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".

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Aroha ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Aroha picked these flowers.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

Tame te parāoa i mahi.
Tame made the bread.

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

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

Rangi i mahi te parāoa.
Rangi made the bread.

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

Rangi i pupuhi te manu.
Rangi shot the bird.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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?

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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