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".

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

Pita i pupuhi te manu.
Pita shot the bird.

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

Hera ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Hera picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

Hēmi te parāoa i mahi.
Hēmi made the bread.

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Tawa i mahi te parāoa.
Tawa made the bread.

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?