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".

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

Ataahua ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Ataahua picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

Tawa te parāoa i mahi.
Tawa made the bread.

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Mia i pupuhi te manu.
Mia shot the bird.

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

Honi i mahi te parāoa.
Honi made the bread.

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

Nāku te keke 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 i horoi, nāku i tāora.
You washed, I dried.

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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