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".

Māu ngā tamariki e tiki.
He will be the one to fetch the children.

Māku ngā kurī e whāngai.
I will be the one to feed the dogs.

Mā rāua ngā pukapuka e pānui.
They (two) will read the books.

Māku te kākahu e whakamaroke.
I will dry the clothes.

Māu e mahi kaputī māna?
Can you make a cup of tea for her?

Mā ngā kaikōrero e mihi ngā manuhiri.
It will be the speakers who will greet the visitors.

Māku e mahi ngā kai.
I'll get the kai ready.

Mā ngā kaiako ngā tauira e whakaako.
The teachers will teach the students.

Māku pea e tunu, nē?
Shall I perhaps cook, right?

Mā ngā tamariki te tēpu e whakapai.
The children will set the table.

Māku e taraiwa.
I will drive.

Mā ngā tamariki e whakapai ngā moenga.
The children will make the beds.

Nā wai te keke i tunu?
Who baked the cake?

Mā te kaiako ngā ture e whakamārama.
The teacher will explain the rules.

Mānā te pūhā e kato.
She will pick the pūhā.

Māku koe e awhi e.
I will help you.

Mā Tame ngā huawhenua e hoko.
Tame will buy the veges.

Māku ngā ngeru e whāngai!
I will feed the cats!

Mā māua.
He/she and I will.

Mā koutou.
You [3+] will.

Māku te mahi e oti.
I will finish the work.

Mā ngā kaiako e whiriwhiri te toa.
The teachers will pick the winner.

Māku te kōtiro e korero.
I will speak to the girl.

Mā Honi a Ataahua e āwhina i te rā nei.
Honi will support Ataahua today.

Mā Manu.
Manu will.

Mā ngā kaiako te toa e whiriwhiri.
The teachers will pick the winner.

Māku e haere.
I will go.

Mā te kōtiro te taramu e patu.
It will be the girl who will hit the drum.

Mā Mia e karanga ngā manuhiri.
Mia will welcome the visitors.

Mā ngā hoa ngā pukapuka e whakahoki ki te whare pukapuka.
The friends will return the books to the library.

Māu ngā kai e hoko.
You buy the food.

Māna ngā kai e hoko.
She will buy the food.

Māky ngā pereti e horoi.
I will be the one to wash the dishes.

Māku ngā tamariki e ārahi ki te kura.
I will lead the children to school.

Mā Bob te waiata e tīmata.
Bob will start the song.

Mā Nikau ngā tamariki e tiki.
Nikau will be the one to collect the children.

Māku te kōtiro e korero.
I will speak to the girl.

Māku hei mōkai māu!
I'll be your slave!

Mā kōrua ngā rihi e horoi.
It will be you two who will wash the dishes.

Māku e tunu te hapa.
I will cook dinner.

Mā Mere e whakaoti te kaupapa.
Mary will complete the project.

Mā Pita ia e tiki.
Pita will go and collect him.

Māku te tamaiti e whāngai.
I will feed the child.

Māku koe e tautoko.
I will help you.

Mā te rangatira o te hapū te karakia e taki hei tīmata i te hui.
The chief of the subtribe will begin the meeting with the karakia.

Mā te Atua koe e manāki, e tiaki.
The Lord will guard you and protect you.

Mā ngā tamariki te pūhā e kato.
The children will pick the pūhā.

Māku ngā kai e hoko.
I will buy the food.

Māku tō kapu tī, Hera.
I will make a cup of tea, Hera.

Mā taku pāpā koe e āwhina.
My dad will help you.

Māna te whare e horoi.
She will clean the house.

Mā Aria te parāoa e mahi.
Aria will make the bread.

Mā te kōtiro te kurī e patu.
It will be the girl who will hit the dog.

Mā te Ātua koe e manāki, e tiaki.
It will be God who will guide and protect you.

Mā te rangatira o te iwi te hui e tīmata ki te karakia.
The chief of the tribe will begin the meeting with the prayer.

