Saduwa da Mutane

Chapter Objectives

Communication Scenario

Core Vocabulary

Ƙasashe da yankuna — Countries and regions

The following country names are productive for this chapter. Learn each as a Hausa word with its own pronunciation — do not assume that the Hausa name sounds like the English one. A selection of additional countries appears receptively in the reading and listening activities.

City names used productively in this chapter: Kano, Abuja, Legas (Lagos), Niamey, Akkra (Accra). These are Hausa forms — they may differ from the English spelling you know.

Harsunan da ake magana da su — Languages

Language names in Hausa are typically formed with the suffix -anci or -ci added to a place or people name. Turanci derives from Turai (Europe); Faransanci from Faransa (France). Not all language names follow this pattern — Fulfulde, Yoruba, Igbo, and Kanuri are used as they are. Learn each language name as a separate vocabulary item.

Sana'o'i — Professions

Hausa profession nouns have masculine, feminine, and plural forms. These forms must be learned alongside the noun — do not form the feminine or plural by analogy without checking. The table below gives the forms you need for this chapter.

Note on likita and direba: Some professional terms do not change form for grammatical gender in everyday Hausa usage — the same noun is used for both male and female referents. Where a noun is the same for both, the feminine column shows the form with a label (f.) as a reminder that context and pronouns, not the noun itself, will signal gender. Manoma serves as both the feminine singular and the plural; be attentive to context.

Asali da zama — Origin and residence

The forms Na fito daga, Ya fito daga, and Ta fito daga are taught here as complete formulaic statements of origin. The words na, ya, and ta carry person, number, and gender information — their full role as completive subject forms is taught in Chapter 16. For now, learn each phrase as a whole expression. The forms ina zaune, yana zaune, and tana zaune are continuative expressions taught as fixed patterns here; the full continuative system is introduced in Chapter 7.

Lambobi 21–100 — Numbers 21 to 100

Numbers from 21 to 99 in Hausa follow a pattern built on the decade words. Study the decades first, then observe how units are added.

Many decade words are borrowed from Arabic via long contact — talatin, arba'in, hamsin, sittin, saba'in, and casa'in are recognizable to Arabic speakers. However, learn their Hausa pronunciation and spelling, not an Arabic form. Notice the hooked ɗ in ɗari (100) — this is a distinct Hausa consonant that must be written accurately.

The pattern decade + da + unit (e.g., ashirin da ɗaya) applies consistently from 21 through 99. For example: talatin da biyar (35); hamsin da uku (53); casa'in da tara (99). Practice the pattern using decade words you have already learned.

Pronunciation and Boko

r, l, w, and y in Hausa

These four consonants are written with letters that English speakers already know, but their Hausa sounds are not identical to their English values. Each one requires careful attention.

Reading unfamiliar Boko words

By now you have learned several principles of Hausa Boko spelling. Apply them to unfamiliar words using this checklist:

1. Identify any hooked letters (ɓ, ɗ, ƙ) or the apostrophe consonant 'y — these are distinct Hausa sounds, not variations of the plain letter.
2. Read c with its Hausa value (similar to English ch), not as English k or s.
3. Read sh as a single sound, not as s + h separately.
4. Read ts as a single glottalized sound, not as t + s.
5. Read every vowel as its Hausa quality: a as in father; e as in bed; i as in feet; o as in go; u as in food. Do not apply English vowel shifts.
6. Read r as a tap, not an English glide.
7. Read w fully — it is never silent.
8. Remember that tone and vowel length are present in the spoken word even when the written form does not show them. Your audio model or instructor will demonstrate both.

Grammar Instruction

3.1 Independent pronouns — review and expansion

Purpose: use independent pronouns to identify, emphasize, and contrast people in personal-information exchanges.

You met several independent pronouns in Chapter 1. Here is the full set for this course. The label independent pronoun means this form stands on its own as a complete word — it is not the shorter form used as a subject alongside an aspect marker, which is a different system introduced later.

