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".

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

Amaru te parāoa i mahi.
Amaru made the bread.

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

Rangi i pupuhi te manu.
Rangi shot the bird.

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Hera i mahi te parāoa.
Hera made the bread.

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

Taika i āwhina a Nikau.
It was Taika who helped Nikau.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Tame ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Tame picked these flowers.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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