Mā Hine te kōrero e tuku atu.
Hine will give the speech.

Māu te tepū e whakarite.
You will be the one to clear the table.

Māu te whare e whakamā i tēnei pō.
You will clean the house today.

Mā tērā tane tōu waka e whakapai.
That man will fix your car.

Mā ā tātou tamariki ā tātou ngeru e whāngai.
Our kids will feed our cats.

Māku te rīhi e horoi.
I will wash the dish.

Māna te kanikani e haere.
It will be her that goes to the dance.

Mā tātou e horoi ō tātou kākahu.
We will be the ones to clean the room.

Mā Mere e karanga ngā manuhiri.
Mere will call the guests.

Māu e horoi, māku e tāora.
You will wash, I will dry.

Māu te ruma e whakarite.
You will tidy the room.

Māku te pouaka whakaata e whakakā.
I will turn on the television.

Mā Hēmi te papa e horopuehu.
It will be Hēmi who will vacuum the floor.

Māku?
Me?

Māku e tunu.
I will cook it.

Māu koe e taraiwa
You will drive.

Mā rāua te motokā e taraiwa.
They (two) will drive the car.

Māna ngā kai e hoko.
She will buy the food.

Māku te waiata tautoko e waiata.
I will sing the song of support.

Māu e tubnu tētahi keke ma t`1a t`1atou hui.
You will cook a cake for our meeting.

Māku te waiata e waiata hei tautoko.
I will sing the song as support.

Mā mātou.
They and I will.

Mā Koa e mahi te parāoa.
Koa will make the bread.

Mā Pāpā tātou e taraiwa atu ki Te Ao Hou.
Pāpā will drive us to New World.

Māna ngā manuhiri e karanga.
She will call the guests.

Will you? I'm not going to!
Māu? Ehara māku!

Māu pea ngā tamariki e tiki ki te kura, māku ngā kākahu e whakariterite.
Maybe you pick the kids up, I'll get the clothes ready.

Mā rātou.
They will.

Mā rātou te kēmu e takatū.
They will prepare the game.

Mā Hōne ngā pukapuka e whakahoki.
Hōne will return the books.

Māu te rā e whakarite.
You will plan the day.

Māku te parāoa e mahi.
I will make the bread.

Māku tā tātou hapa e tunu a tēnei pō.
I will be the one to cook our dinner tonight.

Mā kōrua te wharepaku e whakapai.
You (2) will clean the toilet.

Māu te waka e taraiwa.
You will drive the car.

Mā Pāora e hoko ngā huawhenua.
Pāora will buy the veges.

Māu anō te huka e rui ki runga.
You should spread the sugar on top yourself.

Mā ngā mātua ngā tamariki e āwhina.
The parents will help the children.

Māu te kai e hari atu ki a rātou.
You can take the food to them.

Mā Pita te kai e tunu.
Pita will cook the food.

Māku e horoi tō rātou waka.
I will be the one to clean the car.

Māu.
You will.

Māku ōu tukemata e katokato.
I will pluck your eyebrows.

Māku te papa e tahitahi.
I will sweep the floor.

Māku e mahi.
I will do it.

Mā te kōtiro te taramu e patu.
It will be the girl who will hit the drum.

I kōrero rātou mō tērā tangata.
They spoke about that person.

Mā rātou ngā manuhiri e pōhiri.
They will welcome the guests.

Māu te kete kākahu e wehewehe.
You will sort the clothes basket.

Māna e āwhina ahau,
She will look after me.

Māku ngā kai e hoko.
I will buy the food.

Mā te rangatira o te hapū te karakia e taki hei tīmata i te hui.
The chief of the subtribe will begin the meeting with the karakia.

Māu e mahi.
You do it.

Mā rātou ngā pereti e horoi.
They will wash the plates.

Mā tāua.
You and I will.

Mā rāua te motokā e whakatika.
They (two) will fix the car.

