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".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

wai te pūhā i kato?
Who picked the pūhā?

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

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

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

wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

māua ngā tamariki i tiki.
We got the kids.

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

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

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

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

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

rātou ngā pereti i horoi.
They washed the plates.

wai te papa i tahitahi?
Who swept the floor?

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

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

rātou i horoi ngā pereti.
They washed the plates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāku tēnei kete.
This kit is mine.

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

wai i mahi te parāoa?
Who made the bread?

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

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

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

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

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

wai taku wai i inu?
Who drank my water?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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.

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

Tame i mahi te parāoa.
Tame made the bread.

wai i kato te pūhā?
Who picked the pūhā?

Honi ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Honi picked these flowers.

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

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

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

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

mātou te kai i tunu.
We cooked the food.

Rangi i pupuhi te manu.
Rangi shot the bird.

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

Hera te parāoa i mahi.
Hera made the bread.

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

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

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

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

wai ngā pereti i horoi?
Who washed the plates?

wai te kai i tunu?
Who cooked for food?

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

wai te parāoa i mahi?
Who made the bread?

wai i horoi ngā pereti?
Who washed the plates?

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

rātou ngā manuhiri i pōhiri.
They welcomed the guests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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?

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

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

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

rātou māmā.
It was their mother who did it.

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

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

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

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

wai ngā rihi i horoi?
Who washed the dishes?

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

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

wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

wai te whare i whakatika?
Who fixed the house?