Māori Grammar

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:

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...

▶

It was Rangi who farted

nā - agent emphatic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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 rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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