Iyali da Abokai

Chapter Objectives

Communication Scenario

Core Vocabulary

Iyali na kusa — Immediate family

Each kinship term below is presented with its grammatical gender, plural, and the linker form it takes in a possessive phrase. Learn the plural with the singular — Hausa family plurals are not predictable from one rule.

Note on ɗa and diya: The masculine ɗa (son) has the hooked ɗ — do not write it as plain d. The feminine diya (daughter) uses plain d. The plural 'ya'ya (children) begins with 'y — an implosive consonant distinct from plain y. Write both apostrophes in 'ya'ya. Note on 'yan'uwa: This plural (siblings) also begins with 'y; write it accurately. Mata serves as both the singular (wife) and the plural (wives / women); context will distinguish them. Mazaje is the specific plural for husbands; maza is the broader word for men.

Iyali mai fadi — Extended family

Note on kaka: The same word kaka is used for grandfather and grandmother in many Hausa-speaking communities; context, pronouns, and clarifying words signal which is meant. Note on ƙane: Ƙane (younger sibling) uses the hooked ƙ — do not substitute plain k. The plural ƙannenni also carries the hooked letter. Note on family structure: Hausa family vocabulary reflects household structures that may include co-wives, extended compounds, and fostered children. Some terms, such as innata, have no direct English equivalent. Learn these as authentic Hausa vocabulary, not as approximate translations.

Siffofi na mutane — Personal qualities

The adjectives and quality expressions below are productive for this chapter. Each true adjective has masculine, feminine, and plural forms. Mai expressions do not change for gender or plurality of the person described — the noun after mai may, however, require its own form. Both types are common in Hausa descriptions of people.

Invariant forms: Mai expressions do not take masculine, feminine, or plural agreement endings. You say mai hankali for a man, a woman, and a group equally. This is one reason they are so useful for beginners: no agreement to track beyond the main noun phrase.

Shekaru da matakai — Ages and life stages

Tambayoyi da amsoshi na iyali — Useful family expressions

The expressions Kana da…, Kina da…, and Ina da… are formulaic possession frames introduced here for productive use in family conversations. Their full grammar — possession with da, continuative subject forms, and associated questions — is taught in Chapters 6 and 7. For now, learn each as a complete communication pattern.

Pronunciation and Boko

Tone and vowel length in kinship terms

Hausa kinship terms are among the highest-frequency words in the language, and they carry specific tone patterns that distinguish them from other words. Ordinary Boko does not mark tone, so you must learn each word's tonal shape through listening and imitation. The brief descriptions below give you a starting point; your audio model or instructor will demonstrate each word.

Reading possessive phrases as connected units

In Hausa, a possessive phrase such as ɗan Amina (Amina's son) or uban Bello (Bello's father) is read as a connected unit — the linker (-n or -r) is attached to the end of the first word. In normal speech, the phrase flows without a pause between the possessed noun and its linker. Practice reading the following phrases aloud as single rhythmic units:

• uban MusaMusa's father (father-of Musa)
• uwar KandeKande's mother (mother-of Kande)
• abokin BelloBello's friend (friend-of Bello)
• abokiyar HauwaHauwa's friend (friend-of Hauwa)
• 'ya'yan malamithe teacher's children (children-of teacher)

Grammar Instruction

4.1 The genitive linker: introducing -n and -r

Purpose: express possession and relationship between nouns using the genitive linker that agrees with the possessed noun.

When you want to say that one thing belongs to or is associated with another — "Musa's father," "the teacher's classroom," "Amina's friend" — Hausa attaches a short linking element to the end of the first noun (the possessed noun, the thing that is owned or related). This element is called the genitive linker. It comes in two forms:

The key rule: The linker agrees with the possessed noun — the noun it attaches to — not with the possessor. If the possessed noun is masculine singular, use -n. If it is feminine singular, use -r. If the possessed noun is plural, use -n regardless of the singular gender.

When a noun ends in a vowel, the linker is added directly: uba → uban; uwa → uwar. When a noun ends in a consonant, the linker is added after the final consonant: aboki → abokin; abokiya → abokiyar; malami → malamin; malama → malamar. Noun-final vowels that change in the linked form must be learned with each noun — do not assume a universal rule.

