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".

▶

It was Rangi who farted

nā - agent emphatic

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

haena
iron (clothes)

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

Nā wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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