Independent pronouns are used in identification sentences, for emphasis, and in contrast. They are not the same as the shorter subject forms that appear with aspect markers — those forms are taught from Chapter 7 onwards. Do not use the independent pronoun as a general subject prefix before every verb.

• Ni malami ne.I am a teacher. (male speaker)
• Ni malama ce.I am a teacher. (female speaker)
• Ita likita ce.She is a doctor.
• Shi injiniya ne.He is an engineer.
• Kai, wane ne?You — who are you? (to a male)
• Ke, wace ce?You — who are you? (to a female)

3.2 ne/ce with professions — review

Purpose: identify people by profession using the correct identification particle.

The identification particles ne and ce introduced in Chapters 1 and 2 apply directly to profession nouns. The particle must match the grammatical gender of the profession noun, not the biological sex of the person. For most profession nouns, the masculine and feminine forms are different words — so the form of the noun itself already signals gender. The particle then follows the noun's gender.

• Malami ne.He is a teacher. (malami is masculine → ne)
• Malama ce.She is a teacher. (malama is feminine → ce)
• Likita ne.He is a doctor. (likita is masculine here → ne)
• Likita ce.She is a doctor. (likita feminine in this context → ce)
• Malamai ne.They are teachers. (plural → ne)

When a profession noun has the same form for masculine and feminine (such as likita or direba), the choice of ne or ce — along with the pronoun used — is the main signal of the person's gender. This is why the identification particle matters: removing it or choosing the wrong one creates a real ambiguity.

3.3 Negative identification: ba … ba ne/ce

Purpose: say that someone or something is not a particular person or thing.

To say that someone is not something, Hausa uses a discontinuous negative construction: ba appears before the noun or pronoun and ba ne or ba ce appears after it. Both elements are required — dropping either one produces an incomplete or incorrect sentence.

• Ba malami ba ne.He is not a teacher. (masculine → ba ne at the end)ba + [noun] + ba ne
• Ba malama ba ce.She is not a teacher. (feminine → ba ce at the end)
• Ba likita ba ne.He is not a doctor.
• Ba daga Kano ba ne.He is not from Kano.
• Ba ni ba ne.It is not me. / That is not I.
• Ba malamai ba ne.They are not teachers. (plural → ba ne)

3.4 Asking where someone comes from

Purpose: ask and answer questions about origin using the formulaic patterns taught in this chapter.

The question Where are you from? requires a specific construction in Hausa that varies slightly depending on whom you are addressing. Each form below is a complete communication pattern. You do not need to analyze the subject word internally at this stage — the full grammar is taught in Chapters 7 and 16. Learn each as a whole question.

The answers use the origin expressions introduced in the vocabulary section:

• Q: Daga ina kake zuwa? · A: Na fito daga Kano.Where are you from? · I am from Kano.
• Q: Daga ina kike zuwa? · A: Na fito daga Niamey.Where are you from? · I am from Niamey.
• Q: Daga ina yake zuwa? · A: Ya fito daga Gana.Where does he come from? · He is from Ghana.

3.5 Saying which languages you speak

Purpose: state which languages you speak or understand using two formulaic continuative frames.

Two formulaic patterns cover the most important language-ability statements at this level. Both are continuative constructions whose full grammar is introduced in Chapter 7. Learn them now as complete, usable expressions.

• Ina magana da Hausa.I speak Hausa. (ongoing or general)
• Ina magana da Turanci.I speak English.
• Ina magana da Hausa da Turanci.I speak Hausa and English.
• Yana magana da Faransanci.He speaks French.
• Tana magana da Larabci.She speaks Arabic.
• Na fahimci Hausa kaɗan.I understand Hausa a little.
• Ban fahimci Jamusanci ba.I do not understand German.

Vocabulary note: kaɗan = a little, slightly; da kyau = well; sosai = very well, a lot. These degree adverbs can be added after a language name: Ina magana da Hausa da kyau (I speak Hausa well).

