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".

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kauri i pupuhi te manu.
Kauri shot the bird.

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

Ari i mahi te parāoa.
Ari made the bread.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

Mia i āwhina a Aroha.
It was Mia who helped Aroha.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

Pāora ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Pāora picked these flowers.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honi te parāoa i mahi.
Honi made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

haena
iron (clothes)

Nāku te kai i tunu.
I 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?

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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.

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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