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".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

Aria i āwhina a Tame.
It was Aria who helped Tame.

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

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

Tawa te parāoa i mahi.
Tawa made the bread.

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aroha i mahi te parāoa.
Aroha made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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 kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

Amaru ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Amaru picked these flowers.

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

Ari i pupuhi te manu.
Ari shot the bird.

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.

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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