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...

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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