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"To" is a small word with two quite different jobs in English, and neither has a single word in Hausa.
- "To" before a noun is a preposition of direction: "We went to the market." Hausa says Mun je kasuwa, with no word for "to" after je (go), or uses zuwa: zuwa kasuwa. - "To" before a verb is the infinitive marker: "I want to go." This is the "to" of this lesson. Hausa has no infinitive and no word for it. Instead Hausa puts the second verb in the subjunctive, with a pronoun that shows who does the action: Ina son in tafi, literally "I want I-go".
Purpose is a third use, and Hausa has a word for it: "We went to the market to buy rice" = Mun je kasuwa don mu sayi shinkafa. Here English "to buy" means "in order to buy", and Hausa says don mu sayi.
The verb after the infinitive "to" never changes. It is always the base form: to go, to eat, to see. It does not take -s, -ed or -ing, whoever does the action.
What does "to" mean in Hausa? Before a place: zuwa, or nothing. Before a verb of purpose: don (also domin). Before any other verb: nothing; the subjunctive pronoun (in, ka, ki, ya, ta, mu, ku, su) takes its place.
Key Takeaways:
- Infinitive "to" + base verb: "I want to go." Hausa: Ina son in tafi. - The verb after "to" never changes: "She wants to eat", never "She wants to eats". - "To" for purpose = don: "to buy rice" = don mu sayi shinkafa. - When another person does the action, English says object + to: "I want him to go" = Ina son ya tafi. - After can, must, will, should, English has no "to": "She can swim", never "She can to swim".
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to — strong form /tuː/; weak form /tə/ before a consonant (to go /tə ɡəʊ/); weak form /tʊ/ before a vowel (to eat /tʊ iːt/)
too and two — both /tuː/, the same sound as the strong form of "to"
In running speech "to" is nearly always weak. The vowel /ə/ (as in the last sound of "sofa") does not exist in Hausa. Keep it short and unstressed: do not say "tuu go", with a long vowel, in every sentence. Stress the verb after "to", not "to" itself: "I want to GO".
In fast speech some groups fuse with "to": "want to" becomes "wanna" /ˈwɒnə/, "going to" becomes "gonna" /ˈɡʌnə/ and "have to" becomes "hafta" /ˈhæftə/. You will hear these every day. Learn to understand them; in writing, use the full words.
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In Section A each English word is followed by its Hausa word. (babu) means that Hausa has no word for this English word. 〃 means that the meaning is already carried by another Hausa word in the same sentence. Notice how often the English word "to" has (babu) under it, and how the pronoun in, ka, ya, mu… takes its place.
12.1 I ina want son to in go tafi
12.2 She tana wants son to ta eat ci abinci
12.3 We muna want son to mu work yi aiki
12.4 He yana wants son to ya sleep yi barci
12.5 They suna want son to su play yi wasa
12.6 Do (babu) you kana want son to ka rest huta now yanzu?
12.7 I ina need buƙatar to in go tafi home gida
12.8 The (babu) children yaran began sun fara to (babu) sing rera waƙa
12.9 My 〃 mother mahaifiyata wants tana son me in to (babu) rest huta
12.10 We mun went je to (babu) the (babu) market kasuwa to don mu buy sayi rice shinkafa
12.11 She tana is 〃 learning koyon to (babu) read karatu
12.12 He 〃 has dole ne to ya work yi aiki tomorrow gobe
12.13 I ina hope fata to in see gan you ka soon nan ba da daɗewa ba
12.14 It yana is da important muhimmanci to a drink sha clean mai tsabta water ruwa
12.15 To (babu) learn koyon English Turanci takes yana ɗaukar time lokaci
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12.1 I want to go. Ina son in tafi.
12.2 She wants to eat. Tana son ta ci abinci.
12.3 We want to work. Muna son mu yi aiki.
12.4 He wants to sleep. Yana son ya yi barci.
12.5 They want to play. Suna son su yi wasa.
12.6 Do you want to rest now? Kana son ka huta yanzu?
12.7 I need to go home. Ina buƙatar in tafi gida.
12.8 The children began to sing. Yaran sun fara rera waƙa.
12.9 My mother wants me to rest. Mahaifiyata tana son in huta.
12.10 We went to the market to buy rice. Mun je kasuwa don mu sayi shinkafa.
12.11 She is learning to read. Tana koyon karatu.
12.12 He has to work tomorrow. Dole ne ya yi aiki gobe.
12.13 I hope to see you soon. Ina fata in gan ka nan ba da daɗewa ba.
12.14 It is important to drink clean water. Yana da muhimmanci a sha ruwa mai tsabta.
12.15 To learn English takes time. Koyon Turanci yana ɗaukar lokaci.
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12.1 I want to go.
