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