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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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?

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Hera i mahi te parāoa.
Hera made the bread.

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

Nikau te parāoa i mahi.
Nikau made the bread.

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pita ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Pita picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

Koa i pupuhi te manu.
Koa shot the bird.

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

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

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.

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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 a Ari i whakarere iho ake.
I abandoned Ari.

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

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

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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?

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