English "my" is a separate word that stands before its noun: my house, my car, my friends. Hausa has no separate word for it. "My" is a short ending joined to the END of the noun: gida "house" → gidana "my house"; mota "car" → motata "my car". The ending this lesson teaches comes in two shapes, -na and -ta (Ajami ـنَ and ـتَ), and the choice between them depends on the thing owned, never on the owner:
- -na — after a masculine noun or any plural noun: gidana "my house", sunana "my name", abokaina "my friends" - -ta — after a feminine noun ending in -a: motata "my car", matata "my wife", mahaifiyata "my mother"
A man and a woman both say gidana and both say motata. The ending agrees with gida (masculine) and mota (feminine), not with the speaker.
You have met the other members of this family already: -sa / -nsa "his" in Lesson 28 (sunansa) and -ta / -rta "her" in Lesson 34 (sunanta, mahaifiyarta). Be careful with one pair. On a feminine noun -ta is "my", but -rta is "her": motata "my car", motarta "her car".
When the thing owned is not named, Hausa uses a separate word, nawa (masculine or plural thing) or tawa (feminine thing), "mine": Littafin nan nawa ne, "this book is mine"; Wannan rigar ba tawa ba ce, "this gown is not mine".
FAQ: How do you say "my" in Hausa? Add -na to a masculine or plural noun (gidana, "my house"; abokaina, "my friends") and -ta to a feminine noun ending in -a (motata, "my car"). "Mine" is nawa or tawa. "Myself" is kaina: ni kaina, "I myself".
- "My" is an ending, written joined to the noun: gidana, motata. - -na after masculine and plural nouns; -ta after feminine nouns in -a. The ending agrees with the thing owned. - A noun with "my" is already definite: gidana is "my house", with nothing more added. - "Mine" standing alone is nawa / tawa: nawa ne "it's mine". - Do not confuse motata "my car" with motarta "her car" (Lesson 34).
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-na is /na/ and -ta is /ta/: a pure a, as in Italian casa, and an unaspirated t. The ending becomes a full syllable of the noun, so gida (two syllables) becomes gidana (three): /ɡidana/. Nothing else in the noun changes in the spelling: littafi → littafina, kai → kaina, rai → raina.
As in the earlier lessons, line b of every example gives a segmental IPA guide: it shows consonants and vowel qualities and does not mark tone or vowel length, which standard spelling also leaves unmarked. Words written with an initial vowel begin with a light glottal catch, shown as /ʔ/. Learn the melody of each phrase by ear from native speech (BBC Hausa, VOA Hausa).
Sounds in this lesson that do not exist in English:
- ƙ /kʼ/ — ejective k: ƙanena (my younger brother), ƙanwata (my younger sister), ƙarama (small), maƙiyana (my enemies, Section F) - ɗ /ɗ/ — implosive d: daɗi (pleasure), faɗa (tell) - ts /tsʼ/ — ejective ts: tsohuwa (old) - c /tʃ/ and j /dʒ/ — as in church and judge: halarci (attended), jakata (my bag), jami’a (university) - ’ in jami’a and A’a — a glottal stop /ʔ/, a short catch in the throat - ll — a doubled consonant, held slightly longer: makullina (my key), littafina (my book)
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35.1a Sunana my-name Musa Musa
35.1b Sunana /sunana/ name.M-1SG.POSS Musa /musa/ Musa.NAME
35.2a Wannan this gidana my-house ne is
