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 Koa i mahi te parāoa.
Koa made the bread.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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