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Māori Grammar

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Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic
It was Rangi who farted
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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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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