Māori Grammar

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:

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".

▶

It was Rangi who farted

nā - agent emphatic

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā 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.

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

Nā Rangi i āwhina a Koa.
It was Rangi who helped Koa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.