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Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
The demonstrative pronoun wannan (وَنَّنْ in Ajami script) is one of the most essential pointing words in Hausa, expressing proximity to the speaker—equivalent to English “this” or “this one.” Hausa, a West Chadic language of the Afro-Asiatic family spoken by over 70 million people across Nigeria, Niger, and West Africa, employs a sophisticated demonstrative system that distinguishes proximity, number, and sometimes gender.
Unlike English, which uses the same word “this” regardless of what follows, Hausa demonstratives form part of a systematic contrast:
Singular: -
wannan (near speaker) = “this” -
wancan (away from speaker) = “that”
Plural: -
wadannan (near speaker) = “these” -
wadancan (away from speaker) = “those”
Hausa is written in two scripts. Boko is the Latin-based alphabet adopted during British colonial administration and now the official standard. Ajami is the Arabic-based script used since the 17th century for Islamic literature, poetry, and traditional correspondence. Both scripts appear on Nigerian currency, and both represent living literary traditions. This lesson presents both scripts side by side, with Boko in line (a) and Ajami in line (b).
The demonstrative typically precedes the noun it modifies: wannan gida (”this house”), wannan mace (”this woman”). When used independently as a pronoun meaning “this one,” it takes the copula ne (masculine/plural) or ce (feminine) at sentence end.
FAQ: What does “wannan” mean in Hausa?
Wannan means “this” or “this one” in Hausa. It is the proximal demonstrative pronoun pointing to something near the speaker. In sentences, it typically precedes the noun it modifies, as in wannan littafi (”this book”).
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Wannan expresses proximity—use it when pointing to something near you -
It precedes the noun: wannan + NOUN -
The copulas ne/ce complete identificational sentences -
Both Boko (Latin) and Ajami (Arabic) scripts are historically significant -
Hausa distinguishes singular/plural in demonstratives (wannan vs. wadannan)
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Each example presents two lines: (a) in Boko (Latin script) and (b) in Ajami (Arabic script), both with granular word-by-word glossing.
19.1a Wannan (wan-nan) this littafi (lit-ta-fi) book ne (ne) is-MASC
19.1b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this لِتَّفِى (littafi) book نٜ (ne) is-MASC
19.2a Wannan (wan-nan) this yarinya (ya-rin-ya) girl tana (ta-na) she-is karatun (ka-ra-tun) reading
19.2b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this یَرِنیَ (yarinya) girl تَنَ (tana) she-is كَرَتُنْ (karatun) reading
