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Welcome to Lesson 16 of the Latinum Institute Hausa Modern Language Course, where we explore shi (شِ) - the third person masculine singular pronoun meaning “he” or “him.” Hausa, spoken by over 70 million people across Nigeria, Niger, and West Africa, presents a fascinating pronoun system that differs significantly from English.
Unlike English, where “he” remains constant regardless of tense, Hausa encodes tense, aspect, and mood directly into its pronoun system. The independent pronoun shi (”he/him”) combines with various aspectual markers to create forms like ya (completive - “he did”), yana (continuative - “he is doing”), and zai (future - “he will”). Hausa is what linguists call a “non-pro-drop” language: a subject pronoun must accompany every verb, even when the subject is already known from context.
This lesson presents examples in both Boko (the modern Latin-based orthography) and Ajami (the traditional Arabic-derived script used since the 17th century). Nigerian currency still displays Hausa values in Ajami, demonstrating the script’s continued cultural significance.
FAQ: What does “he” mean in Hausa? “He” is expressed in Hausa primarily through the pronoun shi (شِ, pronounced /ʃí/ with high tone). However, in actual sentences, Hausa typically uses aspectual pronoun forms: ya (he did/has done), yana (he is doing), or zai (he will do). The emphatic or independent form shi is used for emphasis, in responses, or as an object pronoun.
For more lessons in this series, visit the course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
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shi (شِ) is the independent/emphatic form meaning “he” or “him” -
Hausa marks aspect through pronoun changes, not verb changes -
ya signals completed action, yana signals ongoing action, zai signals future -
Hausa requires subject pronouns with every verb (non-pro-drop language) -
Both Boko (Latin) and Ajami (Arabic) scripts are used for Hausa
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In this section, each example appears twice. Line “a” presents the Boko (Latin) script with word-by-word English glosses. Line “b” presents the Ajami (Arabic) script with romanization in parentheses and matching glosses. A blank line separates the two for clarity.
16.1a Shi he ya he-COMP zo come yau today
شِ (shi) he يَ (ya) he-COMP زُو (zo) come يَوْ (yau) today
16.2a Yana he-is aiki work a at gona farm
يَنَ (yana) he-is أَيْكِ (aiki) work أَ (a) at غُونَ (gona) farm
16.3a Shi he ne is-MASC malami teacher
شِ (shi) he نِ (ne) is-MASC مَلَمِ (malami) teacher
16.4a Ya he-COMP karanta read littafi book
يَ (ya) he-COMP كَرَنْتَ (karanta) read لِتَّفِ (littafi) book
16.5a Zai he-will tafi go gobe tomorrow
زَيْ (zai) he-will تَفِ (tafi) go غُوبِ (gobe) tomorrow
16.6a Shi he yana he-is da with kuɗi money
شِ (shi) he يَنَ (yana) he-is دَ (da) with كُدِ (kuɗi) money
16.7a Ya he-COMP gani see su them a at kasuwa market
يَ (ya) he-COMP غَنِ (gani) see سُ (su) them أَ (a) at كَسُوَ (kasuwa) market
16.8a Ina where shi he yake he-is-REL
إِنَ (ina) where شِ (shi) he يَكِ (yake) he-is-REL
16.9a Shi him na I-COMP kira call
شِ (shi) him نَ (na) I-COMP كِرَ (kira) call
16.10a Ya he-COMP ce say gaskiya truth ne is-MASC
يَ (ya) he-COMP چِ (ce) say غَسْكِيَ (gaskiya) truth نِ (ne) is-MASC
16.11a Shi he kadai alone ya he-COMP sani know
شِ (shi) he كَدَيْ (kadai) alone يَ (ya) he-COMP سَنِ (sani) know
16.12a Yana he-is son wanting abinci food
يَنَ (yana) he-is سُنْ (son) wanting أَبِنْچِ (abinci) food
16.13a Wane which ne is-MASC shi he
وَنِ (wane) which نِ (ne) is-MASC شِ (shi) he
16.14a Ya he-COMP dawo return daga from tafiya journey
يَ (ya) he-COMP دَوُو (dawo) return دَغَ (daga) from تَفِيَ (tafiya) journey
16.15a Ba NEG shi he ba NEG ne is-MASC
بَ (ba) NEG شِ (shi) he بَ (ba) NEG نِ (ne) is-MASC
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16.1 Shi ya zo yau. شِ يَ زُو يَوْ۔ “He came today.”
