A Cikin Gari
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common buildings, public services, and forms of transportation.
- Ask where a place is located using Ina … take?
- Ask for and give simple directions using affirmative singular commands.
- Give a command to a group or use a respectful subjunctive-based instruction.
- Give a negative command using kada.
- Use common motion verbs to describe going, coming, entering, and leaving.
- Use high-frequency prepositions and pronoun forms after prepositions to describe position and route.
- Read and follow simple public signs and route instructions in Boko.
- Pronounce imperative and subjunctive forms with attention to tone, and read place names and transportation vocabulary accurately.
Communication Scenario
You have just arrived in a new part of town and need to find your way to a bank, a market, and a friend's house before evening. A stranger on the street, a shopkeeper, and a taxi driver each give you part of the route. To follow their instructions — and to ask your own questions when you get lost — you need vocabulary for buildings, transportation, and direction, along with the sentence patterns Hausa uses to tell someone where to go and what to do.
- Until now, every command you have produced has used one fixed pattern (the singular imperative from Chapter 2) or the group form ku + verb. In this chapter, both patterns become fully productive, and you will also learn how to make a command negative. Notice that the negative command does not simply add "not" to the affirmative — it uses a different subject form entirely.
- Direction-giving in Hausa relies heavily on a small set of motion verbs — go, come, enter, leave, turn, continue — combined with location words you already know from Chapter 6. As you work through the grammar section, pay attention to how a sequence of short commands, rather than one long sentence, is the natural way to give directions in Hausa.
Core Vocabulary
Hanyoyin sufuri — Transportation
The following transportation terms are productive for this chapter. Each noun's gender and plural are given; check them before using the noun in a sentence requiring agreement.
| Hausa | English | Gender / Plural |
|---|---|---|
| mota | car | f.; pl. motoci |
| bas | bus | m.; pl. basoshi |
| keke | bicycle | m.; pl. kekuna |
| babur | motorcycle | m.; pl. baburai |
| tasi | taxi | m.; pl. tasoshi |
| jirgin sama | airplane | m.; pl. jiragen sama |
| jirgin ƙasa | train | m.; pl. jiragen ƙasa |
| tafiya da ƙafa | going on foot, walking | verbal-noun phrase; not a vehicle noun |
Jirgin sama and jirgin ƙasa are both built on jirgi (vessel, vehicle) plus a linker and a noun — learn each compound as a fixed lexical item rather than analyzing the linker productively here.
Gine-gine da ayyukan jama'a — Buildings and public services
| Hausa noun | Gender | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| banki | m. | bankuna | bank |
| asibiti | m. | asibitoci | hospital |
| ofishin gidan waya | m. | ofisoshin gidan waya | post office |
| gidan abinci | m. | gidajen abinci | restaurant |
| gidan sinima | m. | gidajen sinima | cinema |
| tashar mota | f. | tashoshin mota | bus or motor park |
| masallaci | m. | masallatai | mosque |
| coci | m. | cocci | church |
| kasuwa | f. | kasuwanni | market |
| ofishin 'yan sanda | m. | ofisoshin 'yan sanda | police station |
Compound nouns such as tashar mota, ofishin gidan waya, and ofishin 'yan sanda contain genitive linkers introduced in Chapter 4. Learn each compound as a single vocabulary unit at this stage; do not attempt to build new compounds by analogy without verification.
Alkiblar tafiya — Direction and position words
| Hausa | English |
|---|---|
| dama | right |
| hagu | left |
| gaba | ahead, in front |
| baya | behind, back |
| kusa da | near, close to |
| nesa da | far from |
| tsakanin | between |
| kusurwa | corner |
| titi | street, road |
| mahaɗar hanya | junction, crossroads |
These words combine with the location patterns from Chapter 6 (akwai, a) and with the prepositions introduced later in this chapter.
Alamomin jama'a — Common public signs
| Hausa | English |
|---|---|
| Shiga | Enter / Entrance |
| Fita | Exit |
| Tsaya | Stop |
| Kada a shiga | Do not enter |
| An rufe | Closed (recognition only; passive-style form) |
| Bude | Open |
An rufe uses a construction not yet taught productively. Learn it receptively as a sign you will recognize when reading.
