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.

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

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

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

Koa ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Koa picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Manu te parāoa i mahi.
Manu made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

Hēmi i pupuhi te manu.
Hēmi shot the bird.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Aroha i mahi te parāoa.
Aroha made the bread.

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

Niko i āwhina a Aria.
It was Niko who helped Aria.

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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?

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

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

Ehara i tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
It wasn't my friend 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 rātou i manaaki.
She was the one who looked after them.

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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