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".

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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.

Tawa i āwhina a Hēmi.
It was Tawa who helped Hēmi.

Rangi i pupuhi te manu.
Rangi shot the bird.

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Honi i mahi te parāoa.
Honi made the bread.

Amaru ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Amaru picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

Aroha te parāoa i mahi.
Aroha made the bread.

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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.

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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