16.2 Yana aiki a gona. يَنَ أَيْكِ أَ غُونَ۔ “He is working at the farm.”
16.3 Shi ne malami. شِ نِ مَلَمِ۔ “He is the teacher.”
16.4 Ya karanta littafi. يَ كَرَنْتَ لِتَّفِ۔ “He read a book.”
16.5 Zai tafi gobe. زَيْ تَفِ غُوبِ۔ “He will go tomorrow.”
16.6 Shi yana da kuɗi. شِ يَنَ دَ كُدِ۔ “He has money.”
16.7 Ya gani su a kasuwa. يَ غَنِ سُ أَ كَسُوَ۔ “He saw them at the market.”
16.8 Ina shi yake? إِنَ شِ يَكِ؟ “Where is he?”
16.9 Shi na kira. شِ نَ كِرَ۔ “I called him.”
16.10 Ya ce gaskiya ne. يَ چِ غَسْكِيَ نِ۔ “He said it is true.”
16.11 Shi kadai ya sani. شِ كَدَيْ يَ سَنِ۔ “Only he knew.”
16.12 Yana son abinci. يَنَ سُنْ أَبِنْچِ۔ “He wants food.”
16.13 Wane ne shi? وَنِ نِ شِ؟ “Who is he?”
16.14 Ya dawo daga tafiya. يَ دَوُو دَغَ تَفِيَ۔ “He returned from the journey.”
16.15 Ba shi ba ne. بَ شِ بَ نِ۔ “It is not him.”
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16.1 Shi ya zo yau. شِ يَ زُو يَوْ۔
16.2 Yana aiki a gona. يَنَ أَيْكِ أَ غُونَ۔
16.3 Shi ne malami. شِ نِ مَلَمِ۔
16.4 Ya karanta littafi. يَ كَرَنْتَ لِتَّفِ۔
16.5 Zai tafi gobe. زَيْ تَفِ غُوبِ۔
16.6 Shi yana da kuɗi. شِ يَنَ دَ كُدِ۔
16.7 Ya gani su a kasuwa. يَ غَنِ سُ أَ كَسُوَ۔
16.8 Ina shi yake? إِنَ شِ يَكِ؟
16.9 Shi na kira. شِ نَ كِرَ۔
16.10 Ya ce gaskiya ne. يَ چِ غَسْكِيَ نِ۔
16.11 Shi kadai ya sani. شِ كَدَيْ يَ سَنِ۔
16.12 Yana son abinci. يَنَ سُنْ أَبِنْچِ۔
16.13 Wane ne shi? وَنِ نِ شِ؟
16.14 Ya dawo daga tafiya. يَ دَوُو دَغَ تَفِيَ۔
16.15 Ba shi ba ne. بَ شِ بَ نِ۔
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These are the grammar rules for shi and its related forms in Hausa.
