Māori Grammar

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It was Rangi who farted

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...
• Negating the past agent emphatic - ehara i...

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nā Ari i āwhina a Taika.
It was Ari who helped Taika.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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 te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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