35.2b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM gidana /ɡidana/ house.M-1SG.POSS ne /ne/ COP.M
35.3a Ina where motata my-car
35.3b Ina /ʔina/ where.Q motata /motata/ car.F-1SG.POSS
35.4a Wannan this matata my-wife ce is
35.4b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM matata /matata/ wife.F-1SG.POSS ce /tʃe/ COP.F
35.5a Mahaifina my-father malami teacher ne is
35.5b Mahaifina /mahaifina/ father.M-1SG.POSS malami /malami/ teacher.M ne /ne/ COP.M
35.6a Abokina my-friend yana he-is zaune living a in Kano Kano
35.6b Abokina /ʔabokina/ friend.M-1SG.POSS yana /jana/ 3SG.M.CONT zaune /zaune/ sit.STATIVE a /ʔa/ in.PREP Kano /kano/ Kano.NAME
35.7a Na I-have bar left jakata my-bag a at gida home
35.7b Na /na/ 1SG.PERF bar /bar/ leave.PRE-NOUN jakata /dʒakata/ bag.F-1SG.POSS a /ʔa/ at.PREP gida /ɡida/ home.M
35.8a Littafin the-book nan this nawa mine ne is
35.8b Littafin /littafin/ book.M-DEF nan /nan/ this.DEM nawa /nawa/ 1SG.INDEP.POSS.M ne /ne/ COP.M
35.9a Wannan this rigar the-gown ba not tawa mine ba not ce is
35.9b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM rigar /riɡar/ gown.F-DEF ba /ba/ NEG tawa /tawa/ 1SG.INDEP.POSS.F ba /ba/ NEG ce /tʃe/ COP.F
35.10a Mahaifiyata my-mother za will ta she dafa cook mana for-us abinci food
35.10b Mahaifiyata /mahaifijata/ mother.F-1SG.POSS za /za/ FUT ta /ta/ 3SG.F dafa /dafa/ cook mana /mana/ 1PL.IO abinci /ʔabintʃi/ food.M
35.11a Ni I kaina myself ban I-do-not sani know ba not
35.11b Ni /ni/ 1SG.INDEP kaina /kaina/ self.M-1SG.POSS ban /ban/ NEG-1SG.PERF sani /sani/ know ba /ba/ NEG
35.12a Ƙanena my-younger-brother yana he-is karatu studying a at jami’a university
35.12b Ƙanena /kʼanena/ younger-brother.M-1SG.POSS yana /jana/ 3SG.M.CONT karatu /karatu/ study.VN a /ʔa/ at.PREP jami’a /dʒamiʔa/ university.F
35.13a Ban I-do-not san know inda where na I-have ajiye put makullina my-key ba not
35.13b Ban /ban/ NEG-1SG.PERF san /san/ know.PRE-NOUN inda /ʔinda/ where.REL na /na/ 1SG.REL.PERF ajiye /ʔadʒije/ put-away makullina /makullina/ key.M-1SG.POSS ba /ba/ NEG
35.14a Idan if ka you ga see yayata my-elder-sister ka you faɗa tell mata to-her ta she kira call ni me
35.14b Idan /ʔidan/ if.CONJ ka /ka/ 2SG.M.PERF ga /ɡa/ see.PRE-NOUN yayata /jajata/ elder-sibling.F-1SG.POSS ka /ka/ 2SG.M.SUBJ faɗa /faɗa/ tell mata /mata/ 3SG.F.IO ta /ta/ 3SG.F.SUBJ kira /kira/ call ni /ni/ 1SG.DO
35.15a Duk all abokaina my-friends sun they-have halarci attended bikin celebration-of aurena my-marriage
35.15b Duk /duk/ all abokaina /ʔabokaina/ friend.PL-1SG.POSS sun /sun/ 3PL.PERF halarci /halartʃi/ attend.PRE-NOUN bikin /bikin/ celebration.M-LNK aurena /ʔaurena/ marriage.M-1SG.POSS
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35.1 Sunana Musa. → "My name is Musa."
35.2 Wannan gidana ne. → "This is my house."
35.3 Ina motata? → "Where is my car?"
35.4 Wannan matata ce. → "This is my wife."
35.5 Mahaifina malami ne. → "My father is a teacher."
35.6 Abokina yana zaune a Kano. → "My friend lives in Kano."
35.7 Na bar jakata a gida. → "I left my bag at home."
35.8 Littafin nan nawa ne. → "This book is mine."
35.9 Wannan rigar ba tawa ba ce. → "This gown isn't mine."
35.10 Mahaifiyata za ta dafa mana abinci. → "My mother will cook for us."
35.11 Ni kaina ban sani ba. → "I myself don't know."
35.12 Ƙanena yana karatu a jami’a. → "My younger brother is studying at university."