Pronunciation and Boko
Tone in imperative forms
Hausa imperative verbs carry their own tone pattern, separate from the tone of the citation form you learned in the vocabulary ledger. Several common motion verbs have a distinct, often low, tone in the imperative that must be learned by listening rather than guessed from spelling.
| Hausa imperative | English | Pronunciation note |
|---|---|---|
| Tafi! | Go! | verified low-high tone pattern; do not lengthen the final vowel |
| Zo! | Come! | single syllable; hold the vowel briefly, not extended |
| Juya! | Turn! | two syllables; stress falls naturally on the first |
| Tsaya! | Stop! | initial consonant cluster ts pronounced as one glottalized sound |
| Shiga! | Enter! | sh as one sound, not s + h |
A Hausa command typically carries a brisk, falling intonation contour distinct from an ordinary statement, although it is less dramatic than English command intonation can be. A polite or respectful command — for example, one using the plural ku form to address one person respectfully — is often delivered with a softer, more level contour and may be preceded by don Allah (please) or followed by a softening particle. Listen for the difference between a brisk Tafi dama! (Go right!) given quickly between friends and a more measured Don Allah, ku juya hagu (Please turn left) given to a stranger or an elder. Tone on individual words does not change, but the overall rhythm and pitch contour of the sentence does.
Place names and transportation vocabulary
Continue applying the Boko reading checklist from Chapter 3 to the place names and transportation words in this chapter. Pay particular attention to:
- Tsakanin — the consonant cluster ts at the start is one glottalized sound, not t followed by s.
- Masallaci — the doubled l sound is held briefly; do not shorten it to a single tap.
- Babur and banki — these are established loanwords with verified Hausa pronunciation; do not import the source-language pronunciation.
- Vowel length in kusa (near) versus kusurwa (corner) — these are related in form but distinct words; do not confuse them.
The subjunctive subject forms introduced in this chapter (ka, ki, ku, and others) carry their own tone, distinct from similar-looking forms used elsewhere in the course. Because several of these short words resemble forms you already know from other constructions, careful listening is required to keep them distinct. Your instructor or audio model will demonstrate the tone of ku tafi (go, addressed respectfully or to a group) so that you can distinguish it by ear from forms with a similar spelling but a different grammatical function.
Grammar Instruction
11.1 The affirmative singular imperative — now productive
Purpose: give a direct command to one person.
In Chapter 2, you learned a small set of fixed singular commands for classroom use. In this chapter, the singular imperative becomes fully productive: you can form and use it with any high-frequency verb needed for giving directions and instructions. The singular imperative is used for direct commands to one person in a familiar or informal context.
Many common verbs form the singular imperative from a base form close to the citation form, often with a distinctive tone pattern. Because the imperative tone is not always predictable from the citation form's tone, each new imperative verb should be learned and verified individually rather than derived by a general rule.
- Tafi dama!Go right!
- Juya hagu!Turn left!
- Tsaya nan!Stop here!
- Shiga banki!Go into the bank! / Enter the bank!
- Zo nan!Come here!
The singular imperative is limited to affirmative commands addressed to one person in a familiar context. It is not used for negative commands, for groups, or for respectful address to an elder or stranger — each of those situations uses a different pattern, introduced below.
11.2 Subjunctive commands for groups and respectful address — now productive
Purpose: give a command to more than one person, or address one person respectfully, using the subjunctive-based pattern.
In Chapter 2, you saw fixed ku + verb patterns for classroom instructions. The subjunctive subject-form system behind that pattern becomes productive here. The subjunctive subject form appears before the verb and carries the person, number, and (in the singular) gender information for the command.
| Subject form | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ka | respectful or formal command to one male, in approved contexts | Ka tafi dama. (Go right.) |
| ki | respectful or formal command to one female, in approved contexts | Ki juya hagu. (Turn left.) |
| ku | command to a group, or respectful command to one person | Ku tsaya nan. (Stop here.) |
Use ku for any command directed at more than one person, and also as a respectful way to address a single elder, stranger, or person of higher status — the same plural-for-respect pattern you encountered with pronouns in earlier chapters. The forms ka and ki appear in this course mainly in fixed, taught command frames; reserve ku as your default safe choice for an unfamiliar respectful context.
- Ku shiga, don Allah.Please come in. (to a group, or respectfully to one person)
- Ku juya dama a mahaɗar hanya.Turn right at the junction.
- Ka tafi gaba sai ka isa banki.Go straight ahead until you reach the bank.
