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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nā Pāora i āwhina a Taika.
It was Pāora who helped Taika.

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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