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".

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

Niko i āwhina a Hera.
It was Niko who helped Hera.

Amaru ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Amaru picked these flowers.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ataahua i mahi te parāoa.
Ataahua made the bread.

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nikau i pupuhi te manu.
Nikau shot the bird.

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Aroha te parāoa i mahi.
Aroha made the bread.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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?

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

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

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