Māori Grammar

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It was Rangi who farted

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".

See also:

• Established possession - nāku, nōku...
• Negating the past agent emphatic - ehara i...

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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