Māori Grammar

PreviousBack Next
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".

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

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

Honi ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Honi picked these flowers.

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Manu i āwhina a Tawa.
It was Manu who helped Tawa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

Kauri i pupuhi te manu.
Kauri shot the bird.

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

Pita i mahi te parāoa.
Pita made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

Aroha te parāoa i mahi.
Aroha made the bread.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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?

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?