Māori Grammar

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It was Rangi who farted

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:

Nā 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.

Nā 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".

See also:

• Established possession - nāku, nōku...
• Negating the past agent emphatic - ehara i...

Nā Rangi ngā kai i tunu.
It was Rangi who cooked the food.

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

Nā Niko i āwhina a Aroha.
It was Niko who helped Aroha.

Nā wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nā wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

Nā wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

Nā wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

Nā mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Taika te karakia i taki.
It was Taika who recited the prayer.

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

Nā tō rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

Nā Manu te papa i tahitahi.
It was Manu who swept the floor.

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Nā rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

Nā Ataahua i pupuhi te manu.
Ataahua shot the bird.

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

Nā wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

Nā māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

Nā wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

Nā wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Nā Koa tōku whare i hanga.
It was Koa who built my house.

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.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nā Ari i mahi te parāoa.
Ari made the bread.

Nā wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

Nā Aria te parāoa i mahi.
Aria made the bread.

Nā Tame ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Tame picked these flowers.

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

Nā rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nā wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nā Hera ngā keke nā i tunu.
Hera cooked those cakes (near you).

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Pāora i tahitahi te papa.
It was Pāora who swept the floor.

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

Nā wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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