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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

Aria i āwhina a Taika.
It was Aria who helped Taika.

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

Rangi i mahi te parāoa.
Rangi made the bread.

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Ataahua i pupuhi te manu.
Ataahua shot the bird.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Honi ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Honi picked these flowers.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

Mia te parāoa i mahi.
Mia made the bread.

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

haena
iron (clothes)

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?

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?