19.3a Me (me) what wannan (wan-nan) this ne? (ne) is-Q
19.3b مٜ (me) what وَنَّنْ (wannan) this نٜ؟ (ne) is-Q
19.4a Wannan (wan-nan) this gida (gi-da) house babba (bab-ba) big ne (ne) is-MASC
19.4b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this گِدَ (gida) house بَبَّ (babba) big نٜ (ne) is-MASC
19.5a Ina (i-na) where wannan (wan-nan) this kasuwa? (ka-su-wa) market-Q
19.5b اِنَ (ina) where وَنَّنْ (wannan) this كَسُوَ؟ (kasuwa) market-Q
19.6a Wannan (wan-nan) this abinci (a-bin-ci) food yana (ya-na) it-is da (da) with daɗi (da-di) sweetness
19.6b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this أبِنْچِى (abinci) food یَنَ (yana) it-is دَ (da) with دَضِى (dadi) sweetness
19.7a Na (na) I-PERF san (san) know wannan (wan-nan) this mutum (mu-tum) person
19.7b نَ (na) I-PERF سَنْ (san) know وَنَّنْ (wannan) this مُتُمْ (mutum) person
19.8a Wannan (wan-nan) this ruwa (ru-wa) water yana (ya-na) it-is da (da) with sanyi (san-yi) coldness
19.8b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this رُوَ (ruwa) water یَنَ (yana) it-is دَ (da) with سَنیِى (sanyi) coldness
19.9a Wannan (wan-nan) this mace (ma-ce) woman malama (ma-la-ma) teacher ce (ce) is-FEM
19.9b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this مَچٜ (mace) woman مَلَمَ (malama) teacher چٜ (ce) is-FEM
19.10a Wannan (wan-nan) this hanya (han-ya) road ta (ta) it-FEM kai (kai) lead gari (ga-ri) town
19.10b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this هَنیَ (hanya) road تَ (ta) it-FEM كَیْ (kai) lead گَرِى (gari) town
19.11a Wannan (wan-nan) this ɗan (dan) child-of uwata (u-wa-ta) mother-my ne (ne) is-MASC
19.11b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this ضَنْ (dan) child-of اُوَتَ (uwata) mother-my نٜ (ne) is-MASC
19.12a Zan (zan) I-will sayi (sa-yi) buy wannan (wan-nan) this tufafi (tu-fa-fi) cloth
19.12b زَنْ (zan) I-will سَیِى (sayi) buy وَنَّنْ (wannan) this تُفَفِى (tufafi) cloth
19.13a Wannan (wan-nan) this maganar (ma-ga-nar) talk-the gaskiya (gas-ki-ya) truth ce (ce) is-FEM
19.13b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this مَگَنَرْ (maganar) talk-the گَسْكِیَ (gaskiya) truth چٜ (ce) is-FEM
19.14a Shin (shin) Q-marker wannan (wan-nan) this naka (na-ka) yours-MASC ne? (ne) is-Q
19.14b شِنْ (shin) Q-marker وَنَّنْ (wannan) this نَكَ (naka) yours-MASC نٜ؟ (ne) is-Q
19.15a Wannan (wan-nan) this rana (ra-na) day ta (ta) it-FEM bambanta (bam-ban-ta) be-different da (da) from jiya (ji-ya) yesterday
19.15b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this رَنَ (rana) day تَ (ta) it-FEM بَمْبَنْتَ (bambanta) be-different دَ (da) from جِیَ (jiya) yesterday
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19.1 Wannan littafi ne. وَنَّنْ لِتَّفِى نٜ۔ “This is a book.”
