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Course Navigation: This lesson is part of a frequency-based Hausa course. Return to the course index at https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
What does “it” mean in Hausa?
English speakers learning Hausa face an immediate conceptual challenge with the word “it.” Unlike English, which uses “it” as a gender-neutral pronoun for things, animals, and abstract concepts, Hausa has no neuter pronoun. Instead, Hausa assigns grammatical gender (masculine or feminine) to ALL nouns, and the pronoun must match accordingly.
In Hausa, “it” is expressed as: -
Shi (he/it) - for masculine nouns -
Ita (she/it) - for feminine nouns
This means that when you want to say “it” in Hausa, you must first know whether the noun you’re referring to is grammatically masculine or feminine. A book, a house, steam, or a car - each has its own gender that must be learned along with the noun itself.
The TAM (Tense-Aspect-Mood) System
Hausa is remarkable in that subject pronouns fuse with tense markers. You cannot simply say “it” in isolation - the pronoun changes form depending on tense:
For masculine nouns (”it” = shi-forms): -
Ya (he/it-COMPLETIVE) - completed action: “Ya fadi” = It fell -
Yana (he/it-CONTINUATIVE) - ongoing action: “Yana nan” = It is here -
Zai (he/it-FUTURE) - future action: “Zai zo” = It will come
For feminine nouns (”it” = ita-forms): -
Ta (she/it-COMPLETIVE) - completed action: “Ta fadi” = It fell -
Tana (she/it-CONTINUATIVE) - ongoing action: “Tana nan” = It is here -
Za ta (she/it-FUTURE) - future action: “Za ta zo” = It will come
Key Takeaways: -
Hausa has no neuter “it” - use shi (masculine) or ita (feminine) -
Every noun in Hausa has grammatical gender that must be memorized -
Subject pronouns fuse with tense markers (ya/yana/zai for masculine; ta/tana/za ta for feminine) -
A subject pronoun must accompany every verb in Hausa -
The independent forms shi and ita are used for emphasis or after prepositions
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Shi /ʃí/ - High tone, like English “she” but shorter
Ita /ìtá/ - Low-high tone pattern; “ee-TAH”
Ya /jà/ - Low tone, like “yah” with falling pitch
Ta /tà/ - Low tone, like “tah” with falling pitch
Yana /jànáː/ - Low-high tone; “YAH-nah” with stress on second syllable
Tana /tànáː/ - Low-high tone; “TAH-nah” with stress on second syllable
Important Hausa Sounds: -
The hooked letters ɗ and ɓ are implosive consonants (air flows inward) -
The letter ƙ is an ejective (pronounced with a popping sound) -
Tone is phonemic - changing pitch changes meaning -
Double vowels indicate length: “aa” is held longer than “a”
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10.1 Littafi book(MASC) ya it-COMPLET fadi fell ƙasa ground
10.2 Ita it(FEM) ce is mota car ta of mahaifina my-father
10.3 Shi it(MASC) ne is gida house na of malami teacher
10.4 Ruwa water(MASC) yana it-is-CONT da with sanyi coldness
10.5 Rana sun(FEM) tana it-is-CONT da with zafi heat
10.6 Abinci food(MASC) ya it-COMPLET ƙare finish
10.7 Kujera chair(FEM) ta it-COMPLET karye break
10.8 Tururi steam(MASC) yana it-is-CONT da with zafi heat sosai very
10.9 Mota car(FEM) tana it-is-CONT da with tsada expensiveness sosai very
10.10 Wannan this shi it(MASC) ne is littafina my-book
10.11 Wancan that ita it(FEM) ce is rigata my-gown
10.12 Gida house(MASC) ya it-COMPLET ƙone burn
10.13 Tebur table(MASC) yana it-is-CONT nan here
10.14 Kofa door(FEM) tana it-is-CONT buɗe open
10.15 Abinci food(MASC) zai it-will yi do kyau good
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10.1 Littafi ya fadi ƙasa → “The book fell on the ground” (it = masculine)
10.2 Ita ce mota ta mahaifina → “It is my father’s car” (it = feminine)
10.3 Shi ne gida na malami → “It is the teacher’s house” (it = masculine)
10.4 Ruwa yana da sanyi → “The water is cold” (it has coldness)
10.5 Rana tana da zafi → “The sun is hot” (it has heat)
10.6 Abinci ya ƙare → “The food is finished” (it finished)
10.7 Kujera ta karye → “The chair broke” (it broke)
10.8 Tururi yana da zafi sosai → “The steam is very hot”
10.9 Mota tana da tsada sosai → “The car is very expensive”
10.10 Wannan shi ne littafina → “This is my book” (this, it is my book)
10.11 Wancan ita ce rigata → “That is my gown” (that, it is my gown)
10.12 Gida ya ƙone → “The house burned down”
10.13 Tebur yana nan → “The table is here”
10.14 Kofa tana buɗe → “The door is open”
10.15 Abinci zai yi kyau → “The food will be good”
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10.1 Littafi ya fadi ƙasa.
