Māori Grammar

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:

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".

▶

It was Rangi who farted

nā - agent emphatic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Niko i āwhina a Ari.
It was Niko who helped Ari.

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Nā wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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.

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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