19.2 Wannan yarinya tana karatun. وَنَّنْ یَرِنیَ تَنَ كَرَتُنْ۔ “This girl is reading.”
19.3 Me wannan ne? مٜ وَنَّنْ نٜ؟ “What is this?”
19.4 Wannan gida babba ne. وَنَّنْ گِدَ بَبَّ نٜ۔ “This house is big.”
19.5 Ina wannan kasuwa? اِنَ وَنَّنْ كَسُوَ؟ “Where is this market?”
19.6 Wannan abinci yana da daɗi. وَنَّنْ أبِنْچِى یَنَ دَ دَضِى۔ “This food is delicious.”
19.7 Na san wannan mutum. نَ سَنْ وَنَّنْ مُتُمْ۔ “I know this person.”
19.8 Wannan ruwa yana da sanyi. وَنَّنْ رُوَ یَنَ دَ سَنیِى۔ “This water is cold.”
19.9 Wannan mace malama ce. وَنَّنْ مَچٜ مَلَمَ چٜ۔ “This woman is a teacher.”
19.10 Wannan hanya ta kai gari. وَنَّنْ هَنیَ تَ كَیْ گَرِى۔ “This road leads to town.”
19.11 Wannan ɗan uwata ne. وَنَّنْ ضَنْ اُوَتَ نٜ۔ “This is my mother’s child.”
19.12 Zan sayi wannan tufafi. زَنْ سَیِى وَنَّنْ تُفَفِى۔ “I will buy this cloth.”
19.13 Wannan maganar gaskiya ce. وَنَّنْ مَگَنَرْ گَسْكِیَ چٜ۔ “This statement is the truth.”
19.14 Shin wannan naka ne? شِنْ وَنَّنْ نَكَ نٜ؟ “Is this yours?”
19.15 Wannan rana ta bambanta da jiya. وَنَّنْ رَنَ تَ بَمْبَنْتَ دَ جِیَ۔ “This day is different from yesterday.”
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19.1 Wannan littafi ne. وَنَّنْ لِتَّفِى نٜ۔
19.2 Wannan yarinya tana karatun. وَنَّنْ یَرِنیَ تَنَ كَرَتُنْ۔
19.3 Me wannan ne? مٜ وَنَّنْ نٜ؟
19.4 Wannan gida babba ne. وَنَّنْ گِدَ بَبَّ نٜ۔
19.5 Ina wannan kasuwa? اِنَ وَنَّنْ كَسُوَ؟
19.6 Wannan abinci yana da daɗi. وَنَّنْ أبِنْچِى یَنَ دَ دَضِى۔
19.7 Na san wannan mutum. نَ سَنْ وَنَّنْ مُتُمْ۔
19.8 Wannan ruwa yana da sanyi. وَنَّنْ رُوَ یَنَ دَ سَنیِى۔
19.9 Wannan mace malama ce. وَنَّنْ مَچٜ مَلَمَ چٜ۔
19.10 Wannan hanya ta kai gari. وَنَّنْ هَنیَ تَ كَیْ گَرِى۔
19.11 Wannan ɗan uwata ne. وَنَّنْ ضَنْ اُوَتَ نٜ۔
19.12 Zan sayi wannan tufafi. زَنْ سَیِى وَنَّنْ تُفَفِى۔
19.13 Wannan maganar gaskiya ce. وَنَّنْ مَگَنَرْ گَسْكِیَ چٜ۔
19.14 Shin wannan naka ne? شِنْ وَنَّنْ نَكَ نٜ؟
19.15 Wannan rana ta bambanta da jiya. وَنَّنْ رَنَ تَ بَمْبَنْتَ دَ جِیَ۔
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These are the grammar rules for “wannan” (this):
Hausa demonstratives are deictic words that point to entities in relation to the speaker’s position. The proximal demonstrative wannan indicates something close to the speaker, contrasting with wancan (distal, “that”).
Singular Forms: -
Wannan = this (near speaker) -
Wancan = that (away from speaker)
Plural Forms: -
Wadannan = these (near speaker) -
Wadancan = those (away from speaker)
Wannan precedes the noun it modifies, forming a demonstrative phrase: -
Wannan gida = this house -
Wannan mace = this woman -
Wannan yaro = this boy -
Wannan abinci = this food
When wannan stands alone as a pronoun (”this one”), it requires the copula ne (masculine/plural) or ce (feminine) at sentence end: -
Wannan ne = This is it (masc.) -
Wannan ce = This is it (fem.)
Hausa lacks a verb “to be.” Instead, it uses ne and ce as sentence-final “stabilizers” or copulas: -
Ne = used with masculine nouns and plurals -
Ce = used with feminine nouns
These words have high or low tone depending on what precedes them (high after low, low after high).
Examples: -
Wannan littafi ne = “This is a book” (littafi is masculine) -
Wannan mace ce = “This is a woman” (mace is feminine)
To ask “What is this?” Hausa places the question word me first: -
Me wannan ne? = What is this?
To ask “Is this...?” use the question particle shin: -
Shin wannan naka ne? = Is this yours?