10.2 Ita ce mota ta mahaifina.
10.3 Shi ne gida na malami.
10.4 Ruwa yana da sanyi.
10.5 Rana tana da zafi.
10.6 Abinci ya ƙare.
10.7 Kujera ta karye.
10.8 Tururi yana da zafi sosai.
10.9 Mota tana da tsada sosai.
10.10 Wannan shi ne littafina.
10.11 Wancan ita ce rigata.
10.12 Gida ya ƙone.
10.13 Tebur yana nan.
10.14 Kofa tana buɗe.
10.15 Abinci zai yi kyau.
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Grammar Rules for “It” (Shi/Ita) in Hausa:
1. Grammatical Gender Assignment
Every Hausa noun belongs to either the masculine or feminine gender class. This is grammatical gender, not natural gender - a table (tebur) is masculine, while a door (kofa) is feminine, regardless of any physical characteristics. You must memorize the gender of each noun as you learn it.
Common masculine nouns: littafi (book), gida (house), ruwa (water), abinci (food), tebur (table), tururi (steam)
Common feminine nouns: mota (car), rana (sun), kujera (chair), kofa (door), riga (gown), kasa (ground)
2. The TAM Pronoun System
Hausa marks tense through different pronoun forms rather than verb conjugations. The pronoun and tense marker are fused into one word:
MASCULINE (shi-forms): -
Completive (past/completed): ya - “Ya zo” = He/It came -
Continuative (present/ongoing): yana - “Yana nan” = He/It is here -
Future: zai - “Zai tafi” = He/It will go -
Subjunctive: ya (same form, different context)
FEMININE (ita-forms): -
Completive (past/completed): ta - “Ta zo” = She/It came -
Continuative (present/ongoing): tana - “Tana nan” = She/It is here -
Future: za ta - “Za ta tafi” = She/It will go -
Subjunctive: ta (same form, different context)
3. Independent vs. Preverbal Pronouns
Independent forms (shi, ita) are used: -
For emphasis: “Shi ne!” = It is (that one)! -
In equative sentences: “Wannan shi ne” = This is it -
After prepositions: “da shi” = with it
Preverbal forms (ya/yana/zai or ta/tana/za ta) are used: -
Before verbs: “Ya fadi” = It fell -
In verbal sentences: “Yana da kyau” = It is good
4. The “Da” Construction for Adjectives
Hausa often expresses what English says with adjectives using “yana/tana da” (it has/is with): -
“Yana da zafi” = It is hot (literally: It is with heat) -
“Tana da tsada” = It is expensive (literally: It is with expensiveness) -
“Yana da sanyi” = It is cold (literally: It is with coldness)
5. Common Errors by English Speakers -
Using “shi” for all objects regardless of gender -
Forgetting to include the subject pronoun (Hausa is NOT pro-drop) -
Using the wrong tense form (ya vs. yana) -
Translating English adjectives directly instead of using “da + noun”
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The Concept of Grammatical Gender in Hausa Culture
For English speakers, the absence of a neuter “it” can feel strange, but this reflects a broader pattern in Hausa thought. The language, spoken by over 90 million people across West Africa, treats all things as belonging to categories - nothing is truly neutral or undefined.
