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".

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

Aroha i pupuhi te manu.
Aroha shot the bird.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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.

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Manu ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Manu picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ari i āwhina a Pāora.
It was Ari who helped Pāora.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hēmi i mahi te parāoa.
Hēmi made the bread.

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

Ataahua te parāoa i mahi.
Ataahua made the bread.

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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.

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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