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".

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

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

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

Taika te parāoa i mahi.
Taika made the bread.

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

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

Amaru ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Amaru picked these flowers.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niko i mahi te parāoa.
Niko made the bread.

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Nikau i pupuhi te manu.
Nikau shot the bird.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?