Māori Grammar

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It was Rangi who farted

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:

Nā 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.

Nā 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".

See also:

• Established possession - nāku, nōku...

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

Nā wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

Nā Tawa te parāoa i mahi.
Tawa made the bread.

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

Nā wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

Nā wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Niko tōku whare i hanga.
It was Niko who built my house.

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā Honi i pupuhi te manu.
Honi shot the bird.

Nā Aroha i mahi te parāoa.
Aroha made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

Nā mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

Nā Hera te karakia i taki.
It was Hera who recited the prayer.

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

Nā Pita ngā keke nā i tunu.
Pita cooked those cakes (near you).

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

Nā Hēmi te papa i tahitahi.
It was Hēmi who swept the floor.

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

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

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

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

Nā wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

Nā tō rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

Nā Rangi i āwhina a Taika.
It was Rangi who helped Taika.

Nā rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

Nā wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

Nā rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

Nā wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

Nā rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

Nā wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

Nā Aria te keke i tunu.
Aria was the one who baked the cake.

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

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

haena
iron (clothes)

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

Nā māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

Nā Ataahua ngā kai i tunu.
It was Ataahua who cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

Nā Koa i tahitahi te papa.
It was Koa who swept the floor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

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

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

Nā Pāora ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Pāora picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

Nā wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nā wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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