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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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