35.13 Ban san inda na ajiye makullina ba. → "I don't know where I put my key."
35.14 Idan ka ga yayata, ka faɗa mata ta kira ni. → "If you see my elder sister, tell her to call me."
35.15 Duk abokaina sun halarci bikin aurena. → "All my friends came to my wedding."
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35.1 Sunana Musa.
35.2 Wannan gidana ne.
35.3 Ina motata?
35.4 Wannan matata ce.
35.5 Mahaifina malami ne.
35.6 Abokina yana zaune a Kano.
35.7 Na bar jakata a gida.
35.8 Littafin nan nawa ne.
35.9 Wannan rigar ba tawa ba ce.
35.10 Mahaifiyata za ta dafa mana abinci.
35.11 Ni kaina ban sani ba.
35.12 Ƙanena yana karatu a jami’a.
35.13 Ban san inda na ajiye makullina ba.
35.14 Idan ka ga yayata, ka faɗa mata ta kira ni.
35.15 Duk abokaina sun halarci bikin aurena.
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These are the grammar rules for -na / -ta in Hausa:
1. "My" is a suffix. It is written joined to the noun, and the noun comes first: gida + -na → gidana "my house" (35.2). English order, na gida, is impossible.
2. -na or -ta: agreement with the thing owned. - masculine noun → -na: suna → sunana "my name" (35.1); mahaifi → mahaifina "my father" (35.5); aboki → abokina "my friend" (35.6); makulli → makullina "my key" (35.13) - plural noun (of either gender) → -na: abokai → abokaina "my friends" (35.15, 35.28); maƙiya → maƙiyana "my enemies" (Section F) - feminine noun ending in -a → -ta: mota → motata "my car" (35.3); mata → matata "my wife" (35.4); jaka → jakata "my bag" (35.7); mahaifiya → mahaifiyata "my mother" (35.10)
The n and t are the linkers you know from gidan sarki and motar Audu; the feminine linker, -r elsewhere, appears here as t. The speaker's sex plays no part: a woman says mijina "my husband", a man matata "my wife".
3. One kin word, two endings. Some kin words are used for both sexes, and the ending then tells you which is meant: yaya "elder sibling" → yayana "my elder brother" (35.23), yayata "my elder sister" (35.14); kaka "grandparent" → kakana "my grandfather" (35.20), kakata "my grandmother".
4. A noun with "my" is definite. Gidana already means "my house"; nothing is added for "the". With the copula: Wannan gidana ne "this is my house" (35.2), Wannan matata ce "this is my wife" (35.4). The copula agrees with the noun owned: ne after gidana, ce after matata.
5. "Mine": nawa / tawa. When the thing owned is not named after the possessive, use the independent forms: - nawa — for a masculine or plural thing: Littafin nan nawa ne "this book is mine" (35.8) - tawa — for a feminine thing: Wannan rigar ba tawa ba ce "this gown isn't mine" (35.9); Tawa ƙarama ce "mine is small" (35.26)
Their partners for "yours" are naka / taka (to a man): Wannan motar taka ce? "is this car yours?" (35.24). In the same way ta + noun means "that of": Ta yayana ce "it's my brother's" (35.25).
6. "Myself": kaina. Kai "head" with -na gives kaina, "myself", used for emphasis after ni: Ni kaina ban sani ba "I myself don't know" (35.11). Compare ita kanta "she herself" in Lesson 34. Kaina can also be simply "my head" (Section F).
7. -na on a verbal noun: "me". When a verbal noun has a pronoun object, that object takes the possessive form: ganina "seeing me" (Section F). Yana ganina is "he sees me", literally "he is at my seeing".
8. Other persons, for comparison. The whole set of possessive suffixes, masculine / plural form first, feminine second: - my: -na / -ta - your (to a man): -nka / -rka - your (to a woman): -nki / -rki - his: -nsa / -rsa (Lesson 28) - her: -nta / -rta (Lesson 34) - our: -nmu / -rmu - your (plural): -nku / -rku - their: -nsu / -rsu
Mistake 1: -na on a feminine noun. Motana is wrong. Mota is feminine: motata.
Mistake 2: confusing "my" and "her". On a feminine noun, -ta is "my" and -rta is "her": motata "my car", motarta "her car". On a masculine noun the two are clearly different: gidana "my house", gidanta "her house".
