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".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aria ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Aria picked these flowers.

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Taika i pupuhi te manu.
Taika shot the bird.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aroha i mahi te parāoa.
Aroha made the bread.

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Amaru te parāoa i mahi.
Amaru made the bread.

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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