It is tempting to think of the singular imperative as "informal" and the subjunctive ku form as "formal," but the real distinction is about number and respect together, not politeness alone. The singular imperative is grammatically restricted to one addressee in an affirmative command; it cannot be used for a group regardless of how informal the setting is. The subjunctive-based ku form is required for any group, and it is also the safer respectful choice for one person whose relationship to you calls for distance — an elder, a stranger, or someone in an official role. Tone of voice and added words like don Allah (please) also affect politeness, but the choice of ka/ki versus ku versus the plain singular imperative is determined by grammar, not by how politely you say it.
11.3 Negative commands with kada
Purpose: tell someone not to do something.
Hausa forms a negative command with kada followed by the subjunctive subject form and the verb. This is a different construction from the affirmative imperative — you cannot simply add a negative word to the imperative form. The subject form changes for person, number, and gender, just as in the affirmative subjunctive commands above.
- Kada ka tafi can.Don't go there. (to a male)
- Kada ki juya hagu.Don't turn left. (to a female)
- Kada ku shiga.Don't enter. (to a group, or respectfully to one person)
- Kada a shiga.Do not enter. (impersonal sign form — recognition only at this stage)
Choose the singular imperative for one familiar addressee, ka/ki/ku for respectful or plural address, and kada plus the subjunctive subject form for any negative command. Sequence two or three short commands with a connector such as sa'an nan (then) rather than building one long sentence.
11.4 Motion verbs
Purpose: describe going, coming, entering, leaving, and turning in directions and narration.
The following motion verbs are productive for this chapter. Each appears here primarily in its imperative form, but the citation form is also given because you will encounter these verbs again with other subject-aspect forms in later chapters.
| Citation form | Imperative (singular) | English |
|---|---|---|
| tafiya | tafi | to go |
| zuwa | zo | to come |
| shiga | shiga | to enter |
| fita | fita | to leave, exit |
| juya | juya | to turn |
| tsayawa | tsaya | to stop |
| isa | isa | to arrive, reach |
Note that tafiya and zuwa are also the verbal nouns you will recognize from continuative constructions in earlier chapters (for example, tafiya da ƙafa, going on foot). The relationship between the citation form, the verbal noun, and the imperative is verified individually for each verb and is not predicted by a single rule.
11.5 Prepositions, location, and pronouns after prepositions
Purpose: describe position, route, origin, and destination using high-frequency prepositions and the correct pronoun form after them.
You have already used the basic locative a (in, at) since Chapter 6. This chapter adds kusa da (near), nesa da (far from), and tsakanin (between), and reviews daga (from) from Chapter 3. When a pronoun follows certain prepositions such as kusa da and nesa da, it takes the independent pronoun form you already know — Hausa does not require a separate prepositional pronoun set for these particular prepositions.
- Bankin yana kusa da kasuwa.The bank is near the market.
- Asibiti yana nesa da nan.The hospital is far from here.
- Gidan abinci yana tsakanin banki da kasuwa.The restaurant is between the bank and the market.
- Yana kusa da ita.It is near her/it. (independent pronoun ita after kusa da)
Not every Hausa preposition behaves identically with a following pronoun, and a small number of prepositions in later chapters require a different pattern. This chapter teaches only the high-frequency prepositions listed above; do not generalize their pronoun behavior to every preposition you encounter.
11.6 Asking where a place is located
Purpose: ask for the location of a place using a question pattern appropriate to this stage of the course.
To ask where something is located, Hausa uses the question word ina (where) together with a relative-continuative subject form, similar in structure to the origin question you learned in Chapter 3 with daga ina. Learn the complete question as a formulaic pattern; the full grammar of the relative form is consolidated later in the course.
| Hausa question | Used for | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ina bankin yake? | asking about a masculine-referenced place, e.g. banki | Where is the bank? |
| Ina kasuwar take? | asking about a feminine-referenced place, e.g. kasuwa | Where is the market? |
- Q: Ina bankin yake? · A: Yana kusa da kasuwa.Where is the bank? · It is near the market.
- Q: Ina asibitin yake? · A: Yana tsakanin titi da kusurwa.Where is the hospital? · It is between the street and the corner.
The forms yake and take in location questions are relative-continuative subject forms, the same family of forms you first met in Chapter 3 with kake and kike in origin questions and reviewed when asking about possession in Chapter 6. They are required here because the question word ina precedes the subject, just as a question word required a relative form in those earlier chapters. You are not yet asked to produce every relative form freely — only the specific location-question pattern shown here. The full system is consolidated in Chapters 16 and 19.