Boko Special Characters: -
ɓ = implosive b (hooked b) -
ɗ = implosive d (hooked d) -
ƙ = ejective k (hooked k) -
‘y = glottalized y
Ajami Conventions: -
Vowels are marked with diacritics (fatha for /a/, kasra for /i/, damma for /u/) -
Long vowels use matres lectionis (alif, waw, ya) -
The letter گ represents /g/ (not found in Arabic) -
The letter چ represents /tʃ/ (ch sound) -
The letter ض represents the implosive /ɗ/
Error 1: Using ne with feminine nouns -
✗ Wannan mace ne -
✓ Wannan mace ce
Error 2: Placing wannan after the noun (as in some languages) -
✗ Gida wannan -
✓ Wannan gida
Error 3: Confusing wannan (this) with wancan (that) -
Wannan = pointing to something NEAR you -
Wancan = pointing to something FAR from you
Error 4: Forgetting the copula in identificational sentences -
✗ Wannan littafi -
✓ Wannan littafi ne (when meaning “This is a book”)
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Hausa’s unique position with two living scripts reflects its complex cultural history. Ajami arrived with Islam, spreading from the trans-Saharan trade routes beginning in the 14th century. Scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate (1804-1903), including the renowned poet Nana Asma’u (1793-1864), composed poetry and religious treatises in Hausa using Ajami. This script remains vital in Islamic education, Qur’anic schools, and traditional correspondence throughout Hausaland.
Boko (from English “book”) emerged during British colonial administration in the early 20th century and became the official orthography. Today, most newspapers, government documents, and modern literature use Boko. However, Ajami appears on Nigerian currency and continues in religious contexts.
Demonstratives like wannan are constantly used in:
Markets (Kasuwa): Haggling requires precise pointing—”wannan tumatur” (these tomatoes), “wannan kaza” (this chicken). Getting the demonstrative wrong might mean buying the wrong item!
Teaching: In Qur’anic schools, teachers point to verses: “Wannan aya...” (This verse...).
Storytelling: Hausa oral tradition uses demonstratives to create immediacy—bringing listeners into the narrative moment.
Standard Hausa is based on the Kano dialect, but variations exist: -
In some western dialects, nan alone can mean “this/here” -
Emphatic forms like wannan dai (this very one) add intensity -
In Sokoto dialect, slight pronunciation differences occur
In formal contexts, demonstratives often appear with full copulas and proper sentence structure. In casual speech, copulas may be dropped when meaning is clear from context.
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Nana Asma’u bint Usman dan Fodio (1793-1864) was a prolific scholar, poet, and educator who wrote in Arabic, Hausa, and Fulfulde. Her didactic poetry was composed for the Yan Taru movement—a network of women teachers she trained to educate rural women. The following excerpt demonstrates the demonstrative in religious instruction:
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Wannan (wan-nan) this hanya (han-ya) path ce (ce) is-FEM ta (ta) of gaskiya (gas-ki-ya) truth wacce (wac-ce) which-FEM za (za) will ta (ta) it-FEM kai (kai) lead mu (mu) us zuwa (zu-wa) to aljanna (al-jan-na) paradise
وَنَّنْ (wannan) this هَنیَ (hanya) path چٜ (ce) is-FEM تَ (ta) of گَسْكِیَ (gaskiya) truth وَچّٜ (wacce) which-FEM زَ (za) will تَ (ta) it-FEM كَیْ (kai) lead مُ (mu) us زُوَ (zuwa) to أَلْجَنَّ (aljanna) paradise
Ku (ku) you-PL bi (bi) follow wannan (wan-nan) this Sunna (sun-na) Sunna ta (ta) of Muhammada (mu-ham-ma-da) Muhammad
كُ (ku) you-PL بِ (bi) follow وَنَّنْ (wannan) this سُنَّ (Sunna) Sunna تَ (ta) of مُحَمَّدَ (Muhammada) Muhammad
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Wannan hanya ce ta gaskiya wacce za ta kai mu zuwa aljanna. وَنَّنْ هَنیَ چٜ تَ گَسْكِیَ وَچّٜ زَ تَ كَیْ مُ زُوَ أَلْجَنَّ۔
“This is the path of truth which will lead us to paradise.”
Ku bi wannan Sunna ta Muhammada. كُ بِ وَنَّنْ سُنَّ تَ مُحَمَّدَ۔
“Follow this Sunna of Muhammad.”
