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...
• Negating the past agent emphatic - ehara i...

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

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

Nāna te whare i whakapai.
She cleaned the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāna te kai i tunu.
He cooked the food.

Nāku i tunu te kai.
I cooked the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu ngā pereti i horoi.
You washed the plates.

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

Nā Hēmi i āwhina a Niko.
It was Hēmi who helped Niko.

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai taku motokā whakapai?
Who cleaned my car?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāu te whare i whakapai.
You cleaned the house.

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

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

Nāku ngā pereti i horoi.
I washed the plates.

haena
iron (clothes)

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

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

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

Nāna te parāoa i tunu.
He baked the bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te parāoa i mahi.
I made the bread.

Nā te kāmura.
It was done by the carpenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te waka i horoi.
I washed the car.

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

Nā rātou i kawe te patu.
They carried weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai rātou i nanaaki?
Who looked after them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nā wai tēnā i mahi?
Who did that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nāku te whare i whakapai.
I cleaned the house.

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