Practice exercises
Atisayen A — Zaɓi madaidaicin umarni (Choose the correct command form):
Decide whether the situation calls for the singular imperative, a ku command, or a negative command with kada.
- Telling a close friend to turn right. → _____ dama!
- Telling two classmates to stop here. → _____ nan.
- Telling an elder, respectfully, not to enter yet. → Kada _____ shiga tukuna.
- Telling a child to come here. → _____ nan!
- Telling a group not to go there. → Kada _____ tafi can.
Atisayen B — Kammala hanya (Complete the route):
Fill in each blank with an appropriate motion verb, direction word, or preposition from this chapter.
- Ku tafi _____ (ahead) sai ku isa kusurwa.
- Juya _____ (left) a mahaɗar hanya.
- Gidan abinci yana _____ da banki. (near)
- Asibiti yana _____ banki da kasuwa. (between)
- Kada ku _____ can — nesa ne. (go)
Atisayen C — Tambayar wuri (Asking location):
Write the correct location question for each prompt, then write a plausible answer using a preposition from this chapter.
- Ask where the market (kasuwa, feminine) is.
- Ask where the hospital (asibiti, masculine) is.
- Answer that the bank is far from the bus park.
- Answer that the post office is between the market and the mosque.
Atisayen D — Gina umarni (Building commands):
Translate each instruction into Hausa, choosing the correct command type.
- Go right, then stop at the corner. (to a friend)
- Please come in. (respectfully, to one person)
- Don't turn left here. (to a group)
- Enter the bank and ask at the counter. (to a friend; use shiga and tambaya — recognition word for "ask")
Model Dialogue
Yanayin hali: Aisha ta ɗauki tasi daga tashar mota zuwa wani sashe na gari da ba ta sani ba. Ta sauka kusa da kasuwa kuma ta tambayi wani mutum, Bashir, hanyar zuwa banki.
(Setting: Aisha has taken a taxi from the bus park to an unfamiliar part of town. She gets out near the market and asks a man, Bashir, the way to the bank.)
Vocabulary notes for the dialogue: to = okay, all right; bayan = after, behind; ci gaba = continue (recognition phrase here; full verbal-noun analysis later); na fahimta = I understand; mintuna goma = ten minutes; gajiya = tiredness (used here in a recognition-only conditional frame, idan kina gajiya — full conditionals in Chapter 12); akwai … da yawa = there are many … (review from Chapter 6); ina godiya = I am grateful; babu komai = no problem, you're welcome; ku tafi lafiya = go safely (a fixed respectful farewell — recognition pattern).
Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:
- What two buildings is the bank located between, according to Bashir?
- What command form does Bashir use when speaking to Aisha? Why is this form appropriate here?
- Find the negative command in the dialogue. Write it and explain what mistake it warns against.
- Is the bank far from the bus park? How does Aisha find out?
- What two transportation options does Bashir mention for reaching the bank?
- Find one example of a location question in the dialogue and identify the relative-continuative subject form used.
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.
Sauraro na A — Tambayar wuri (Asking location)
"Don Allah, ina asibitin yake?" — "Yana nesa da nan. Ku hau tasi, sa'an nan ku tafi gaba har mahaɗar hanya ta biyu. Asibiti yana kusa da masallaci."
Sauraro na B — Umarni (Commands)
"Kada ku tsaya nan — titi ne mai haɗari. Ku tafi gaba kaɗan, sa'an nan ku juya hagu. Gidan abinci yana can, kusa da kasuwa."
Sauraro na C — Hanyar zuwa banki (Route to the bank)
"Banki yana tsakanin coci da ofishin gidan waya. Daga nan, ki tafi dama, sa'an nan ki ci gaba kaɗan. Kada ki juya hagu da wuri — za ki ɓace."
Kula na A — Amsoshi (Answers): Listen to Sauraro na A. Answer: (1) Is the hospital near or far? (2) What transportation does the speaker recommend? (3) What is the hospital near?
Kula na B — Gaskiya ko ƙarya? (True or false?): Listen to Sauraro na B. Mark each statement T or F and correct any false ones.
(a) The speaker tells the listener to stop where they are. (b) The street is described as dangerous. (c) The restaurant is near the market.