F-C: Original Script Only
Wannan hanya ce ta gaskiya wacce za ta kai mu zuwa aljanna. وَنَّنْ هَنیَ چٜ تَ گَسْكِیَ وَچّٜ زَ تَ كَیْ مُ زُوَ أَلْجَنَّ۔
Ku bi wannan Sunna ta Muhammada. كُ بِ وَنَّنْ سُنَّ تَ مُحَمَّدَ۔
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes -
hanya (f.) = path, way, road -
gaskiya (f.) = truth, honesty -
wacce = which (feminine relative pronoun) -
za ta = future marker (will + she/it-FEM) -
kai = to lead, to reach -
zuwa = to, toward -
aljanna (f.) = paradise (from Arabic الجنة) -
Sunna (f.) = the prophetic tradition, way of the Prophet -
bi = to follow
Note how wannan appears twice in this excerpt, first modifying hanya (the path) and then Sunna (the prophetic way). Both are feminine nouns, hence the copula ce and relative pronoun wacce.
F-E: Literary and Contextual Commentary
Nana Asma’u composed “Hanyar Gaskiya” (The Path of Truth) in 1842 as a teaching poem of 132 verses. It was designed for memorization by the jajis—women teachers who traveled to rural villages as part of the Yan Taru educational network. The repeated rhyme ending in “Muhammada” or “Ahmada” served as a mnemonic device, keeping focus on following the Prophet’s example.
The demonstrative wannan here takes on spiritual significance—”THIS path” (not that one), “THIS Sunna” (the authentic way). The deictic pointing creates urgency and intimacy, as if Asma’u herself were present, gesturing to the true path before her students.
Asma’u’s choice to compose in Hausa (rather than Arabic, which she also commanded) reflects her commitment to reaching common people, especially women who had limited access to formal Arabic education. The Ajami script she used connected Hausa vernacular expression to the sacred tradition of Arabic Islamic learning.
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A conversation between a customer (abokin ciniki) and a cloth seller (mai sayar da yadi) at Kano’s Kurmi Market, demonstrating wannan in authentic commercial exchange.
19.16a Sannu (san-nu) greetings mai (mai) owner-of yadi! (ya-di) cloth Ina (i-na) where wannan (wan-nan) this zane? (za-ne) wrapper
19.16b سَنُّ (sannu) greetings مَیْ (mai) owner-of یَدِى! (yadi) cloth اِنَ (ina) where وَنَّنْ (wannan) this زَنٜ؟ (zane) wrapper
19.17a Wannan (wan-nan) this ne (ne) is-MASC dai (dai) indeed zanen (za-nen) wrapper-of Kano (ka-no) Kano
19.17b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this نٜ (ne) is-MASC دَیْ (dai) indeed زَنٜنْ (zanen) wrapper-of كَنُو (Kano) Kano
19.18a Nawa (na-wa) how-much wannan? (wan-nan) this
19.18b نَوَ (nawa) how-much وَنَّنْ؟ (wannan) this
19.19a Wannan (wan-nan) this naira (nai-ra) naira dubu (du-bu) thousand biyu (bi-yu) two ne (ne) is-MASC
19.19b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this نَیْرَ (naira) naira دُبُ (dubu) thousand بِیُ (biyu) two نٜ (ne) is-MASC
19.20a Wannan (wan-nan) this ya (ya) it-MASC yi (yi) be tsada! (tsa-da) expensive Rage (ra-ge) reduce mini (mi-ni) for-me
19.20b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this یَ (ya) it-MASC یِ (yi) be تْسَدَ! (tsada) expensive رَگٜ (rage) reduce مِنِى (mini) for-me