12.2 She wants to eat.
12.3 We want to work.
12.4 He wants to sleep.
12.5 They want to play.
12.6 Do you want to rest now?
12.7 I need to go home.
12.8 The children began to sing.
12.9 My mother wants me to rest.
12.10 We went to the market to buy rice.
12.11 She is learning to read.
12.12 He has to work tomorrow.
12.13 I hope to see you soon.
12.14 It is important to drink clean water.
12.15 To learn English takes time.
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These are the grammar rules for "to" in English:
1. Two different "to". Before a noun or a place, "to" is a preposition: "We went to the market" (12.10). Before a verb, "to" is the infinitive marker: "I want to go" (12.1). Look at the word after "to": a noun (the market) means the preposition; a verb (go) means the infinitive.
2. Hausa uses the subjunctive. After so (want), buƙata (need), fata (hope) and dole ne (it is necessary), Hausa puts the next verb in the subjunctive, and the pronoun of that verb names the doer: - in (I) — Ina son in tafi: I want to go - ka (you, a man), ki (you, a woman) — Kana son ka huta: Do you want to rest? - ya (he), ta (she) — Yana son ya yi barci: He wants to sleep - mu (we), ku (you, several), su (they) — Suna son su yi wasa: They want to play
English has none of these pronouns. It says only "to" + the base verb, and the doer is the subject of the first verb: "I want to go", "She wants to eat", "They want to play".
3. The verb after "to" never changes. In Hausa the pronoun and the verb change with the person (ina, tana, muna). In English, the verb after "to" stays the same for every person: "to go" for I, he, we and they. Only the first verb can change: "I want", "she wants".
4. A different doer: object + to. When the person who wants is not the person who acts, English puts the object before "to": "My mother wants me to rest" (12.9) = Mahaifiyata tana son in huta. Say "I want him to come"; not "I want that he comes". The same pattern follows tell, ask and allow: "I told him to go" = Na gaya masa ya tafi.
5. "To" of purpose = don. "We went to the market to buy rice" (12.10) = Mun je kasuwa don mu sayi shinkafa. English also says "in order to buy", which is longer and more formal. The negative is "in order not to" or "so as not to": don kada ka manta = "so as not to forget" (12.26).
6. Verbal nouns. After fara (begin), koyo (learn) and ƙoƙari (try), Hausa often uses a verbal noun: tana koyon karatu, "she is learning reading" (12.11). English uses "to" + verb: "she is learning to read". After "begin", English can also take -ing: "The children began to sing" or "began singing".
7. Verbs that take "to" + verb. want to, need to, hope to, begin to, try to, learn to, like to, decide to, plan to, forget to, have to. Learn each one with "to".
8. "To" as a subject. "To learn English takes time" (12.15). More usual in speech: "Learning English takes time" or "It takes time to learn English". Hausa: Koyon Turanci yana ɗaukar lokaci.
9. Questions and negatives. "Do" goes with the first verb, not with "to": "Do you want to rest?" (12.6); "I do not want to forget" (12.25). The words "to go" stay as they are.
10. No "to" after the modal verbs can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must. "She can swim", "We must go", "I will try". "Have to" is not a modal and keeps its "to": "He has to work" (12.12).
Common Mistakes:
- "I want that I go." (from ina son in tafi). Correct: I want to go. - "I want that he comes." Correct: I want him to come. - "She wants to eats." Correct: She wants to eat. The verb after "to" has no -s. - "I want to going." Correct: I want to go. No -ing after "to" of the infinitive. - "We went to the market for buy rice." Correct: We went to the market to buy rice. Do not use "for" before a verb. - "It is important that drink water." Correct: It is important to drink water. - "He must to go." Correct: He must go. No "to" after a modal verb. - "I went to home." Correct: I went home. No "to" before home. - Writing "too" or "two" for "to". The three words sound the same: to (go), too (also), two (2).
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"To" is among the most frequent words of English, because every infinitive carries one. A learner who leaves it out, or puts "for" in its place, is understood at once, but the sentence sounds unfinished. Teachers and examiners notice it.
