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

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

Aria i pupuhi te manu.
Aria shot the bird.

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

Pita i āwhina a Manu.
It was Pita who helped Manu.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Aroha ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Aroha picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

Taika i mahi te parāoa.
Taika made the bread.

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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.

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

Amaru te parāoa i mahi.
Amaru made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

haena
iron (clothes)

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?