Māori Grammar
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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".
haena
iron (clothes)Nā wai koe i ako ki te whakapai moenga?
Who was the one who taught you to make your bed?Nā rāua i hanga te whare.
It was them (two) who built the house.Nā Ponga tēnā, ēhara i a au.
Ponga is the cause, not me.Nā ngā tamariki i whakangaro ngā mea tākaro.
It was the children who lost the toys.Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.Nā te kaiako ia i whaka-oho.
It was the teacher who woke him/her up.Nā taku tāne te parakuihi i whakarite!
(It was) my husband (who) prepared breakfast!Nāna i pupuhi te manu.
He was the one who shot the bird.Nā wai i kī e mārena ana tō tuakana?
Who said your brother's getting married?Nā Pita te papa i tahitahi.
It was Pita who swept the floor.Nā wai te whare i whakapai?
Who was the one who cleaned the house?Nā Pāora i āwhina a Ataahua.
It was Pāora who helped Ataahua.Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?Nā Niko te karakia i taki.
It was Niko who recited the prayer.Nā Kauri ngā keke nā i tunu.
Kauri cooked those cakes (near you).Nā wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.Nā rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.Nāku i hoko ngā hū.
It was me who bought the shoes.Nā te ua tātou i kore ai e haere.
It was because of the rain that we didn't go.Nā Mia i mahi te parāoa.
Mia made the bread.Nā te rangatira taua īmēra i pānui.
It was the boss who read that (aforementioned) email.Nāu te mahi uaua i mahi.
You did the hard work.Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.Nā rāua i whakahoki ngā pukapuka.
It was them (two) who returned the books.Nā wai ō kākahu i pōkai i tēnei wiki?
Who was the one who folded the clothes last week?Nā ngā tamariki i kato te pūhā.
The children picked the pūhā.Nā rāua i whawhai ki ngā pirihimana.
It was them (two) who fought with the police.Nā te paruauru te oneone i taupoki.
It was the gardener who dug the garden.Nā wai koe i whakapakeke?
Who was the one who raised you?Nāu te keke i tunu.
You were the one who baked the cake.Nā rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.Nāu i horoi, nāku i tāora.
You washed, I dried.Nāku i kawe te pēke.
It was me who carried the bag.Nāna te keke i tunu.
She was the one who baked the cake.Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.Nā Tame i pupuhi te manu.
Tame shot the bird.Nāku i kōrero ki a ia.
It was me who spoke to him/her.Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.Nāku te keke i tunu.
I was the one who cooked the cake.Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.Nā Rangi tōku whare i hanga.
It was Rangi who built my house.Nā wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?Nāku i whakarite te hui.
It was me who organized the meeting.Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.Nā wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?Nā te kōtiro te kete ātaahua i raranga.
It was the girl who wove the beautiful basket.Nā te kaiako i kī ngā ture.
It was the teacher who stated the rules.Nāna i tiki ngā tamariki i te kura.
It was him/her who picked up the children from school.Nāku te pukapuka hītori i pānui i te Pātaka Kōrero.
I read the history book in the library.Nā mātou i kai ngā kai katoa.
It was us (excluding you) who ate all the food.Nāna i tunu te keke.
It was him/her who baked the cake.Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.Nā te kairangahau i uiui ia tamariki, o ngā whānau katoa.
The researcher interviewed each group of children from all the families.Nā te tama i tiki ngā mea tākaro.
It was the boy who fetched the toys.Nā wai tō wharepaku i horoi i tērā wiki?
Who was the one who cleaned the toilet last week?Nāku i horoi ngā rīhi.
It was me who washed the dishes.Nāku te kai i tunu.
I was the one who cooked the food.Nā ngā tamariki te pūhā i kato.
The children picked the pūhā.Nā tō rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.Nāu ngā kūmara i waru.
You were the one who peeled the kūmera.Nā wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?Nā Maru te kūmara i whakatipu.
It was Maru grew the kumara.Nā Honi ngā kai i tunu.
