Māori Grammar
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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".
Nā wai koe i ako ki te whakapai moenga?
Who was the one who taught you to make your bed?Nā ngā kaiako i whakaako ngā tamariki.
It was the teachers who taught the children.Nā te kaiako i kī ngā ture.
It was the teacher who stated the rules.Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.Nā ngā tauira i whakarite te whakaaturanga.
It was the students who prepared the presentation.Nā te kaiako ia i whaka-oho.
It was the teacher who woke him/her up.Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.Nā wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?Nā te wahine anake tērā mahi.
That task is done by woman alone.Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.Nā mātou i kai ngā kai katoa.
It was us (excluding you) who ate all the food.Nā wai i kī e mārena ana tō tuakana?
Who said your brother's getting married?Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?Nā wai te whare i whakapai?
Who was the one who cleaned the house?Nāku i kī atu ki a koe.
It was me who told you.Nāna i tunu te keke.
It was him/her who baked the cake.Nā Ponga tēnā, ēhara i a au.
Ponga is the cause, not me.Nā taua rōpū ngā waiata tino reka.
That group did the sweetest singing.Nā Manu te waka i hoe ki te motu.
Manu paddled the boat to the island.Nā māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.Nāu te keke i tunu.
You were the one who baked the cake.Nā Maru te kūmara i whakatipu.
It was Maru grew the kumara.Nā ngā mātou te whare i whakaparuparu.
It was the parents who messed up the house.Nāna te keke i tunu.
She was the one who baked the cake.Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.Nā ngā tamariki te pūhā i kato.
The children picked the pūhā.Nāku te keke i tunu.
I was the one who cooked the cake.Nā rātou i whakapai te whare.
It was them who cleaned the house.Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.Nāku i tuhituhi te reta.
It was me who wrote the letter.Nā wai tō kai i whakarite i tēnei rā?
Who was the one who prepared food today?Nā wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?Nā Ponga te kōhuru i a au.
Ponga is responsible for the treachery against me.Nā wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?Nā te rangatira taua īmēra i pānui.
It was the boss who read that (aforementioned) email.Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.Nā te paruauru te oneone i taupoki.
It was the gardener who dug the garden.Nā wai te whare i whakaparuparu?
Who was the one who messed up the house?Nā Ponga ahau i āwhina.
I was protected by Ponga.Nā wai tō kawhe i whakarite i tēnei rā?
Who was the one who made your coffee today?Nāku i hoko te ngeru.
It was me who bought the cat.Nā Kauri te karakia i taki.
It was Kauri who recited the prayer.Nā te ua tātou i kore ai e haere.
It was because of the rain that we didn't go.Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.Nā te tama i tiki ngā mea tākaro.
It was the boy who fetched the toys.Nā te kōtiro te kete ātaahua i raranga.
It was the girl who wove the beautiful basket.Nā Tawa te keke i tunu.
Tawa was the one who baked the cake.Nā te kōtiro ngā putiputi i raranga.
It was the girl who wove the flowers.Nā wai tō wharepaku i horoi i tērā wiki?
Who was the one who cleaned the toilet last week?Nāu au i kitea mai ai ki konei.
It is because of you that I am seen here.Nāu i horoi, nāku i tāora.
You washed, I dried.Nāku i horoi te motokā.
It was me who washed the car.Nā te pirihimana i hopu te tāhae.
It was the policeman who caught the thief.Nāku i whakarite te hui.
It was me who organized the meeting.Nā Taika te parāoa i mahi.
Taika made the bread.Nā Pita i mahi te parāoa.
Pita made the bread.Nā ngā tamariki i kato te pūhā.
The children picked the pūhā.Nāku i hoko ngā hū.
It was me who bought the shoes.Nā rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.Nānā te pūhā i kato.
She/he picked the pūhā.Nā wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?haena
iron (clothes)Nā Niko te papa i tahitahi.
It was Niko who swept the floor.Nā Hine i kī te kōrero.
It was Hine who made the statement.Nā ngā tāngata i āwhina te whānau.
