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 wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.
It was Manu who paddled the boat to the island.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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