Māori Grammar

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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