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".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Pāora i āwhina a Tawa.
It was Pāora who helped Tawa.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

Hēmi i mahi te parāoa.
Hēmi made the bread.

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

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

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

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

Pita i pupuhi te manu.
Pita shot the bird.

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hera ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Hera picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Rangi te parāoa i mahi.
Rangi made the bread.

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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.

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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