Māori Grammar

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

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

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

Aria i āwhina a Tame.
It was Aria who helped Tame.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

Honi te parāoa i mahi.
Honi made the bread.

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nikau i pupuhi te manu.
Nikau shot the bird.

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

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

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

Pāora ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Pāora picked these flowers.

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Hera i mahi te parāoa.
Hera made the bread.

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

haena
iron (clothes)

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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