Māori Grammar

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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