Mistake 3: the suffix where "mine" is needed. "This book is mine" is Littafin nan nawa ne, not Littafin nan na ne. Nawa / tawa stand alone; -na / -ta must be attached to a noun.
Mistake 4: the copula agreeing with the speaker. A man showing his car says Wannan motata ce, with ce, because mota is feminine.
Mistake 5: nawa "mine" and nawa "how much". Nawa ne? "how much is it?" (Lesson 4) and nawa ne "it's mine" are written the same and differ in tone. The context tells you which is meant: at the market, it is the price.
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Frequency and register. -na and -ta are among the most frequent endings in Hausa. They are heard in the first sentence a learner says, Sunana … "my name is …", and in scripture (Section F).
Family words. Hausa family talk is full of -na and -ta, and Hausa distinguishes relatives that English lumps together. Brothers and sisters are named by age: yaya is an elder sibling (yayana, yayata), ƙane a younger brother (ƙanena), ƙanwa a younger sister (ƙanwata). The Genre Section, two friends looking at family photographs, uses most of them.
Abokina as a greeting. Abokina! "my friend!" is an everyday friendly address between men; a woman speaking to a woman friend says ƙawata. The suffix makes the noun warm and personal.
Hospitality. The closing line of the Genre Section, Gidana gidanka ne "my house is your house", is written in the spirit of the Hausa welcome to guests. It is a pedagogical sentence, not a quoted proverb; the dialogue and the people in it are invented.
Varieties. This lesson follows the Kano standard used in schools. The possessive suffixes are much the same in all Hausa dialects, and the differences are of tone and vowel length, which the spelling does not show.
Ajami. In Ajami the suffix is written joined to its noun, as in Boko: ـنَ for -na and ـتَ for -ta, as -sa was in Lesson 28. The examples in this lesson are given in Boko only.
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Psalm 23:1, 5–6 (Zabura 23), Littafi Mai Tsarki, the Hausa Bible (text as published on YouVersion, bible.com, version HAU).
"The Lord is my shepherd." The best-known psalm is spoken in the first person from beginning to end, and the Hausa carries "my" five times in these lines: makiyayina "my shepherd", maƙiyana "my enemies", ganina "seeing me", kaina "my head" and gidana "my home". Verse 1 and selected lines of verses 5 and 6 are given.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Ubangiji Lord makiyayina my-shepherd ne is
F.1b Ubangiji /ʔubanɡidʒi/ Lord.M makiyayina /makijajina/ shepherd.M-1SG.POSS ne /ne/ COP.M
F.2a Ba not zan I-will rasa lack kome anything ba not
F.2b Ba /ba/ NEG zan /zan/ 1SG.FUT rasa /rasa/ lack kome /kome/ anything ba /ba/ NEG
F.3a Ka you-have shirya prepared mini for-me liyafa feast Inda where maƙiyana my-enemies duk all za will su they iya be-able ganina seeing-me
F.3b Ka /ka/ 2SG.M.PERF shirya /ʃirja/ prepare mini /mini/ 1SG.IO liyafa /lijafa/ feast.F Inda /ʔinda/ where.REL maƙiyana /makʼijana/ enemy.PL-1SG.POSS duk /duk/ all za /za/ FUT su /su/ 3PL iya /ʔija/ be-able ganina /ɡanina/ see.VN-1SG.POSS
F.4a Ka you-have marabce welcomed ni me ka you-have shafe anointed kaina my-head da with mai oil
F.4b Ka /ka/ 2SG.M.PERF marabce /marabtʃe/ welcome.PRE-PRON ni /ni/ 1SG.DO ka /ka/ 2SG.M.PERF shafe /ʃafe/ smear/anoint kaina /kaina/ head.M-1SG.POSS da /da/ with.PREP mai /mai/ oil
F.5a Haikalinka your-temple zai it-will zama become gidana my-home har until abada eternity
F.5b Haikalinka /haikalinka/ temple.M-2SG.M.POSS zai /zai/ 3SG.M.FUT zama /zama/ become gidana /ɡidana/ home.M-1SG.POSS har /har/ until.PREP abada /ʔabada/ eternity
F-B: Original → Translation
Ubangiji makiyayina ne, / Ba zan rasa kome ba. … Ka shirya mini liyafa / Inda maƙiyana duk za su iya ganina, / Ka marabce ni, ka shafe kaina da mai … Haikalinka zai zama gidana har abada.
