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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Pita ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Pita picked these flowers.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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.

Amaru te parāoa i mahi.
Amaru made the bread.

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Koa i āwhina a Rangi.
It was Koa who helped Rangi.

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

Nikau i mahi te parāoa.
Nikau made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

Mia i pupuhi te manu.
Mia shot the bird.

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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.

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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