Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 3
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:

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.

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".

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

Rangi te parāoa i mahi.
Rangi made the bread.

Tawa i mahi te parāoa.
Tawa made the bread.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Ari i pupuhi te manu.
Ari shot the bird.

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Kauri ngā kai i tunu.
It was Kauri who cooked the food.

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Koa tōku whare i hanga.
It was Koa who built my house.

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

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

Mia te papa i tahitahi.
It was Mia who swept the floor.

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

Amaru i āwhina a Tame.
It was Amaru who helped Tame.

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Aria ngā keke i tunu.
Aria cooked those cakes (near you).

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

Taika ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Taika picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

Rangi te keke i tunu.
Rangi was the one who baked the cake.

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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