Kula na C — Cike giɓi (Fill the gap): Listen to Sauraro na C and write the two buildings the bank is located between, and the warning given about turning too early.
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 direction words, commands, and the location of each place mentioned.
Rubutu na 1 — Bayanin hanya zuwa kasuwa (Directions to the market)
Idan kana tashar mota, ka tafi gaba har titi na farko. Sa'an nan ka juya dama. Kasuwa tana tsakanin banki da gidan sinima. Kada ka juya hagu a wurin — can akwai ofishin 'yan sanda kawai, ba kasuwa ba. Idan ka ɓace, ka tambayi mutum a titi; mutane a nan suna taimako sosai.
New words for recognition: idan = if (recognition frame; full conditionals in Chapter 12); ɓace = to get lost; ka tambayi = ask (a fixed command form, recognition only); taimako = help.
Rubutu na 2 — Alamomi a tashar bas (Signs at the bus station)
A tashar mota akwai alamomi da yawa. Wata alama ta ce "Shiga" a wani gefe da "Fita" a wani gefe. Wata alama ta ce "Kada a shiga" kusa da inda ake gyaran motoci. Idan kana zuwa Kano daga Abuja, ka tambaya a tasha kafin ka hau bas. Bas na Kano yana fita kowace rana da safe.
New words for recognition: gefe = side; ake gyaran motoci = cars are being repaired (recognition only — impersonal/passive construction); kowace rana = every day; da safe = in the morning.
Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:
- According to Rubutu na 1, what is the market located between?
- What warning does the text give about turning left at the junction?
- What should you do if you get lost, according to the text?
- In Rubutu na 2, what two signs are mentioned, and what do they mean?
- What does the sign "Kada a shiga" warn against, and where is it located?
- Find all the command forms in both readings. Write each one and identify whether it is a singular imperative or a ka/ki/ku subjunctive form.
Writing Workshop
- Karanta samfuri. Reread Rubutu na 1 (directions to the market) above. Underline every command. Circle each direction or position word. Put a box around the negative command.
- Shirya bayananka. Choose a real or imagined starting point and destination in a town you know or invent. Note the buildings or landmarks along the route and the turns required.
- Rubuta farkon rubutunka. Write a set of step-by-step directions of six to eight Hausa sentences. Use at least three different command forms (singular imperative, ku form, and kada negative command), at least two preposition or location phrases, and at least one motion verb other than tafi.
- Duba da jerin bincike. Check your draft against the editing checklist before writing the final version.
- Rubuta siffa ta ƙarshe. Produce a clean final version for your portfolio.
Jerin binciken gyara — Editing checklist:
- Each command uses the correct form for its addressee: singular imperative for one familiar person, ka/ki/ku for respectful or group address.
- Every negative command uses kada plus the subjunctive subject form, not the singular imperative.
- Direction and position words (dama, hagu, gaba, baya, kusa da, nesa da, tsakanin) are used accurately and match the intended meaning.
- Building and transportation nouns have the correct gender for any agreement required.
- Commands are sequenced with a connector such as sa'an nan rather than joined into one long, unnatural sentence.
- Hooked letters (ɓ, ɗ, ƙ) and 'y are written correctly wherever they appear.
- Each sentence ends with appropriate punctuation, including exclamation marks for direct commands where natural.
Speaking Practice
Atisaye na ƙa'ida — Controlled practice
Using the vocabulary and command forms in this chapter, practice five direction-giving exchanges with a partner. Partner A names a starting point and a destination from the vocabulary list; Partner B gives a short set of directions using at least one singular imperative, one ku form, and one negative command with kada. Switch roles after each exchange.
Taswirar gari — Town map activity
Working from a simple hand-drawn or imagined map showing a bank, a market, a mosque or church, a bus park, and a restaurant, take turns asking Ina … yake/take? for each location and giving directions in response. Use at least three different prepositions or position words across the activity.
Bayanin hanya — Giving a full route
Prepare a 60-second spoken set of directions from one landmark to another in a real or invented town. Include at least four commands, one negative command, and one mention of transportation. After speaking, your partner repeats the route back to confirm understanding, then asks one follow-up question in Hausa.
Madadin karatu kai tsaye — Solo alternative
Record yourself: (1) asking where three different buildings from the vocabulary list are located, using the correct question form for each noun's gender; (2) giving a 60-second set of directions between two landmarks, including at least one negative command; (3) naming five forms of transportation in Hausa. Listen back and check your imperative and subjunctive tone, and confirm that you used kada correctly in any negative command.
