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 ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

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

Hēmi i āwhina a Ataahua.
It was Hēmi who helped Ataahua.

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

Tame te parāoa i mahi.
Tame made the bread.

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

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

Koa i mahi te parāoa.
Koa made the bread.

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?

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

Niko ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Niko picked these flowers.

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

Aria i pupuhi te manu.
Aria shot the bird.

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

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

haena
iron (clothes)

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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