3.6 Introducing another person

Purpose: introduce a third person using name, origin, language, and profession.

When introducing someone else in Hausa, a natural pattern combines identification, origin, and an optional profession or language statement. The introduction does not require a special introductory verb at this stage — a simple identification and then further description works well.

• Wannan Aminu ne. Malami ne. Ya fito daga Kano.This is Aminu. He is a teacher. He is from Kano.
• Wannan Hauwa ce. Likita ce. Ta fito daga Niamey. Tana magana da Hausa da Faransanci.This is Hauwa. She is a doctor. She is from Niamey. She speaks Hausa and French.
• Sunansa Suleiman ne. Injiniya ne daga Kamaru.His name is Suleiman. He is an engineer from Cameroon.
• Sunanta Maryam ce. Ɗaliba ce. Tana zaune a Abuja.Her name is Maryam. She is a student. She lives in Abuja.

New vocabulary: sunansa = his name (literally "name-his"); sunanta = her name (literally "name-her"). These are possession constructions that will be analyzed fully in Chapter 4. For now, use sunansa … ne and sunanta … ce as fixed introduction frames.

Practice exercises

Atisayen A — Zaɓi madaidaicin kalma (Choose the correct form):

Select the correct independent pronoun and identification particle for each sentence.

1. _____ malami ne. (She is a teacher.) → Choose: Ni / Shi / Ita + ne / ce
2. _____ likita ne. (He is a doctor.) → Choose: Ni / Shi / Ita + ne / ce
3. _____ ɗaliba ce. (I am a student — female speaker.) → Choose: Ni / Kai / Ke
4. _____ malamai ne. (They are teachers.) → Choose: Su / Mu / Ku
5. _____ injiniya ne. (You are an engineer — speaking to a male.) → Choose: Kai / Ke / Ku

Atisayen B — Siffanta mutum (Describe a person):

Use the information given to write two or three Hausa sentences introducing the person. Include name, gender-appropriate identification, origin, and one additional fact.

1. Name: Fatima. Female. Doctor. From Kano.
2. Name: Ibrahim. Male. Teacher. From Nijar.
3. Name: Ngozi. Female. Student. From Najeriya. Speaks Igbo and Hausa.
4. Name: Driss. Male. Engineer. From Kamaru. Speaks Faransanci and Hausa.

Atisayen C — Tambayar asali (Asking about origin):

Write the correct origin question for each situation, then write a plausible answer using a country from the vocabulary list.

1. You are speaking to a male and want to know where he is from.
2. You are speaking to a female and want to know where she is from.
3. You want to ask where a male colleague comes from (talking about him to someone else).
4. You want to say that you are from Ghana.
5. You want to say that she is not from Nigeria. Use ba … ba ne/ce.

Atisayen D — Harsunan da ake magana da su (Languages spoken):

Write a Hausa sentence for each prompt using Ina magana da…, Yana magana da…, or Tana magana da…

1. State that you speak Hausa and English.
2. State that she speaks French and Arabic.
3. State that he speaks Yoruba and Hausa a little.
4. State that you understand Hausa well.
5. State that you do not understand German.

Atisayen E — Lambobi 21–100 (Numbers 21–100):

Write out the following numbers in Hausa words.

1. 25
2. 33
3. 47
4. 60
5. 75
6. 91
7. 100

Model Dialogue

Vocabulary notes for the dialogue: yanzu = now; nan = here; wane harshe = which language; shi here = it (the language, object of magana da); sana'ata = my profession; sana'arka = your profession (masculine); menene = what is (it)?; gwamnati = government; abokinmu = our friend; daidai = exactly, precisely; tukuna = yet; ina koyo = I am learning; ba da wahala ba ce = it is not difficult (recognition only); za ka iya koyo da sauri = you will be able to learn quickly (recognition only; future and ability are taught in Chapters 13–14).

Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:

1. Where is Amina from, and where is she living now? Give both answers in Hausa and English.
2. What two languages does Bello speak? Write both in Hausa.
3. What is Amina's profession? Is the noun masculine or feminine? How do you know from the dialogue?
4. Where is Chukwuemeka from? What languages does he speak?
5. Find one example of the ba … ba ne/ce pattern in the dialogue. Write the full sentence and its English meaning.
6. Find an example of the origin question form addressed to a female. Write it out.

Listening

Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following exchanges aloud, twice each. Complete the tasks after listening.

Kula na A — Cike tebur (Complete the table): Listen to Sauraro na A and complete the information: name, country of origin, city, current location, languages spoken, profession.

Kula na B — Amsoshi (Answers): Listen to Sauraro na B. Write the answers to these questions: (1) What country is the speaker from? (2) What city? (3) What is his profession? (4) What languages does he speak and how well?

Kula na C — Gaskiya ko ƙarya? (True or false?): Listen to Sauraro na C. Mark each statement T (true) or F (false). Correct the false ones.
(a) Musa ya fito daga Najeriya.    (b) Musa injiniya ne.    (c) Yana magana da Turanci.    (d) Yana zaune a Kamaru.

Kula na D — Lambobi (Numbers): Listen to Sauraro na D. Answer in Hausa words: (1) How many students are in the class? (2) How many are male? (3) How many are female?

Rubutun sauraro don malami, abokin karatu, ko amfani da rubutun lantarki. Duba amsoshi a sashi na amsoshi.
(Listening Script for Instructor, Partner, or Text-to-Speech Use. See Answer Key for expected responses.)

Reading

Read the two short texts below. They have been written for learners at this stage of the course. As you read, look for information about each person's origin, profession, and languages.

Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:

1. What is Zainab's profession? Copy the sentence that tells you, and identify the identification particle used.
2. Zainab says she is not a student at this school. Write the sentence she uses. What pattern does it follow?
3. What languages does Kwame speak? List them in Hausa.
4. Does Kwame speak French? Find the sentence that answers this and explain the structure you see.
5. What do both Zainab and Kwame have in common? Identify at least two facts from the profiles.
6. Find all the origin statements in both readings. Write each one and identify the subject form used (Na, Ya, or Ta).

Writing Workshop

1. Karanta samfuri. Reread Rubutu na 1 (Zainab's profile) above. Underline all identification sentences with ne or ce. Circle the origin statement. Put a box around the language statement.
2. Shirya bayananka. Decide on two profiles to write — one about yourself (or an invented character) and one about a real or imagined person. For each, note: name, country of origin, city, current location, languages spoken, and profession.
3. Rubuta farkon rubutunka. Write six to eight Hausa sentences for each profile. Use the patterns: Sunana … ne/ce; Na fito daga…; Ina zaune a…; Ina magana da…; and at least one ba … ba ne/ce negative. Include at least one number (age, class size, or similar).
4. Duba da jerin bincike. Check your draft against the editing checklist before writing the final version.
5. Rubuta siffa ta ƙarshe. Produce a clean final version for your portfolio.

Jerin binciken gyara — Editing checklist:

• Each identification sentence uses the correct particle: ne for masculine, ce for feminine, ne for plural.
• Each profession noun has the correct masculine or feminine form for the person being described.
• Each negative identification uses both ba elements: ba … ba ne or ba … ba ce.
• Origin statements use Na fito daga (I), Ya fito daga (he), or Ta fito daga (she) correctly.
• Language statements use Ina / Yana / Tana magana da… with the correct subject form.
• Hooked letters (ɗ, ƙ, ɓ) and 'y are written correctly wherever they appear.
• Numbers above 20 follow the pattern: decade + da + unit.
• Each sentence ends with a full stop. Names are capitalized.

Speaking Practice

Culture and Communication

Common Mistakes

Chapter Review

Chapter Performance Task

Looking Ahead