Māori Grammar

PreviousBack Next
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 te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

Niko ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Niko picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

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

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

Pāora i mahi te parāoa.
Pāora made the bread.

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

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

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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.

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

Taika te parāoa i mahi.
Taika made the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Manu i āwhina a Nikau.
It was Manu who helped Nikau.

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

Mia i pupuhi te manu.
Mia shot the bird.

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

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.

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

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

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.

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

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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.

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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