te waka i hoe ki te motu.
Manu paddled the boat to the island.

te kōtiro ngā putiputi i raranga.
It was the girl who wove the flowers.

Nāku i whakarite te hui.
It was me who organized the meeting.

te paruauru te oneone i taupoki.
It was the gardener who dug the garden.

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

te kaiako ia i whaka-oho.
It was the teacher who woke him/her up.

te moko o Ponga i pai ai.
It is because of Ponga's facial tattoo that he was attractive.

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

ngā kaiako i whakaako ngā tamariki.
It was the teachers who taught the children.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

wai te whare i whakaparuparu?
Who was the one who messed up the house?

Nāku i tiki te pukapuka.
It was me who fetched the book.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

te kairangahau i uiui ia tamariki, o ngā whānau katoa.
The researcher interviewed each group of children from all the families.

te rangatira taua īmēra i pānui.
It was the boss who read that (aforementioned) email.

Nāku a Ataahua i whakarere iho ake.
I abandoned Ataahua.

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Tawa ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Tawa picked these flowers.

Ponga tēnā, ēhara i a au.
Ponga is the cause, not me.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Taika te papa i tahitahi.
It was Taika who swept the floor.

te wahine anake tērā mahi.
That task is done by woman alone.

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nānā te pūhā i kato.
She/he picked the pūhā.

Nāku te pātai i pātai.
It was me who asked the question.

Nāku i hoko ngā .
It was me who bought the shoes.

te pirihimana i hopu te tāhae.
It was the policeman who caught the thief.

Nāu te mahi uaua i mahi.
You did the hard work.

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

Nāku te waka i whakakī.
I actually filled the car up with petrol.

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

te kaiako i whakaako i ngā tauira.
It was the teacher who taught the students.

Nāna i pupuhi te manu.
He was the one who shot the bird.

Hōne i hanga te pouaka.
It was Hōne who built the box.

mātou i kai ngā kai katoa.
It was us (excluding you) who ate all the food.

koutou i para i te ara.
You paved the way.

Maru te kūmara i whakatipu.
It was Maru grew the kumara.

tana rōpā i whakanoi he kai māna.
His slave hung some food up for him.

Ari ngā kai i tunu.
It was Ari who cooked the food.

wai i e mārena ana tuakana?
Who said your brother's getting married?

Amaru te karakia i taki.
It was Amaru who recited the prayer.

Honi i āwhina a Rangi.
It was Honi who helped Rangi.

te kōtiro te kurī i patu.
It was the girl who hit the dog.

Nāku tēnei whare i hanga.
I was the one who built this house.

wai kawhe i whakarite i tēnei ?
Who was the one who made your coffee today?

Nāku ngā rīhi i horoi.
I was the one who washed the dishes.

wai ō kākahu i horoi i tērā wiki?
Who washed the clothes last week?

tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
My friend was the one who cooked the food.

Nāu i horoi, nāku i tāora.
You washed, I dried.

wai wharepaku i horoi i tērā wiki?
Who was the one who cleaned the toilet last week?

haena
iron (clothes)

wai ō kākahu i pōkai i tēnei wiki?
Who was the one who folded the clothes last week?

wai koe i ako ki te whakapai moenga?
Who was the one who taught you to make your bed?

Nāku te keke tunu.
I was the one who cooked the cake.

Nāna te keke i tunu.
She was the one who baked the cake.

Nāu te keke i tunu.
You were the one who baked the cake.

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

Nāu ngā kūmara i waru.
You were the one who peeled the kūmera.

Ehara i tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
It wasn't my friend who cooked the food.

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

tātou te waiata i waiata.
We were the ones who sang the song.

Nāku te keke i tunu.
I was the one who cooked the cake.

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

Nāna te tēpu i whakarite.
She was the one who set the table.

Mia te keke i tunu.
Mia was the one who baked the cake.

Nāna rātou i manaaki.
She was the one who looked after them.

wai kai i tunu inapō
Who was the one who cooked your food last night?

Nāku te kai i tunu.
I was the one who cooked the food.

wai koe i whakapakeke?
Who was the one who raised you?

wai kai i whakarite i tēnei ?
Who was the one who prepared food today?

wai moenga i whakatika ii tēnei ata?
Who made your bed the morning?

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?