Māori Grammar

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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".

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Koa i mahi te parāoa.
Koa made the bread.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

Honi i āwhina a Taika.
It was Honi who helped Taika.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Pāora i pupuhi te manu.
Pāora shot the bird.

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

Tawa te parāoa i mahi.
Tawa made the bread.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

Ataahua ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Ataahua picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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