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...

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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 te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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 wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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