Requests. In Hausa the subjunctive can itself be a command: Ka zo, "come". In English, "I want you to come" is direct; "I would like you to come" and "Could you come?" are softer, and are the usual choice with a stranger or an older person.
Reported commands. Hausa says Na gaya masa ya tafi, "I told him he should go". English says "I told him to go". "Tell", "ask" and "want" all take object + to: tell someone to, ask someone to, want someone to.
Spoken forms. In ordinary speech and in songs you will hear "wanna", "gonna" and "gotta". They are right for speech and wrong for an essay or a letter. In writing, use "want to", "going to" and "have to".
Fixed phrases with "to": - to be honest — said before a frank remark - to tell the truth — the same - nice to meet you — said when you first meet someone - I look forward to seeing you — here "to" is a preposition, so -ing follows
British and American English use "to" in the same way, and Nigerian English follows the same rule. A short answer may end on "to" alone: "Would you like to come?" "Yes, I'd like to."
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Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1: the opening of Hamlet's soliloquy. The Hausa below is the rendering of this course, made to show the grammar. It is not a published translation.
"To (babu) be kasancewa, or ko not rashin to (babu) be kasancewa, that wannan is ita ce the (babu) question tambayar" - Hamlet 3.1
"To be, or not to be, that is the question." "Kasancewa ko rashin kasancewa, wannan ita ce tambayar." (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1)
The most famous line in English begins with an infinitive used as the subject of the sentence: "To be" is the thing that is in question. Hausa has no infinitive, so the course renders it with the verbal noun kasancewa ("being"), and "not to be" with rashin kasancewa ("lack of being"). The same verb, "be", is set against its own negation, and the whole line rests on the small word "to".
- "To be" and "not to be" are infinitives. The negative puts "not" before "to": "not to be", as in "so as not to forget" (12.26). - "That is the question" says what the two infinitives are: the question is the choice between them. - The comma after "to be" is the speaker's pause; the line is read: To BE, or not to BE.
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12.16 Musa: Do (babu) you kana want son to ka go je to (babu) Kano Kano tomorrow gobe?
12.17 Aisha: Yes eh, I ina want son to in see ga Grandmother Kaka
12.18 Musa: We 〃 have dole ne to mu go tafi early da wuri
12.19 Aisha: I zan will 〃 try yi ƙoƙarin to (babu) wake up tashi at da five biyar o'clock ƙarfe
12.20 Musa: Good madalla. I ina have da money kuɗi to don in buy sayi the (babu) tickets tikiti
12.21 Aisha: I zan will 〃 bring kawo food abinci to don mu eat ci on a cikin the (babu) bus bas
12.22 Musa: Grandmother Kaka likes tana son to ta cook yi girki for mana us 〃
12.23 Aisha: Grandmother Kaka always kullum wants tana son us mu to (babu) stay zauna for (babu) a (babu) week mako ɗaya
12.24 Musa: We 〃 also kuma have dole ne to mu visit ziyarci our 〃 uncle kawunmu
12.25 Aisha: I ba na do 〃 not 〃 want son to in forget manta da the (babu) gift kyautar
12.26 Musa: Put saka it ta in a your jakarka bag 〃 now yanzu so don as 〃 not kada to ka forget manta da it ita
12.27 Aisha: Now yanzu I ina want son to in sleep yi barci
12.28 Musa: Sleep ka kwana well lafiya because saboda we 〃 have dole ne to mu get up tashi early da wuri
12.29 Aisha: In da the (babu) morning safe we mu will za go tafi to (babu) the (babu) bus bas station tashar
12.30 Musa: We mu will za travel yi tafiya to don mu see ga our 〃 grandmother kakarmu
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12.16 Musa: Do you want to go to Kano tomorrow? Musa: Kana son ka je Kano gobe?
