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 ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Aria i āwhina a Niko.
It was Aria who helped Niko.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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.

Nā wai tō kai i whakarite i tēnei rā?
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.

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

haena
iron (clothes)

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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