Hausa expresses “he” through multiple forms depending on grammatical context:
Independent/Emphatic Form: shi -
Used for emphasis: “Shi ya zo” (HE came, not someone else) -
Used as object: “Na gani shi” (I saw him) -
Used in responses: “Wane ne?” “Shi” (Who is it? Him) -
Used with copula: “Shi ne malami” (He is the teacher)
Aspectual Subject Pronouns (attached to verbs): -
ya - Completive aspect (completed action): “Ya tafi” (He went/has gone) -
yana - Continuative aspect (ongoing action): “Yana aiki” (He is working) -
yake - Relative continuative: “Ina shi yake?” (Where is he?) -
zai - Future: “Zai zo” (He will come) -
ya - Subjunctive: “don ya zo” (so that he may come)
Hausa maintains strict gender distinction in third person singular: -
Masculine: shi/ya/yana/zai -
Feminine: ita/ta/tana/zata
Compare: -
“Shi ya zo” (He came) -
“Ita ta zo” (She came)
Hausa uses copular particles for identification: -
ne - masculine: “Shi ne” (It is he/him) -
ce - feminine: “Ita ce” (It is she/her)
Hausa negates using a double ba frame: -
“Ba shi ba ne” (It is not him) -
“Bai zo ba” (He did not come) - note: ya becomes bai in negation
Hausa has no verb “to have.” Instead, it uses da (with) plus aspectual pronouns: -
“Shi yana da kuɗi” (He has money - literally “He is with money”)
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Using shi where an aspectual form is needed: Say “Ya tafi” not “*Shi tafi” for “He went” -
Forgetting the pronoun entirely: Hausa requires pronouns with every verb -
Using wrong copula: Use ne for masculine subjects, ce for feminine -
Wrong negation pattern: Remember to use ba...ba frame, and note pronoun changes (ya → bai)
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In Hausa culture, proper pronoun usage reflects social awareness and respect. While shi is straightforward for “he,” speakers must navigate complex social situations when addressing others directly, particularly regarding age, status, and gender.
The core pronoun system remains stable across Hausa dialects in Nigeria and Niger. Minor variations occur in pronunciation and some aspectual markers, but shi and its related forms are universal.
When speaking about respected individuals (elders, chiefs, religious leaders), speakers often avoid direct pronouns in favor of titles or circumlocution. Rather than “Shi ya zo,” one might say “Sarki ya zo” (The chief has come) to show respect.
Hausa literature, particularly the 19th-century poetry of the Sokoto Caliphate, demonstrates sophisticated pronoun usage. Poets like Nana Asma’u employed pronouns skillfully in religious verse. The pronoun system has remained remarkably stable over centuries, with forms found in early Ajami manuscripts matching modern usage.
In contemporary Hausa media - radio, television, newspapers like Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo - the pronoun system functions identically to traditional usage. The frequency of ya/yana forms in everyday speech reflects Hausa’s aspect-prominent nature: speakers constantly mark whether actions are completed, ongoing, or future through pronoun choice.
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The following is adapted from a traditional Hausa proverb, demonstrating the pronoun shi in authentic usage:
Mai owner-of haƙuri patience yana he-is da with komai everything Shi he kadai alone zai he-will ci eat nasara victory
مَيْ (mai) owner-of حَكُرِ (haƙuri) patience يَنَ (yana) he-is دَ (da) with كُومَيْ (komai) everything شِ (shi) he كَدَيْ (kadai) alone زَيْ (zai) he-will چِ (ci) eat نَصَرَ (nasara) victory
Mai haƙuri yana da komai. Shi kadai zai ci nasara. مَيْ حَكُرِ يَنَ دَ كُومَيْ۔ شِ كَدَيْ زَيْ چِ نَصَرَ۔
“The patient person has everything. He alone will achieve victory.”
Mai haƙuri yana da komai. Shi kadai zai ci nasara. مَيْ حَكُرِ يَنَ دَ كُومَيْ۔ شِ كَدَيْ زَيْ چِ نَصَرَ۔
This proverb demonstrates multiple uses of third-person masculine reference:
Mai haƙuri - “The patient one” (literally “owner of patience”). The prefix mai creates agent nouns, here serving as the subject.
yana da - The continuative pronoun yana plus da (with) expresses possession: “has” or “possesses.”
komai - An indefinite pronoun meaning “everything” or “all things.”