12.17 Aisha: Yes, I want to see Grandmother. Aisha: Eh, ina son in ga Kaka.
12.18 Musa: We have to go early. Musa: Dole ne mu tafi da wuri.
12.19 Aisha: I will try to wake up at five o'clock. Aisha: Zan yi ƙoƙarin tashi da ƙarfe biyar.
12.20 Musa: Good. I have money to buy the tickets. Musa: Madalla. Ina da kuɗi don in sayi tikiti.
12.21 Aisha: I will bring food to eat on the bus. Aisha: Zan kawo abinci don mu ci a cikin bas.
12.22 Musa: Grandmother likes to cook for us. Musa: Kaka tana son ta yi mana girki.
12.23 Aisha: Grandmother always wants us to stay for a week. Aisha: Kaka kullum tana son mu zauna mako ɗaya.
12.24 Musa: We also have to visit our uncle. Musa: Dole ne kuma mu ziyarci kawunmu.
12.25 Aisha: I do not want to forget the gift. Aisha: Ba na son in manta da kyautar.
12.26 Musa: Put it in your bag now, so as not to forget it. Musa: Saka ta a jakarka yanzu don kada ka manta da ita.
12.27 Aisha: Now I want to sleep. Aisha: Yanzu ina son in yi barci.
12.28 Musa: Sleep well, because we have to get up early. Musa: Ka kwana lafiya, saboda dole ne mu tashi da wuri.
12.29 Aisha: In the morning we will go to the bus station. Aisha: Da safe za mu tafi tashar bas.
12.30 Musa: We will travel to see our grandmother. Musa: Za mu yi tafiya don mu ga kakarmu.
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12.16 Musa: Do you want to go to Kano tomorrow?
12.17 Aisha: Yes, I want to see Grandmother.
12.18 Musa: We have to go early.
12.19 Aisha: I will try to wake up at five o'clock.
12.20 Musa: Good. I have money to buy the tickets.
12.21 Aisha: I will bring food to eat on the bus.
12.22 Musa: Grandmother likes to cook for us.
12.23 Aisha: Grandmother always wants us to stay for a week.
12.24 Musa: We also have to visit our uncle.
12.25 Aisha: I do not want to forget the gift.
12.26 Musa: Put it in your bag now, so as not to forget it.
12.27 Aisha: Now I want to sleep.
12.28 Musa: Sleep well, because we have to get up early.
12.29 Aisha: In the morning we will go to the bus station.
12.30 Musa: We will travel to see our grandmother.
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The dialogue uses "to" in every way of this lesson:
- Want to: "Do you want to go?" (12.16), "I want to see Grandmother" (12.17), "Now I want to sleep" (12.27). The first speaker asks with "do"; the answer repeats "want to". - Want someone to: "Grandmother always wants us to stay" (12.23). Object (us) + to + base verb. Hausa: tana son mu zauna. - Have to: "We have to go early" (12.18), "We also have to visit our uncle" (12.24), "we have to get up early" (12.28) = dole ne mu… With "has" for he or she, as in lesson 11: "She has to go." - Try to: "I will try to wake up at five o'clock" (12.19). After "will" there is no "to"; the "to" belongs to "try to wake up". - Like to: "Grandmother likes to cook for us" (12.22). - Purpose: "money to buy the tickets" (12.20), "food to eat" (12.21), "to see our grandmother" (12.30) = don in sayi, don mu ci, don mu ga. The "to" tells why. - Negative: "I do not want to forget" (12.25); "so as not to forget it" (12.26). Compare: the first negates the wanting, the second negates the forgetting. - Preposition "to": "to Kano" (12.16) and "to the bus station" (12.29). Hausa uses no word here, just the verb: je Kano, tafi tashar bas. Compare "to go" (infinitive) with "go to Kano" (preposition): both words "to" are the same in English but different in Hausa.
Politeness. In 12.16 and 12.26 the speakers are family, so the direct question and command are natural. With a stranger or an older person, English would say "Would you like to go to Kano tomorrow?" or "Could you put it in your bag?"
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- Weak "to": in "I want to go" the sentence is said /aɪ ˈwɒnt tə ˈɡəʊ/. The stress falls on "want" and "go", not on "to". - "To" before a vowel is /tʊ/ or /tu/: "to eat", "to ask", "to open". - "Want to" is often said "wanna" /ˈwɒnə/, "going to" "gonna" /ˈɡʌnə/, "have to" "hafta" /ˈhæftə/, and "has to" "hasta" /ˈhæstə/. Write the full words. - Spelling: to (before a verb or a place), too (also; more than enough), two (the number 2). Say them the same; write them differently. - English has no hooked letters like ɓ, ɗ and ƙ, and no tone marks. Write "to", not "tɔ" or "tó". - Contractions: I'd like to, we'd like to, she'd like to — "'d" is "would", and "like to" is still followed by the base verb.
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