19.21a Ba (ba) NEG zan (zan) I-will iya (i-ya) be-able wannan (wan-nan) this farashi (fa-ra-shi) price ba (ba) NEG
19.21b بَ (ba) NEG زَنْ (zan) I-will اِیَ (iya) be-able وَنَّنْ (wannan) this فَرَشِى (farashi) price بَ (ba) NEG
19.22a To (to) well duba (du-ba) look-at wannan (wan-nan) this kuma (ku-ma) also — ya (ya) it-MASC fi (fi) surpass kyau (kyau) beauty
19.22b تٛو (to) well دُبَ (duba) look-at وَنَّنْ (wannan) this كُمَ (kuma) also — یَ (ya) it-MASC فِ (fi) surpass كیَوْ (kyau) beauty
19.23a Wannan (wan-nan) this launi (lau-ni) color na (na) I fi (fi) prefer so (so) want
19.23b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this لَوْنِى (launi) color نَ (na) I فِ (fi) prefer سٛو (so) want
19.24a Wannan (wan-nan) this ne (ne) is-MASC irin (i-rin) type-of da (da) REL na (na) I ke (ke) PROG nema (ne-ma) seek
19.24b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this نٜ (ne) is-MASC اِرِنْ (irin) type-of دَ (da) REL نَ (na) I كٜ (ke) PROG نٜمَ (nema) seek
19.25a Idan (i-dan) if ka (ka) you-MASC sayi (sa-yi) buy wannan (wan-nan) this zan (zan) I-will ƙara (ka-ra) add ɗaya (da-ya) one
19.25b اِدَنْ (idan) if كَ (ka) you-MASC سَیِى (sayi) buy وَنَّنْ (wannan) this زَنْ (zan) I-will قَرَ (ƙara) add ضَیَ (daya) one
19.26a Wannan (wan-nan) this shawarar (sha-wa-rar) advice-the tana (ta-na) it-FEM-is da (da) with kyau (kyau) goodness
19.26b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this شَوَرَرْ (shawarar) advice-the تَنَ (tana) it-FEM-is دَ (da) with كیَوْ (kyau) goodness
19.27a Na (na) I-PERF yarda (yar-da) agree — wannan (wan-nan) this ciniki (ci-ni-ki) deal ya (ya) it-MASC yi (yi) make mana (ma-na) for-us
19.27b نَ (na) I-PERF یَرْدَ (yarda) agree — وَنَّنْ (wannan) this چِنِكِى (ciniki) deal یَ (ya) it-MASC یِ (yi) make مَنَ (mana) for-us
19.28a Ga (ga) here-is kuɗi (ku-di) money — wannan (wan-nan) this yana (ya-na) it-is isa (i-sa) enough
19.28b گَ (ga) here-is كُضِى (kudi) money — وَنَّنْ (wannan) this یَنَ (yana) it-is اِسَ (isa) enough
19.29a Wannan (wan-nan) this canjin (can-jin) change-the naka (na-ka) yours-MASC ne (ne) is-MASC
19.29b وَنَّنْ (wannan) this چَنْجِنْ (canjin) change-the نَكَ (naka) yours-MASC نٜ (ne) is-MASC
19.30a Na (na) I-PERF gode! (go-de) thank Wannan (wan-nan) this rana (ra-na) day mai (mai) with albarka (al-bar-ka) blessing ce (ce) is-FEM
19.30b نَ (na) I-PERF گٛودٜ! (gode) thank وَنَّنْ (wannan) this رَنَ (rana) day مَیْ (mai) with أَلْبَرْكَ (albarka) blessing چٜ (ce) is-FEM
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19.16 Sannu mai yadi! Ina wannan zane? سَنُّ مَیْ یَدِى! اِنَ وَنَّنْ زَنٜ؟ “Greetings, cloth seller! Where is this wrapper from?”
19.17 Wannan ne dai zanen Kano. وَنَّنْ نٜ دَیْ زَنٜنْ كَنُو۔ “This is indeed a Kano wrapper.”
19.18 Nawa wannan? نَوَ وَنَّنْ؟ “How much is this?”
19.19 Wannan naira dubu biyu ne. وَنَّنْ نَیْرَ دُبُ بِیُ نٜ۔ “This is two thousand naira.”
19.20 Wannan ya yi tsada! Rage mini. وَنَّنْ یَ یِ تْسَدَ! رَگٜ مِنِى۔ “This is expensive! Reduce it for me.”
19.21 Ba zan iya wannan farashi ba. بَ زَنْ اِیَ وَنَّنْ فَرَشِى بَ۔ “I cannot afford this price.”
19.22 To, duba wannan kuma — ya fi kyau. تٛو، دُبَ وَنَّنْ كُمَ — یَ فِ كیَوْ۔ “Well, look at this one too — it is more beautiful.”
