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".

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hera i mahi te parāoa.
Hera made the bread.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

Ataahua te parāoa i mahi.
Ataahua made the bread.

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

Koa ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Koa picked these flowers.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Aria i pupuhi te manu.
Aria shot the bird.

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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