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".

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

Rangi i pupuhi te manu.
Rangi shot the bird.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hera ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Hera picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

Manu i mahi te parāoa.
Manu made the bread.

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

Tame te parāoa i mahi.
Tame made the bread.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?