→ "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. … You prepare a feast for me where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me, you anoint my head with oil … Your temple will be my home for ever."
F-C: Original Only
Ubangiji makiyayina ne, / Ba zan rasa kome ba. … Ka shirya mini liyafa / Inda maƙiyana duk za su iya ganina, / Ka marabce ni, ka shafe kaina da mai … Haikalinka zai zama gidana har abada.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
- makiyayina ne "is my shepherd": makiyayi (masculine) + -na, with the masculine copula ne (Section D, rules 2 and 4). The psalm's most famous line uses the plainest pattern in this lesson. - maƙiyana "my enemies": a plural noun, maƙiya, so the ending is -na whatever the gender of the enemies (Section D, rule 2). - ganina "seeing me": the verbal noun gani with -na as its object (Section D, rule 7). Za su iya ganina is literally "they will be able to my seeing". - kaina "my head": here kai is a real head, anointed with oil. In 35.11 the same word is the emphatic "myself". - gidana "my home": gida is both "house" and "home". Haikalinka "your temple" shows the matching second-person ending -nka (Section D, rule 8). - mini "for me" is the indirect object "me", not a possessive; compare mata "for her" in Lesson 34. ni in ka marabce ni is the direct object "me". - Ba zan … ba: the negative future wraps the verb phrase in ba … ba, as the negative perfective does.
The lines show how often Hausa needs -na where English needs "my" and "me": a first-person poem is full of the suffix.
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Bala finds his friend Musa looking at family photographs on his phone. Dialogue is the natural home of pronouns: Musa names his relatives one after another, each with -na or -ta, and the two friends argue about whose car is whose with nawa, tawa and taka. The dialogue is pedagogical; the people in it are invented.
35.16a Musa Musa me what kake you-are kallo looking-at
35.16b Musa /musa/ Musa.NAME me /me/ what.Q kake /kake/ 2SG.M.REL.CONT kallo /kallo/ look.VN
35.17a Hotunan photos-of iyalina my-family ne are
35.17b Hotunan /hotunan/ photo.PL-LNK iyalina /ʔijalina/ family.M-1SG.POSS ne /ne/ COP
35.18a Wannan this mahaifina my-father ne is wannan this kuma and mahaifiyata my-mother ce is
35.18b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM mahaifina /mahaifina/ father.M-1SG.POSS ne /ne/ COP.M wannan /wannan/ this.DEM kuma /kuma/ and/also mahaifiyata /mahaifijata/ mother.F-1SG.POSS ce /tʃe/ COP.F
35.19a Ina where suke they-are zaune living yanzu now
35.19b Ina /ʔina/ where.Q suke /suke/ 3PL.REL.CONT zaune /zaune/ sit.STATIVE yanzu /janzu/ now.ADV
35.20a Suna they-are zaune living a in Zariya Zaria a in gidan house-of kakana my-grandfather
35.20b Suna /suna/ 3PL.CONT zaune /zaune/ sit.STATIVE a /ʔa/ in.PREP Zariya /zarija/ Zaria.NAME a /ʔa/ in.PREP gidan /ɡidan/ house.M-LNK kakana /kakana/ grandparent.M-1SG.POSS
35.21a Wannan this yarinyar the-girl fa what-about
35.21b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM yarinyar /jarinjar/ girl.F-DEF fa /fa/ what-about.PTCL
35.22a Ƙanwata my-younger-sister ce is Sunanta her-name Zainab Zainab