4.2 Possessive pronoun forms

Purpose: express that something belongs to a particular person using possessive pronouns that follow the genitive linker.

When the possessor is a pronoun (my, your, his, her, our, their) rather than a noun, Hausa uses a set of possessive pronoun forms. These forms are built on the same linker system: na- for masculine or plural possessed nouns; ta- for feminine singular possessed nouns. The possessor is then encoded in the ending.

The possessive pronoun follows the noun it modifies. The choice between the na- set and the ta- set is determined — just like the noun linker — by the gender of the possessed noun, not by the gender of the possessor.

• uba nawamy father — uba is masculine → nawapossessed noun (m.) + na- possessive
• uwa tawamy mother — uwa is feminine → tawapossessed noun (f.) + ta- possessive
• aboki nasahis friend (m.) — aboki is masculine → nasa
• abokiya tasahis friend (f.) — abokiya is feminine → tasa
• 'ya'ya namuour children — 'ya'ya is plural → namu
• ɗa nakiyour son (speaking to a female) — ɗa is masculine → naki
• diya takiyour daughter (speaking to a female) — diya is feminine → taki

4.3 Adjectives: masculine, feminine, and plural agreement

Purpose: describe people and family members using true adjectives with correct gender and number agreement.

Hausa has a set of true adjectives. In a predicate (after ne/ce), the adjective typically follows the noun or pronoun that it describes. In an attributive phrase (before a noun, as in "a tall man"), the adjective follows the noun and is linked to it. This chapter focuses on the predicate use, which is more common at this level.

The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun it describes.

• Musa tsawo ne.Musa is tall. (masculine subject → masculine adjective form)
• Hauwa tsawanya ce.Hauwa is tall. (feminine subject → feminine adjective form)
• Yara tsawaye ne.The children are tall. (plural subject → plural adjective form)
• Uba babba ne.Father is big / Father is the senior one. (babba has the same form for m. and f. singular)
• Ɗan'uwa ƙarami ne.The (younger male) sibling is small / young. (masculine → ƙarami)
• Diya ƙarama ce.The daughter is small / young. (feminine → ƙarama)
• 'Ya'ya ƙanana ne.The children are small / young. (plural → ƙanana)

babba: This adjective has the same form for masculine and feminine singular (babba). The plural attributive form is often manyan (as in mutane manyan — older people) or manya in predicate use. This is an irregular pattern — learn it as a lexical set rather than by applying a suffix rule.

4.4 mai quality expressions

Purpose: describe people's qualities using the invariant mai construction when no single adjective form exists in Hausa.

Many English adjectives — kind, hardworking, patient, happy — do not have direct one-word Hausa adjective equivalents. Instead, Hausa uses the word mai (literally "possessor of, one who has") followed by a noun that names the quality. The whole expression then functions like an adjective in a sentence.

The important feature of mai expressions for learners: mai does not change for gender or number. The same form is used for a man, a woman, and a group.

• Uwa mai kirki ce.Mother is kind. (mai kirki invariant — no change for feminine)
• Uba mai hankali ne.Father is wise/patient.
• Abokin nawa mai aiki ne.My friend is hardworking. (male friend)
• Abokiyar nawa mai aiki ce.My friend is hardworking. (female friend — note: mai aiki unchanged, but ce changes)
• Abokai nawa mai aiki ne.My friends are hardworking. (plural — mai aiki unchanged, ne for plural)
• Ɗa nawa mai farin ciki ne.My son is cheerful/happy.

4.5 Asking and stating ages

Purpose: ask how old someone is and state ages using numbers already learned.

Age in Hausa is expressed using the word shekara / shekaru (year/years). The construction used here is formulaic — it employs a possession frame whose full grammar is taught in Chapter 6. Learn these patterns as complete communication expressions:

• Yaya shekaru naka?How old are you? (asking a male) — literally "How-are years yours?"
• Yaya shekaru naki?How old are you? (asking a female)
• Yaya shekaru nasa?How old is he?
• Yaya shekaru nata?How old is she?
• Ina da shekaru talatin.I am thirty years old. (literally "I have years thirty")
• Yana da shekaru ashirin da biyar.He is twenty-five years old.
• Tana da shekaru arba'in da biyu.She is forty-two years old.
• Yara suna da shekaru goma.The children are ten years old. (formulaic plural possession; full system in Chapter 7)

The number follows shekaru directly in age statements. Use the numbers from Chapters 2 and 3: units 1–20 from Chapter 2, decades and compounds 21–100 from Chapter 3. Numbers above 100 are not required for this chapter.