Hausa is part of the Chadic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Unlike the natural gender systems of languages like Spanish or French (where gender often correlates with word endings), Hausa gender assignment can seem arbitrary to learners. However, there are some patterns: -
Words borrowed from Arabic often retain Arabic gender -
Words ending in -a are often (but not always) feminine -
Many abstract concepts and large objects tend to be masculine
Regional Notes:
Hausa is spoken across Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Cameroon, and beyond. The standard dialect is based on Kano Hausa. In 2025, Niger adopted Hausa as its sole official language, replacing French. This makes understanding Hausa increasingly important for engagement with West Africa.
Practical Usage:
In everyday speech, Hausa speakers don’t consciously think about gender - it’s automatic. When learning, it helps to memorize nouns with their TAM forms: instead of just “mota” (car), learn “mota tana” (the car is...) to reinforce the feminine gender.
Proverbs Using Pronouns:
“Kaza mai-yaya, ita ke tsoro shirwa” - “It is the hen with chicks that fears the hawk.” Here “ita” (she/it) refers back to “kaza” (hen), which is feminine.
“Gingidin kunama, kowa ya taba, shi sha kashi” - “The snoozing scorpion - whoever touches it quickly gets a blow.” Here “shi” (he/it) refers to the masculine noun “kunama” (scorpion).
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From Hausa Proverbs - Traditional Wisdom
F-A: Interlinear Analysis
Kaza hen(FEM) mai-yaya with-chicks ita it(FEM) ke is-REL tsoro fearing shirwa hawk
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Kaza mai-yaya, ita ke tsoro shirwa → “It is the hen with chicks that fears the hawk” (The one with something to lose is the one who worries)
F-C: Original Hausa Text
Kaza mai-yaya, ita ke tsoro shirwa.
F-D: Grammar and Cultural Commentary
This proverb demonstrates the emphatic use of “ita” (it/she - feminine). The hen (kaza) is grammatically feminine, so the pronoun that refers back to it must be “ita.” The construction “ita ke” is a focus construction meaning “it is [she] who...” - used to emphasize the subject.
The proverb teaches that those with responsibilities or possessions are the ones who experience fear and anxiety. A hen without chicks has nothing to lose; the mother hen must be vigilant. This reflects Hausa values around the weight of responsibility and the wisdom of those who have something precious to protect.
Note how the pronoun “ita” is essential here - it creates the emphatic structure. Without it, the sentence would lose its proverbial, emphatic quality and become a simple statement.
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A: Interlinear Construed Text