Mā Ari tōku whare e hanga.
Ari will build my house.

Māna e tunu te hapa.
He will cook dinner.

Mā Niko ngā rīhi e horoi, Rangi, māu e whakamaroke.
Niko will wash the dishes, Rangi, you will dry them.

Mā Aidan te ngeru e whāngai!
It will be Aidan who will feed the cat!

Mā Rewi e tuhituhi he reta ki te Pirimia.
It will be Rewi who will write a letter to the Prime Minister.

Mā ngā tamariki te kēmu e tākaro.
The children will play the game.

Mā Mia e oma ki Tatau Iho.
Mia will run to Countdown.

Mā tātou.
You [3+] and I will.

Māku te pēpi e whāngai.
I will be the one to feed the baby.

Māu ngā pereti e horoi.
You will wash the plates.

Mā Henare e whakatau ngā manuhiri.
Henare will welcome the visitors.

Mā rāua te māra e whakatipu.
They (two) will tend to the garden.

Māu ahau e āwhina?
Can you help me?

Māna e mau mai ngā kai.
She will bring the food.

Mā tātou ngā rīhi e horoi.
We will wash the dishes.

Mā taku hoa tāne ngā kākahu horoi e whakairi.
It will be my boyfriend who will hang the washing.

Mā te hita tātou e whakamahana.
The heater will warm us up.

Māku e kawe atu he wai māu.
I will bring you some water.

Mā Mere ngā kai e kawe.
Mere will bring the food.

Māku? Auē, kei te moe tonu aku karu Pāpā.
Me? Oh no, my eyes are still sleeping Dad.

Mā tana hoa rāua e kawe ki te mahi.
Her friend will take them to work.

Mā te mīhini e mahi ngā mea katoa.
The machine will do everything.

Māu ngā rīhi e horoi.
You will wash the dishes.

Māku e kihi tō mamae.
I'll kiss your sore better.

Mā mātou ngā rīhi e horoi.
We will wash the dishes.

Māku ngā hū e hoko.
I will buy the shoes.

Māu pea te karakia e taki?
Would you like to lead the prayer?

Mā mātou koutou e manaaki.
We (3+ exclusive) will take care of you.

Mā Aroha e tuhituhi te rārangi kai.
Aroha will write the shopping list.

Mā Kauri ngā rīhi e horoi.
Kauri will wash the dishes.

Mā Rangi e whakapai te kai.
Rangi will bless the food.

Māku koe e awhina.
I will help you.

Mā wai te kawhe nei?
Who is this coffee for?

Mā Amaru te hui e whakakapi.
Amaru will close the hui.

Mā rāua.
Those two will.

Mā rātou e horoi ngā pereti.
They will wash the plates.

Mā koutou ngā pānui e tono atu ki ngā kaimahi.
You (3/+) will send the notices out to the workers.

Mā Taika te tepū e whakarite.
Taika will be the one to clear the table.

Māku e kōrero.
I will speak.

Māu ngā kai e hoko.
You will buy the food.

Māku e āwhina.
I will help.

Māku te ngeru e whāngai?
Shall I feed the cat?

Mā Rina e hoko kai ki Peke te Pēke, koinā tōna tino.
Rina will buy food at Pak n Save, that's her favourite.

Mā rātou ngā manuhiri e pōhiri.
They will welcome the guests.

Mā te kuia e karanga.
The kuia will karanga.

Mā mātou tō waiata e waiata.
We will song your song.

Māku te karakia e taki.
I will recite the prayer.

Māna.
He/she will.

Māku e whakairi.
I will arrange it.

Mā kōrua.
You two will.

Māku.
I will.

Mā rātou ā mātou manuhiri e pōwhiri.
They will welcome our guests.

Mā ngā tamariki e kato te pūhā.
The children will pick the pūhā.

Māku e pānui tētahi kōrero ki a koe.
Shall I read you a story?