Shi kadai - The emphatic pronoun shi plus kadai (alone/only) emphasizes exclusivity: “he alone” or “only he.”
zai ci - Future form zai plus verb ci (eat). The expression “ci nasara” (eat victory) is idiomatic for “achieve victory” or “succeed.”
The proverb illustrates how Hausa uses shi for emphasis after an initial reference established with aspectual forms. The shift from yana to shi...zai creates rhetorical force.
Source: Traditional Hausa proverb (karin magana)
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A conversation between Musa and Amina discussing their friend Ibrahim. This dialogue demonstrates natural pronoun usage in everyday Hausa speech.
16.16a Amina Amina ta she-COMP ce say ka you-COMP ga see Ibrahim Ibrahim
أَمِنَ (Amina) Amina تَ (ta) she-COMP چِ (ce) say كَ (ka) you-COMP غَ (ga) see إِبْرَهِمْ (Ibrahim) Ibrahim
16.17a I yes na I-COMP gani see shi him jiya yesterday
إِ (i) yes نَ (na) I-COMP غَنِ (gani) see شِ (shi) him جِيَ (jiya) yesterday
16.18a Ina where shi he yake he-is-REL yanzu now
إِنَ (ina) where شِ (shi) he يَكِ (yake) he-is-REL يَنْزُ (yanzu) now
16.19a Yana he-is gida home shi he yana he-is rashin lacking lafiya health
يَنَ (yana) he-is غِدَ (gida) home شِ (shi) he يَنَ (yana) he-is رَشِنْ (rashin) lacking لَفِيَ (lafiya) health
16.20a Me what ya he-COMP same befall shi him
مِ (me) what يَ (ya) he-COMP سَمِ (same) befall شِ (shi) him
16.21a Ya he-COMP kamu catch da with zazzabi fever
يَ (ya) he-COMP كَمُ (kamu) catch دَ (da) with زَزَّبِ (zazzabi) fever
16.22a Shi he ya he-COMP tafi go asibiti hospital ko or
شِ (shi) he يَ (ya) he-COMP تَفِ (tafi) go أَسِبِتِ (asibiti) hospital كُو (ko) or
16.23a A’a no bai he-NEG tafi go ba NEG tukuna yet
أَعَ (a’a) no بَيْ (bai) he-NEG تَفِ (tafi) go بَ (ba) NEG تُكُنَ (tukuna) yet
16.24a Zai he-will je go yau today ko question gobe tomorrow
زَيْ (zai) he-will جِ (je) go يَوْ (yau) today كُو (ko) or غُوبِ (gobe) tomorrow
16.25a Ina I-PROG fatan hoping zai he-will warke recover da with sauri quickly
إِنَ (ina) I-PROG فَتَنْ (fatan) hoping زَيْ (zai) he-will وَرْكِ (warke) recover دَ (da) with سَوْرِ (sauri) quickly
16.26a Shi he mutum person ne is-MASC mai having karfi strength
شِ (shi) he مُتُمْ (mutum) person نِ (ne) is-MASC مَيْ (mai) having كَرْفِ (karfi) strength
16.27a I yes ya he-COMP sha drink wahala trouble da with yawa much a in rayuwa life
إِ (i) yes يَ (ya) he-COMP شَ (sha) drink وَهَلَ (wahala) trouble دَ (da) with يَوَ (yawa) much أَ (a) in رَيُوَ (rayuwa) life
16.28a Amma but shi he bai he-NEG daina stop fata hope ba NEG
أَمَّ (amma) but شِ (shi) he بَيْ (bai) he-NEG دَيْنَ (daina) stop فَتَ (fata) hope بَ (ba) NEG
16.29a Mu we-SUBJ je go mu we-SUBJ duba check shi him
مُ (mu) we-SUBJ جِ (je) go مُ (mu) we-SUBJ دُبَ (duba) check شِ (shi) him
16.30a To okay mu we-SUBJ tafi go shi he zai he-will yi do murna happiness
تُو (to) okay مُ (mu) we-SUBJ تَفِ (tafi) go شِ (shi) he زَيْ (zai) he-will يِ (yi) do مُرْنَ (murna) happiness
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16.16 Amina ta ce, “Ka ga Ibrahim?” أَمِنَ تَ چِ، «كَ غَ إِبْرَهِمْ؟» “Amina said, ‘Did you see Ibrahim?’”