10.16 Yaya how mota car(FEM) tana it-is-CONT
10.17 Tana it-is-CONT da with kyau goodness sosai very
10.18 Wannan this littafi book(MASC) ya it-COMPLET tsufa become-old
10.19 I yes shi it(MASC) ya it-COMPLET tsufa become-old amma but yana it-is-CONT da with amfani usefulness
10.20 Nawa how-much ne is shi it(MASC)
10.21 Shi it(MASC) ne is naira naira ɗari hundred
10.22 Mota car(FEM) ta it-COMPLET lalace spoil
10.23 A’a no ba not ta it-COMPLET lalace spoil ba not tana it-is-CONT da with lafiya health
10.24 Wannan this kujera chair(FEM) tana it-is-CONT da with ƙarfi strength
10.25 I yes ita it(FEM) ta it-COMPLET fi surpass wancan that
10.26 Me what ya it-COMPLET faru happen
10.27 Kofa door(FEM) ta it-COMPLET karye break
10.28 Tebur table(MASC) yana it-is-CONT da with nauyi weight sosai very
10.29 Za will mu we gyara repair shi it(MASC)
10.30 Da with kyau goodness za will ta it(FEM) yi do aiki work sosai very
B: Natural Sentences
10.16 Yaya mota tana? → “How is the car?”
10.17 Tana da kyau sosai → “It is very good”
10.18 Wannan littafi ya tsufa → “This book has gotten old”
10.19 I, shi ya tsufa, amma yana da amfani → “Yes, it is old, but it is useful”
10.20 Nawa ne shi? → “How much is it?”
10.21 Shi ne naira ɗari → “It is one hundred naira”
10.22 Mota ta lalace → “The car broke down”
10.23 A’a, ba ta lalace ba, tana da lafiya → “No, it didn’t break down, it is fine”
10.24 Wannan kujera tana da ƙarfi → “This chair is strong”
10.25 I, ita ta fi wancan → “Yes, it is better than that one”
10.26 Me ya faru? → “What happened?”
10.27 Kofa ta karye → “The door broke”
10.28 Tebur yana da nauyi sosai → “The table is very heavy”
10.29 Za mu gyara shi → “We will repair it”
10.30 Da kyau, za ta yi aiki sosai → “Good, it will work very well”
C: Hausa Text Only
10.16 Yaya mota tana?
10.17 Tana da kyau sosai.
10.18 Wannan littafi ya tsufa.
10.19 I, shi ya tsufa, amma yana da amfani.
10.20 Nawa ne shi?
10.21 Shi ne naira ɗari.
10.22 Mota ta lalace.
10.23 A’a, ba ta lalace ba, tana da lafiya.
10.24 Wannan kujera tana da ƙarfi.
10.25 I, ita ta fi wancan.
10.26 Me ya faru?
10.27 Kofa ta karye.
10.28 Tebur yana da nauyi sosai.
10.29 Za mu gyara shi.
10.30 Da kyau, za ta yi aiki sosai.
D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This dialogue demonstrates practical usage of “it” pronouns in everyday market conversation:
Asking about things: “Yaya... tana/yana?” (How is it?) - Use tana for feminine nouns, yana for masculine
Prices: “Nawa ne shi?” (How much is it?) - Using the independent pronoun “shi” after the question word
Negation: “Ba ta lalace ba” (It didn’t break) - The double “ba...ba” construction surrounds the verb for negation
Comparison: “Ita ta fi wancan” (It is better than that one) - The verb “fi” (surpass) is used for comparisons
Object Pronouns: “Za mu gyara shi” (We will repair it) - Here “shi” appears as the object pronoun at the end
Note how speakers constantly track grammatical gender throughout the conversation, switching between shi/ita and ya/ta/yana/tana depending on what object they’re discussing.
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Special Hausa Characters:
Ɓ ɓ - Implosive b; air flows inward as you pronounce it. Like starting to say “b” but swallowing the sound.
Ɗ ɗ - Implosive d; air flows inward. Like a “d” pronounced while slightly inhaling.
Ƙ ƙ - Ejective k; pronounced with a popping sound, using glottal pressure. More forceful than English “k.”
Hooked y (ʼy) - Used in Niger; Nigeria writes this as ‘y. Represents the glottal stop plus y sound.
Tone Patterns:
Hausa has three tones: high (´), low (`), and falling (ˆ). Standard Hausa orthography does not mark tones, but they are crucial for meaning: -
dàgà (low-low) = “from” -
dāgā (high-high, long) = “battle”
Both are written “daga” in standard spelling.
Vowel Length:
Long vowels are sometimes written doubled (aa, ee, ii, oo, uu) in pedagogical materials but are typically not marked in everyday writing.
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s frequency-based Hausa course, teaching the 1,000 most common English words and their Hausa equivalents through the construed reading method. Each lesson focuses on one high-frequency word, providing 30 example sentences with interlinear glossing, natural translations, and extensive grammatical and cultural context.
The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, developing the construed reading methodology that makes even challenging languages accessible to autodidact learners.
Course Resources: -
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
Latinum Institute: https://latinum.org.uk -
Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
The frequency-based approach ensures that learners acquire the most useful vocabulary first. Research shows that the 1,000 most common words in any language account for approximately 80% of everyday communication. By mastering these core words thoroughly - with full grammatical understanding and authentic usage examples - learners build a solid foundation for practical fluency.
A Note on Hausa:
Hausa is one of Africa’s most important languages, serving as a lingua franca across much of West Africa. With over 90 million speakers, it is the largest Chadic language and has a rich literary tradition in both the Arabic-based Ajami script and the Latin-based Boko script introduced during the colonial period. Learning Hausa opens doors to understanding the culture, commerce, and history of Nigeria, Niger, and neighboring regions.
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Lesson 10 Complete - Shi/Ita: The Third Person Pronoun “It” in Hausa
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