19.23 Wannan launi na fi so. وَنَّنْ لَوْنِى نَ فِ سٛو۔ “This color I prefer.”
19.24 Wannan ne irin da na ke nema. وَنَّنْ نٜ اِرِنْ دَ نَ كٜ نٜمَ۔ “This is the type that I am looking for.”
19.25 Idan ka sayi wannan, zan ƙara ɗaya. اِدَنْ كَ سَیِى وَنَّنْ، زَنْ قَرَ ضَیَ۔ “If you buy this, I will add one more.”
19.26 Wannan shawarar tana da kyau. وَنَّنْ شَوَرَرْ تَنَ دَ كیَوْ۔ “This advice is good.”
19.27 Na yarda — wannan ciniki ya yi mana. نَ یَرْدَ — وَنَّنْ چِنِكِى یَ یِ مَنَ۔ “I agree — this deal works for us.”
19.28 Ga kuɗi — wannan yana isa. گَ كُضِى — وَنَّنْ یَنَ اِسَ۔ “Here is the money — this is enough.”
19.29 Wannan canjin naka ne. وَنَّنْ چَنْجِنْ نَكَ نٜ۔ “This change is yours.”
19.30 Na gode! Wannan rana mai albarka ce. نَ گٛودٜ! وَنَّنْ رَنَ مَیْ أَلْبَرْكَ چٜ۔ “Thank you! This is a blessed day.”
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19.16 Sannu mai yadi! Ina wannan zane? سَنُّ مَیْ یَدِى! اِنَ وَنَّنْ زَنٜ؟
19.17 Wannan ne dai zanen Kano. وَنَّنْ نٜ دَیْ زَنٜنْ كَنُو۔
19.18 Nawa wannan? نَوَ وَنَّنْ؟
19.19 Wannan naira dubu biyu ne. وَنَّنْ نَیْرَ دُبُ بِیُ نٜ۔
19.20 Wannan ya yi tsada! Rage mini. وَنَّنْ یَ یِ تْسَدَ! رَگٜ مِنِى۔
19.21 Ba zan iya wannan farashi ba. بَ زَنْ اِیَ وَنَّنْ فَرَشِى بَ۔
19.22 To, duba wannan kuma — ya fi kyau. تٛو، دُبَ وَنَّنْ كُمَ — یَ فِ كیَوْ۔
19.23 Wannan launi na fi so. وَنَّنْ لَوْنِى نَ فِ سٛو۔
19.24 Wannan ne irin da na ke nema. وَنَّنْ نٜ اِرِنْ دَ نَ كٜ نٜمَ۔
19.25 Idan ka sayi wannan, zan ƙara ɗaya. اِدَنْ كَ سَیِى وَنَّنْ، زَنْ قَرَ ضَیَ۔
19.26 Wannan shawarar tana da kyau. وَنَّنْ شَوَرَرْ تَنَ دَ كیَوْ۔
19.27 Na yarda — wannan ciniki ya yi mana. نَ یَرْدَ — وَنَّنْ چِنِكِى یَ یِ مَنَ۔
19.28 Ga kuɗi — wannan yana isa. گَ كُضِى — وَنَّنْ یَنَ اِسَ۔
19.29 Wannan canjin naka ne. وَنَّنْ چَنْجِنْ نَكَ نٜ۔
19.30 Na gode! Wannan rana mai albarka ce. نَ گٛودٜ! وَنَّنْ رَنَ مَیْ أَلْبَرْكَ چٜ۔
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Market Vocabulary: -
mai yadi = cloth seller (literally “owner of cloth”) -
zane (m.) = wrapper, woven cloth -
farashi (m.) = price -
naira = Nigerian currency -
dubu = thousand -
kuɗi (m.) = money -
ciniki (m.) = trade, deal -
canji (m.) = change (money) -
launi (m.) = color (from Arabic لون) -
tsada = expensive
Key Structures Illustrated:
Negation Pattern: Ba... ba frames negative statements: -
Ba zan iya wannan farashi ba = I cannot afford this price
Comparative: Ya fi + noun -
Ya fi kyau = It is more beautiful
Conditional: Idan (if) introduces conditions: -
Idan ka sayi wannan... = If you buy this...