16.17 “I, na gani shi jiya.” «إِ، نَ غَنِ شِ جِيَ۔» “’Yes, I saw him yesterday.’”
16.18 “Ina shi yake yanzu?” «إِنَ شِ يَكِ يَنْزُ؟» “’Where is he now?’”
16.19 “Yana gida. Shi yana rashin lafiya.” «يَنَ غِدَ۔ شِ يَنَ رَشِنْ لَفِيَ۔» “’He is at home. He is unwell.’”
16.20 “Me ya same shi?” «مِ يَ سَمِ شِ؟» “’What happened to him?’”
16.21 “Ya kamu da zazzabi.” «يَ كَمُ دَ زَزَّبِ۔» “’He caught a fever.’”
16.22 “Shi ya tafi asibiti ko?” «شِ يَ تَفِ أَسِبِتِ كُو؟» “’Did he go to the hospital?’”
16.23 “A’a, bai tafi ba tukuna.” «أَعَ، بَيْ تَفِ بَ تُكُنَ۔» “’No, he hasn’t gone yet.’”
16.24 “Zai je yau ko gobe.” «زَيْ جِ يَوْ كُو غُوبِ۔» “’He will go today or tomorrow.’”
16.25 “Ina fatan zai warke da sauri.” «إِنَ فَتَنْ زَيْ وَرْكِ دَ سَوْرِ۔» “’I hope he will recover quickly.’”
16.26 “Shi mutum ne mai karfi.” «شِ مُتُمْ نِ مَيْ كَرْفِ۔» “’He is a strong person.’”
16.27 “I, ya sha wahala da yawa a rayuwa.” «إِ، يَ شَ وَهَلَ دَ يَوَ أَ رَيُوَ۔» “’Yes, he has suffered much in life.’”
16.28 “Amma shi bai daina fata ba.” «أَمَّ شِ بَيْ دَيْنَ فَتَ بَ۔» “’But he never gave up hope.’”
16.29 “Mu je mu duba shi.” «مُ جِ مُ دُبَ شِ۔» “’Let us go check on him.’”
16.30 “To, mu tafi. Shi zai yi murna.” «تُو، مُ تَفِ۔ شِ زَيْ يِ مُرْنَ۔» “’Okay, let us go. He will be happy.’”
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16.16 Amina ta ce, “Ka ga Ibrahim?” أَمِنَ تَ چِ، «كَ غَ إِبْرَهِمْ؟»
16.17 “I, na gani shi jiya.” «إِ، نَ غَنِ شِ جِيَ۔»
16.18 “Ina shi yake yanzu?” «إِنَ شِ يَكِ يَنْزُ؟»
16.19 “Yana gida. Shi yana rashin lafiya.” «يَنَ غِدَ۔ شِ يَنَ رَشِنْ لَفِيَ۔»
16.20 “Me ya same shi?” «مِ يَ سَمِ شِ؟»
16.21 “Ya kamu da zazzabi.” «يَ كَمُ دَ زَزَّبِ۔»
16.22 “Shi ya tafi asibiti ko?” «شِ يَ تَفِ أَسِبِتِ كُو؟»
16.23 “A’a, bai tafi ba tukuna.” «أَعَ، بَيْ تَفِ بَ تُكُنَ۔»
16.24 “Zai je yau ko gobe.” «زَيْ جِ يَوْ كُو غُوبِ۔»
16.25 “Ina fatan zai warke da sauri.” «إِنَ فَتَنْ زَيْ وَرْكِ دَ سَوْرِ۔»
16.26 “Shi mutum ne mai karfi.” «شِ مُتُمْ نِ مَيْ كَرْفِ۔»
16.27 “I, ya sha wahala da yawa a rayuwa.” «إِ، يَ شَ وَهَلَ دَ يَوَ أَ رَيُوَ۔»
16.28 “Amma shi bai daina fata ba.” «أَمَّ شِ بَيْ دَيْنَ فَتَ بَ۔»
16.29 “Mu je mu duba shi.” «مُ جِ مُ دُبَ شِ۔»
16.30 “To, mu tafi. Shi zai yi murna.” «تُو، مُ تَفِ۔ شِ زَيْ يِ مُرْنَ۔»
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This dialogue demonstrates several advanced features of pronoun usage:
Object Pronoun shi (16.17, 16.20, 16.29) When “him” functions as an object, shi appears after the verb: “na gani shi” (I saw him), “mu duba shi” (let us check on him).
