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 rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Ataahua i āwhina a Hera.
It was Ataahua who helped Hera.

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

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