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 i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

Tawa i mahi te parāoa.
Tawa made the bread.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hera ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Hera picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Rangi te parāoa i mahi.
Rangi made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Amaru i āwhina a Niko.
It was Amaru who helped Niko.

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Pita i pupuhi te manu.
Pita shot the bird.

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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