4.6 Introducing a third person — expanded

Purpose: introduce a family member or friend using possession, description, and age in connected sentences.

You learned in Chapter 3 how to introduce someone by name, origin, and profession. This chapter adds the tools to describe relationships, qualities, and ages in a connected presentation. The pattern below illustrates how these elements combine:

• Wannan ubar nawa ce. Sunanta Halima ce. Malama ce. Tana da shekaru hamsin da uku. Mai hankali ce.This is my mother. Her name is Halima. She is a teacher. She is fifty-three years old. She is wise.
• Wannan abokin nawa ne. Sunansa Dauda ne. Ya fito daga Nijar. Yana da shekaru ashirin da bakwai. Tsawo ne kuma mai kirki ne.This is my friend. His name is Dauda. He is from Niger. He is twenty-seven years old. He is tall and kind.

New connector: kuma = and (connecting two statements or adding information). This is the first connector introduced productively; others follow in later chapters. Kuma connects clauses and whole statements, not just single nouns — for nouns joined in a list, da (and, with) is used.

Practice exercises

Atisayen A — Zaɓi masu haɗi (Choose the linker):

Add the correct genitive linker (-n or -r) to each possessed noun. Then write the full phrase in Hausa.

1. the father of Kande → uba + _____ + Kande
2. the mother of Ibrahim → uwa + _____ + Ibrahim
3. the children of the teacher (m.) → 'ya'ya + _____ + malami
4. the friend (f.) of Amina → abokiya + _____ + Amina
5. the name of the doctor (m.) → suna (masculine noun) + _____ + likita
6. the grandchildren of the grandparents → jikoki (plural) + _____ + kakanni

Atisayen B — Fassara zuwa Hausa (Translate into Hausa):

Write these possession phrases in Hausa using the possessive pronoun table above.

1. my father (speaking of your own father)
2. my mother
3. his friend (male friend)
4. her son
5. our children
6. your younger sibling (speaking to a female) — use ƙane (masculine noun)
7. their grandmother — use kaka (feminine in this context)

Atisayen C — Sifanta mutum (Describe the person):

Write a complete predicate sentence describing each person. Choose from the adjective forms and mai expressions in the vocabulary section.

1. Musa (male, tall) → _____
2. Nana (female, kind) → _____
3. yara (children, small/young) → _____
4. uba (father, patient/wise) → _____
5. abokiya (female friend, hardworking) → _____
6. uwa (mother, cheerful/happy) → _____

Atisayen D — Shekaru (Ages):

Write the correct Hausa age statement for each prompt.

1. State that you are thirty-four years old.
2. State that he is fifty years old.
3. State that she is twenty-eight years old.
4. Ask a female how old she is.
5. Ask a male how old he is.
6. Write the age question for asking about a third person (female).

Atisayen E — Haɗa jimloli (Connect the sentences):

Using the information below, write three connected Hausa sentences about each person. Include a relationship phrase, an age, and at least one description. Use kuma to connect qualities where appropriate.

1. Fati — your sister (female sibling) — 22 years old — tall, hardworking
2. Sani — your paternal uncle (baffa) — 60 years old — wise, kind
3. Laraba — your grandmother (kaka) — 75 years old — senior, cheerful

Model Dialogue

Vocabulary notes for the dialogue: hoto = photo, picture; kamar = like, similar to; amma = but; suna da lafiya = they are in good health (formulaic possession with continuative; full system in Chapter 7); guda = one (used as a quantity word before a number when counting discrete things: guda biyu = two of them, guda ɗaya = one of them); tukuna = still, yet; sosai = very, a lot; saboda = because of, due to; aikin koyarwa = teaching work/the work of teaching; alhamdulillahi = thank God, praise God (Arabic-origin expression widely used by Muslim speakers across the Hausa world; receptive recognition here); da alama = it seems, apparently.

Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:

1. How many siblings does Amina have? List them by name, gender, and one fact about each.
2. How old is Amina's father? Write the age in Hausa and in numerals.
3. Find one example of a genitive phrase using -n and one using -r in the dialogue. Write each phrase and explain why the linker was chosen.
4. Find one possessive pronoun form in the dialogue. Write the full phrase, identify whether the base is na- or ta-, and explain why.
5. What does Amina say about Rabi's character? Write the Hausa sentence and identify the type of expression used (adjective or mai expression).
6. Where does Amina's family live? Write her answer in Hausa.

Listening

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

Kula na A — Cike bayanai (Complete the information): Listen to Sauraro na A. Fill in the family profile: Who is present in this family? How old is the mother? What is the sister's name and profession? What do the two sisters have in common?

Kula na B — Gaskiya ko ƙarya? (True or false?): Listen to Sauraro na B. Mark T (true) or F (false). Correct the false ones.
(a) Yusuf ya fito daga Nijar.    (b) Yusuf yana da shekaru ashirin da tara.    (c) Yusuf gajere ne.    (d) Ramatu mai aiki ce.

Kula na C — Tebur na iyali (Family table): Listen to Sauraro na C. Complete a table with three columns: family member, how many, ages. Fill in what you hear for each category.

Kula na D — Amsoshi ga tambayoyi (Answers to questions): Listen to Sauraro na D. Write the answers to these questions in Hausa: (1) How old is the speaker? (2) How many children does he have? (3) List the children by gender and age.

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 texts below. They have been written for learners at this stage. Look for possessive phrases, descriptive expressions, and age statements as you read.

Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:

1. How many people are in Sule's household? List them by relationship.
2. Find two possessive pronoun phrases in Sule's profile (using namu, nawa, or tawa). Write each phrase and explain the choice of na- or ta- base.
3. What is the name of Sule's wife and what is her profession? Write both facts in Hausa.
4. How does Ngozi describe Hajiya Laraba? Find the description sentences and identify whether each uses an adjective or a mai expression.
5. What does Ngozi say about Mele's family situation? Write the key sentence in Hausa.
6. Find one ba … ba ne/ce construction in Rubutu na 2. Write the full sentence and explain what it is negating.

Writing Workshop

1. Karanta samfuri. Reread Rubutu na 1 (Sule's family) above. Underline all genitive linker phrases. Circle all possessive pronoun forms. Draw a box around every age statement. This gives you a visual inventory of the target structures.
2. Tsara bayananku. Decide on the subject of your profile: your own family, a chosen social network, or a fictional family. For each person you will write about, note: relationship to you (using a kinship or friendship term), name, gender, age, one quality or description. You should write about at least three people.
3. Rubuta farkon rubutunka. Write eight to twelve connected Hausa sentences. Use: at least two genitive linker phrases (-n or -r); at least two possessive pronoun forms (nawa / tawa, etc.); at least two age statements (Yana / Tana da shekaru…); at least one true adjective with correct agreement; at least one mai expression; the connector kuma at least once.
4. Duba da jerin bincike. Use the checklist below before writing the final version.
5. Rubuta siffa ta ƙarshe. Produce a clean final version for your portfolio. This profile will be used again in the Chapter 5 review.

Jerin binciken gyara — Editing checklist:

• Every genitive linker (-n or -r) agrees with the possessed noun, not the possessor.
• Every possessive pronoun form (nawa / tawa, etc.) agrees with the gender and number of the possessed noun.
• Every true adjective (tsawo, ƙarami, etc.) agrees in gender and number with the noun or pronoun it describes.
• Mai expressions are not changed for gender — the same form is used throughout.
• Age statements follow the pattern: Yana / Tana da shekaru + number.
• The hooked letters ɗ, ƙ, ɓ and the apostrophe consonant 'y are written correctly throughout.
• Apostrophes within words like 'ya'ya and 'yan'uwa are both written.
• Names are capitalized; each sentence ends with a full stop.
• The connector kuma is used to join clauses, not nouns. (Use da for nouns in a list.)

Speaking Practice

Culture and Communication

Common Mistakes

Chapter Review

Chapter Performance Task

Looking Ahead