Māori Grammar

PreviousBack Next
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".

Aroha i āwhina a Hera.
It was Aroha who helped Hera.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Hēmi te parāoa i mahi.
Hēmi made the bread.

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

Manu i pupuhi te manu.
Manu shot the bird.

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

Honi i mahi te parāoa.
Honi made the bread.

Rangi ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Rangi picked these flowers.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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