Māori Grammar

▶

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Aroha i āwhina a Mia.
It was Aroha who helped Mia.

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

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

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

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

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