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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nā Kauri i āwhina a Nikau.
It was Kauri who helped Nikau.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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