Mai Construction: Mai + noun creates “person/thing with X”: -
Mai yadi = cloth seller -
Mai albarka = blessed (thing)
Demonstrative Positioning:
Throughout this dialogue, wannan appears in multiple syntactic positions: -
Modifying nouns: wannan zane (this wrapper) -
As subject pronoun: Wannan naira dubu biyu ne (This is 2000 naira) -
As object: Duba wannan (Look at this) -
In questions: Nawa wannan? (How much is this?)
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ɓ — Implosive b. Produced by creating a glottal closure while releasing the b. Similar to the sound at the beginning of “boy” but with inward airflow.
ɗ — Implosive d. Like ɓ but with d-position. Found in words like ɗan (child), daɗi (sweetness).
ƙ — Ejective k. A k produced with a sharp glottal burst. Found in ƙara (to add), ƙasa (earth).
ts — Affricate. Like “ts” in “cats.” Found in tsada (expensive).
fy, ky, gy, my, ny — Palatalized consonants, pronounced with a “y” glide.
Hausa has five vowel qualities, each with short and long variants: -
a / aa — as in “father” -
e / ee — as in “bed” -
i / ii — as in “see” -
o / oo — as in “go” -
u / uu — as in “food”
Long vowels are written doubled in academic texts but appear single in standard Boko.
Hausa is a tone language with two level tones (High and Low) and a Falling tone. However, neither Boko nor Ajami marks tone. Context and vocabulary knowledge disambiguate.
Example: gòòrò (kolanut) vs. góóró (to pound) — same spelling, different tones, different meanings.
-
wannan: /wàn.nân/ (Low-Falling) -
littafi: /lìt.tá.fíí/ (Low-High-High) -
gaskiya: /gàs.kí.jáá/ (Low-High-High)
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The Latinum Institute has been producing language learning materials since 2006. Our methodology is rooted in the classical tradition of interlinear glossing—the same technique used by Renaissance scholars to master Greek and Latin, adapted here for modern language acquisition.
The interlinear construed text format presents each word of the target language with its direct English meaning, allowing learners to comprehend sentence structure word by word before synthesizing the whole. This approach: -
Eliminates the frustration of dictionary-hunting -
Reveals grammatical patterns organically -
Builds vocabulary through contextual repetition -
Respects the learner’s intelligence while providing scaffolding
Our Hausa course presents both Boko and Ajami scripts, acknowledging Hausa’s dual orthographic heritage. By exposing learners to both systems, we prepare them not only for modern Nigerian media but also for the rich Islamic literary tradition of Hausaland.
Why Two Scripts?
Just as educated Europeans once moved between Latin and vernacular, educated Hausas historically commanded both Arabic (for scholarship) and Ajami (for Hausa writing). Modern Nigerian banknotes still display both scripts. By learning Ajami alongside Boko, you connect with a 400-year literary tradition including the works of Shehu Usman dan Fodio, Nana Asma’u, and countless anonymous poets and chroniclers.
Learn More: -
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
Latinum Institute: https://latinum.org.uk -
Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
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Lesson 19 Complete
Next Lesson: Lesson 20 — “not” (ba... ba) — Negation in Hausa
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nexal-code: hausa, wannan, demonstrative-pronouns, ajami, boko, west-african-languages, chadic, interlinear-glossing, hausa-grammar, nana-asma’u, sokoto-caliphate, language-learning, autodidact, hausa-market-dialogue, african-linguistics
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