35.22b Ƙanwata /kʼanwata/ younger-sister.F-1SG.POSS ce /tʃe/ COP.F Sunanta /sunanta/ name.M-LNK-3SG.F.POSS Zainab /zainab/ Zainab.NAME
35.23a Wannan this kuma and yayana my-elder-brother ne is Likita doctor ne he-is a in Kaduna Kaduna
35.23b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM kuma /kuma/ and/also yayana /jajana/ elder-sibling.M-1SG.POSS ne /ne/ COP.M Likita /likita/ doctor ne /ne/ COP.M a /ʔa/ in.PREP Kaduna /kaduna/ Kaduna.NAME
35.24a Wannan this motar the-car taka yours ce is
35.24b Wannan /wannan/ this.DEM motar /motar/ car.F-DEF taka /taka/ 2SG.M.INDEP.POSS.F ce /tʃe/ COP.F
35.25a A’a no ba not tawa mine ba not ce is Ta that-of yayana my-elder-brother ce is
35.25b A’a /ʔaʔa/ no ba /ba/ NEG tawa /tawa/ 1SG.INDEP.POSS.F ba /ba/ NEG ce /tʃe/ COP.F Ta /ta/ that-of.F yayana /jajana/ elder-sibling.M-1SG.POSS ce /tʃe/ COP.F
35.26a Tawa mine ƙarama small ce is kuma and tsohuwa old ce is
35.26b Tawa /tawa/ 1SG.INDEP.POSS.F ƙarama /kʼarama/ small.F ce /tʃe/ COP.F kuma /kuma/ and/also tsohuwa /tsʼohuwa/ old.F ce /tʃe/ COP.F
35.27a Ka you gai greet da with iyalinka your-family idan when ka you-have koma returned gida home
35.27b Ka /ka/ 2SG.M.SUBJ gai /ɡai/ greet da /da/ with.PREP iyalinka /ʔijalinka/ family.M-2SG.M.POSS idan /ʔidan/ if/when.CONJ ka /ka/ 2SG.M.PERF koma /koma/ return gida /ɡida/ home.M
35.28a Za will su they ji feel daɗi pleasure Mahaifiyata my-mother takan she-usually tambaye asks ni me labarin news-of abokaina my-friends
35.28b Za /za/ FUT su /su/ 3PL ji /dʒi/ feel/hear daɗi /daɗi/ pleasure Mahaifiyata /mahaifijata/ mother.F-1SG.POSS takan /takan/ 3SG.F.HAB tambaye /tambaje/ ask.PRE-PRON ni /ni/ 1SG.DO labarin /labarin/ news.M-LNK abokaina /ʔabokaina/ friend.PL-1SG.POSS
35.29a To well ka you ce say mata to-her Bala Bala ya he-has ce said sannu greetings
35.29b To /to/ well.INTERJ ka /ka/ 2SG.M.SUBJ ce /tʃe/ say mata /mata/ 3SG.F.IO Bala /bala/ Bala.NAME ya /ja/ 3SG.M.PERF ce /tʃe/ say sannu /sannu/ greetings
35.30a Zan I-will faɗa tell mata to-her Gidana my-house gidanka your-house ne is
35.30b Zan /zan/ 1SG.FUT faɗa /faɗa/ tell mata /mata/ 3SG.F.IO Gidana /ɡidana/ house.M-1SG.POSS gidanka /ɡidanka/ house.M-2SG.M.POSS ne /ne/ COP.M
35.16 Bala: Musa, me kake kallo? → "Musa, what are you looking at?"
35.17 Musa: Hotunan iyalina ne. → "Photos of my family."
35.18 Musa: Wannan mahaifina ne, wannan kuma mahaifiyata ce. → "This is my father, and this is my mother."
35.19 Bala: Ina suke zaune yanzu? → "Where do they live now?"
35.20 Musa: Suna zaune a Zariya, a gidan kakana. → "They live in Zaria, in my grandfather's house."
35.21 Bala: Wannan yarinyar fa? → "And this girl?"
35.22 Musa: Ƙanwata ce. Sunanta Zainab. → "That's my younger sister. Her name is Zainab."
35.23 Musa: Wannan kuma yayana ne. Likita ne a Kaduna. → "And this is my elder brother. He's a doctor in Kaduna."
35.24 Bala: Wannan motar taka ce? → "Is this car yours?"
35.25 Musa: A’a, ba tawa ba ce. Ta yayana ce. → "No, it isn't mine. It's my brother's."
35.26 Musa: Tawa ƙarama ce, kuma tsohuwa ce. → "Mine is small, and it's old."
35.27 Bala: Ka gai da iyalinka idan ka koma gida. → "Give my greetings to your family when you go back home."
35.28 Musa: Za su ji daɗi. Mahaifiyata takan tambaye ni labarin abokaina. → "They'll be pleased. My mother always asks me about my friends."