It was Honi who cooked the food.Nāku i tiki te kai.
It was me who fetched the food.Nā wai tō kai i tunu inapō
Who was the one who cooked your food last night?Nā wai tō kai i whakarite i tēnei rā?
Who was the one who prepared food today?Nāku a Nikau i whakarere iho ake.
I abandoned Nikau.Nā te kaitāmoko tōku moko i hoahoa.
It was the tattooist who designed my tattoo.Ehara i tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
It wasn't my friend who cooked the food.Nā rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.Nā tana rōpā i whakanoi he kai māna.
His slave hung some food up for him.Nā koutou i para i te ara.
You paved the way.Nā Ponga ahau i āwhina.
I was protected by Ponga.Nāku i tuhituhi te reta.
It was me who wrote the letter.Nāku te karakia i taki.
I was the one who recited the prayer.Nā mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.Nāku i horoi te motokā.
It was me who washed the car.Nā wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?Nā rātou i whakapai te whare.
It was them who cleaned the house.Nā te moko o Ponga i pai ai.
It is because of Ponga's facial tattoo that he was attractive.Nā te kōtiro ngā putiputi i raranga.
It was the girl who wove the flowers.Nā Rangi ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Rangi picked these flowers.Nā wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?Nā Manu te waka i hoe ki te motu.
Manu paddled the boat to the island.Nā Hēmi te parāoa i mahi.
Hēmi made the bread.Nā taua rōpū ngā waiata tino reka.
That group did the sweetest singing.Nā Tawa te keke i tunu.
Tawa was the one who baked the cake.Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.Nāku i kī atu ki a koe.
It was me who told you.Nā ngā tāngata i āwhina te whānau.
It was the people who helped the family.Nāna ngā manuhiri i karanga.
She called to the guests.Nānā te pūhā i kato.
She/he picked the pūhā.Nā wai tō kawhe i whakarite i tēnei rā?
Who was the one who made your coffee today?Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?Nā wai tō moenga i whakatika ii tēnei ata?
Who made your bed the morning?Nā ngā kaiako i whakaako ngā tamariki.
It was the teachers who taught the children.Nā te kōtiro te taramu i patu.
It was the girl who hit the drum.Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?Nā Pita i mau ngā kī.
It was Pita who held the keys.Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.Nā wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?Nā ngā mātou te whare i whakaparuparu.
It was the parents who messed up the house.Nā te kaiako i whakaako i ngā tauira.
It was the teacher who taught the students.Nāu au i kitea mai ai ki konei.
It is because of you that I am seen here.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.Nā Hōne i hanga te pouaka.
It was Hōne who built the box.Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.Nāku te keke tunu.
I was the one who cooked the cake.Nā wai a Papa rāua ko Rangi i whakawehe?
Who separated Papa and Rangi?Nā wai ō kākahu i horoi i tērā wiki?
Who washed the clothes last week?Nāna te tēpu i whakarite.
She was the one who set the table.Nā Manu i tahitahi te papa.
It was Manu who swept the floor.Nā ngā tauira i whakarite te whakaaturanga.
It was the students who prepared the presentation.Nā māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.Nā Ponga te kōhuru i a au.
Ponga is responsible for the treachery against me.Nā te wahine anake tērā mahi.
That task is done by woman alone.Nā te kōtiro i waiata i te waiata.
It was the girl who sang the song.Nāku i tiki te pukapuka.
It was me who fetched the book.Nā Hine i kī te kōrero.
It was Hine who made the statement.Nā wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?Nāna rātou i manaaki.
She was the one who looked after them.Nā tōku hoa te kai i tunu.
My friend was the one who cooked the food.Nā te kōtiro te kurī i patu.
It was the girl who hit the dog.Nā Mere mā i horoi ngā pereti.
Mere and the others washed the plates.Nā te pirihimana i hopu te tāhae.
It was the policeman who caught the thief.Nā wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?Nāku anō taku haere mai.
I alone am responsible for my coming here.