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...

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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 ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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