It was the people who helped the family.Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.Nā wai a Papa rāua ko Rangi i whakawehe?
Who separated Papa and Rangi?Nā wai koe i whakapakeke?
Who was the one who raised you?Nāku te pukapuka hītori i pānui i te Pātaka Kōrero.
I read the history book in the library.Nā te kōtiro i waiata i te waiata.
It was the girl who sang the song.Nā wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?Nā wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?Nāku i kawe te pēke.
It was me who carried the bag.Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.Nā wai tō kai i tunu inapō
Who was the one who cooked your food last night?Nā rāua i whakahoki ngā pukapuka.
It was them (two) who returned the books.Nā ngā tamariki i whakangaro ngā mea tākaro.
It was the children who lost the toys.Nā te kaiako i whakaako i ngā tauira.
It was the teacher who taught the students.Nāna te tēpu i whakarite.
She was the one who set the table.Nāna rātou i manaaki.
She was the one who looked after them.Nāku te kai i tunu.
I was the one who cooked the food.Nā mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.Nāku a Rangi i whakarere iho ake.
I abandoned Rangi.Nā wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?Nā wai ō kākahu i horoi i tērā wiki?
Who washed the clothes last week?Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.Nā Mere mā i horoi ngā pereti.
Mere and the others washed the plates.Nā Manu i tahitahi te papa.
It was Manu who swept the floor.Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.Nā taku tāne te parakuihi i whakarite!
(It was) my husband (who) prepared breakfast!Nā wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?Nā te moko o Ponga i pai ai.
It is because of Ponga's facial tattoo that he was attractive.Nāku te pātai i pātai.
It was me who asked the question.Nāu te mahi uaua i mahi.
You did the hard work.Nā tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
My friend was the one who cooked the food.Nā Amaru i pupuhi te manu.
Amaru shot the bird.Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?Nā Hōne i hanga te pouaka.
It was Hōne who built the box.Nā Hēmi ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Hēmi picked these flowers.Ehara i tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
It wasn't my friend who cooked the food.Nā Ari ngā keke nā i tunu.
Ari cooked those cakes (near you).Nāku i horoi ngā rīhi.
It was me who washed the dishes.Nā Pāora i āwhina a Koa.
It was Pāora who helped Koa.Nā Pita i mau ngā kī.
It was Pita who held the keys.Nāku i kōrero ki a ia.
It was me who spoke to him/her.Nā te kaitāmoko tōku moko i hoahoa.
It was the tattooist who designed my tattoo.Nā Aria tōku whare i hanga.
It was Aria who built my house.Nā wai tō moenga i whakatika ii tēnei ata?
Who made your bed the morning?Nā tana rōpā i whakanoi he kai māna.
His slave hung some food up for him.Nāna ngā manuhiri i karanga.
She called to the guests.Nā te kairangahau i uiui ia tamariki, o ngā whānau katoa.
The researcher interviewed each group of children from all the families.Nāku anō taku haere mai.
I alone am responsible for my coming here.Nā wai ō kākahu i pōkai i tēnei wiki?
Who was the one who folded the clothes last week?Nāku i tiki te pukapuka.
It was me who fetched the book.Nāu ngā kūmara i waru.
You were the one who peeled the kūmera.Nā koutou i para i te ara.
You paved the way.Nā rāua i whawhai ki ngā pirihimana.
It was them (two) who fought with the police.Nā rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.Nā rāua i hanga te whare.
It was them (two) who built the house.Nāna i tiki ngā tamariki i te kura.
It was him/her who picked up the children from school.Nāku i tiki te kai.
It was me who fetched the food.Nāku te keke tunu.
I was the one who cooked the cake.Nā te kōtiro te kurī i patu.
It was the girl who hit the dog.Nā Aroha ngā kai i tunu.
It was Aroha who cooked the food.Nā wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?Nā te kōtiro te taramu i patu.
It was the girl who hit the drum.Nāna i pupuhi te manu.
He was the one who shot the bird.Nāku te karakia i taki.
I was the one who recited the prayer.