35.29 Bala: To, ka ce mata Bala ya ce sannu. → "Well, tell her Bala says hello."
35.30 Musa: Zan faɗa mata. Gidana gidanka ne! → "I'll tell her. My house is your house!"
35.16 Bala: Musa, me kake kallo?
35.17 Musa: Hotunan iyalina ne.
35.18 Musa: Wannan mahaifina ne, wannan kuma mahaifiyata ce.
35.19 Bala: Ina suke zaune yanzu?
35.20 Musa: Suna zaune a Zariya, a gidan kakana.
35.21 Bala: Wannan yarinyar fa?
35.22 Musa: Ƙanwata ce. Sunanta Zainab.
35.23 Musa: Wannan kuma yayana ne. Likita ne a Kaduna.
35.24 Bala: Wannan motar taka ce?
35.25 Musa: A’a, ba tawa ba ce. Ta yayana ce.
35.26 Musa: Tawa ƙarama ce, kuma tsohuwa ce.
35.27 Bala: Ka gai da iyalinka idan ka koma gida.
35.28 Musa: Za su ji daɗi. Mahaifiyata takan tambaye ni labarin abokaina.
35.29 Bala: To, ka ce mata Bala ya ce sannu.
35.30 Musa: Zan faɗa mata. Gidana gidanka ne!
- Both endings in one family. -na on masculine and plural nouns: iyalina (35.17), mahaifina (35.18), kakana (35.20), yayana (35.23, 35.25), abokaina (35.28), gidana (35.30). -ta on feminine nouns: mahaifiyata (35.18, 35.28), ƙanwata (35.22). - "My" beside "her" and "your". Ƙanwata ce. Sunanta Zainab (35.22): "my" (-ta) and "her" (-nta) in neighbouring sentences. Iyalinka "your family" (35.27) and gidanka "your house" (35.30) show the second-person -nka. - Whose car? taka, tawa, ta. The car is feminine (mota), so every possessive word about it is feminine: taka "yours" (35.24), tawa "mine" (35.25, 35.26), ta yayana "my brother's" (35.25), and every copula is ce. - The copula after a plural. Hotunan iyalina ne (35.17): plural nouns take ne, like masculine ones. - Leaving out "he" with ne. Likita ne a Kaduna "(he) is a doctor in Kaduna" (35.23): with the copula, a subject already clear from the context can be left out. - Ina suke zaune? The question word ina takes the relative continuous suke (35.19), and the answer returns to suna (35.20), as take / tana did in Lesson 34. - Ka gai da … "greet …", the usual way of sending greetings to someone's household (35.27). Sannu (35.29) is the everyday greeting, and Bala ya ce sannu is "Bala says hello". - takan tambaye ni "she usually asks me" (35.28): the habitual takan (Lesson 34), and tambaye before the pronoun ni.
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- -na /na/ and -ta /ta/: pure a, unaspirated t. The suffix adds one syllable: gi-da → gi-da-na. - The suffix is always written joined to its noun: gidana, motata, kaina, abokaina, never gida na or mota ta. - nawa and tawa are separate words: nawa ne, ba tawa ba ce. - Hooked letters are separate letters and are always written: ƙ in ƙanena, ƙanwata, ƙarama, maƙiyana; ɗ in daɗi, faɗa. Kanena without the hook is a spelling error. - The apostrophe marks a glottal stop: jami’a /dʒamiʔa/, A’a /ʔaʔa/ "no". - ts in tsohuwa is an ejective, shown here as /tsʼ/ (many Kano speakers say /sʼ/). - Place names take Hausa spellings: Zariya (Zaria), Kaduna, Kano. - Punctuation. In a written dialogue the speaker's name is followed by a colon, as in the Genre Section.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)