Relative Continuative yake (16.18) In questions with ina (where), the relative form yake replaces yana: “Ina shi yake?” (Where is he?). The relative form is used in subordinate clauses and after question words.
Negative Completive bai...ba (16.23, 16.28) The completive ya becomes bai in negation, with ba at the end: “bai tafi ba” (he didn’t go), “bai daina ba” (he didn’t stop).
Emphatic shi for contrast (16.19, 16.22, 16.28, 16.30) The emphatic shi appears before aspectual forms for emphasis or topic-shift: “Shi yana rashin lafiya” (HE is unwell), “Shi zai yi murna” (HE will be happy).
Subjunctive mu (16.29, 16.30) The first person plural subjunctive mu is used for suggestions and exhortations: “Mu je” (Let us go), “Mu tafi” (Let us leave).
Possession with yana da (indirect) The phrase “yana rashin lafiya” literally means “he is with lacking health,” using the possession construction to express a state.
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shi /ʃí/ - High tone on the vowel. The “sh” sound is like English “ship.”
ya /jà/ or /já/ - Depending on tense context; generally starts with a palatal glide like English “y.”
yana /jàná/ - Low-high tone pattern.
zai /zàí/ - Low-high pattern; contracted from “za shi.”
Hausa is a tone language with two basic tones (high and low) plus a falling tone. In standard Boko orthography, tones are not marked, but learners should be aware: -
shi carries high tone -
Many aspectual pronouns carry distinctive tone patterns -
Tone can distinguish meaning: “bàba” (father) vs. “bābā” (indigo)
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shi: /ʃí/ -
ya: /já/ (completive) -
yana: /jàná/ (continuative) -
yake: /jàké/ (relative) -
zai: /zàí/ (future)
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The Latinum Institute has been creating language learning materials since 2006. This Hausa course follows our proven methodology of interlinear construed text, which allows learners to see exactly how each word in the target language corresponds to English meaning.
For Hausa, we present examples in both Boko (the modern Latin-based orthography) and Ajami (the traditional Arabic-derived script). This dual presentation honors the rich literary heritage of Hausa, which has produced significant works in both scripts over centuries.
Our approach is designed for autodidact learners who want to develop genuine reading ability in the target language. By presenting granular word-by-word glosses followed by natural sentences and target-language-only text, learners progressively build independence from English supports.
The vocabulary in this course follows a frequency-ranked CSV word list, ensuring that learners encounter the most useful words first. Each lesson is self-contained, allowing entry at any point in the curriculum.
For more information about the Latinum Institute and our full range of courses, visit: -
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
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nexal-code: #Hausa #HausaLanguage #LearnHausa #AfricanLanguages #NigerianLanguages #Ajami #Boko #HausaGrammar #HausaPronouns #LatinumInstitute #LanguageLearning #WestAfricanLanguages #Chadic #AfroAsiatic #HausaCulture
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