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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā 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.

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

Nā Niko i āwhina a Ari.
It was Niko who helped Ari.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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