Culture and Communication
In many cities and towns across northern Nigeria and Niger, as in much of West Africa, formal numbered street addresses are not always the primary way people locate places, although formal addressing systems exist and are expanding in many urban areas. Landmark-based directions — naming a market, a mosque, a particular shop, or a well-known building — are a common and effective way to describe location, and this chapter's vocabulary and direction patterns reflect that practice. This does not mean that formal addresses are absent; postal systems, street names, and numbered buildings exist in many cities, including Kano and Niamey, and are used in official, commercial, and postal contexts. Landmark-based direction-giving and formal addressing coexist, and a competent Hausa speaker moves between them depending on the situation and the listener's familiarity with the area.
Asking a stranger for directions in a Hausa-speaking community typically begins with a greeting or a polite opener such as don Allah (please) before the question itself, much as you saw modeled in the chapter dialogue. Responding helpfully to a lost traveler is generally regarded as an ordinary courtesy. The degree of detail offered, and whether someone simply points or walks partway with you, varies by individual, setting, and how busy the person is — there is no single fixed script that every Hausa speaker follows. Politeness markers and the choice between ka/ki and ku in a response often signal the degree of respect the speaker is extending, independent of the specific route information being given.
Transportation infrastructure and the vocabulary surrounding it differ somewhat between Nigeria and Niger and across individual cities. Bas and tasi are widely recognized loanword terms, but local terms for shared taxis, minibuses, and motorcycle taxis vary by city and are sometimes known by city-specific names not covered in this introductory chapter. This course teaches the high-frequency, broadly recognized terms in the vocabulary list above as the productive core; learners traveling to a specific city should expect to encounter and learn additional local terms receptively.
Common Mistakes
Error: Tafi dama! said to two or more people, or to an elder who should be addressed respectfully.
Correction: Ku tafi dama! — The plain singular imperative is restricted to one familiar addressee. Any group, and any person you wish to address respectfully, requires the subjunctive-based ku form. Before giving a command, check: is the addressee one familiar person, or does the situation call for ku?
Error: *Ba tafi ba or *Kada tafi (attempting to negate the imperative form directly)
Correction: Kada ka tafi. — A negative command is built with kada plus the subjunctive subject form (ka, ki, ku), not by adding a negative word directly to the imperative verb. The verb form itself does not change to a negative form; the subject form changes from the imperative pattern to the subjunctive pattern.
Error: Bankin yana nesa da kasuwa when the intended meaning is that the bank is near the market.
Correction: Bankin yana kusa da kasuwa. — Kusa da means "near," and nesa da means "far from." These two prepositions are opposite in meaning but easy to confuse because of their similar structure. Always pause and check which relationship you intend before choosing one.
Error: *Ina banki yana? (using the ordinary continuative form yana instead of the required relative form)
Correction: Ina bankin yake? — When a question word like ina precedes the subject, Hausa requires the relative-continuative form (yake, not yana; take, not tana). This is the same pattern you learned for origin questions in Chapter 3. Check whether your sentence is an ordinary statement or a question beginning with a question word — the form of the subject word depends on it.
Error: Assuming ka or ki is always the "polite singular" form and avoiding ku for one person out of a belief that plural address is always for groups only.
Correction: In this course, ku is taught as the safe default for respectful address to one person of higher status, age, or unfamiliarity, alongside its use for groups. Ka and ki appear in specific taught command frames. When in doubt about which form fits a respectful one-person context, ku is the more reliable choice at this stage of the course.
Chapter Review
Sashi na A — Kalmomi (Vocabulary)
1. Give the Hausa for: bank, hospital, market, mosque, bus park.
2. Give the Hausa for: car, bus, taxi, motorcycle, bicycle.
3. Give the Hausa for: right, left, ahead, behind, between.
4. Give the gender and plural of: banki, kasuwa, asibiti.
5. Give the Hausa for the public signs meaning "Enter," "Exit," and "Stop."
Sashi na B — Nahawu (Grammar)
1. Give the singular imperative form for: go, come, turn, stop, enter.
2. Rewrite each command for a group using ku:
(a) Tafi dama! (b) Juya hagu! (c) Tsaya nan!
3. Write the negative command form for each prompt:
(a) Don't go there. (to a male) (b) Don't turn left. (to a female) (c) Don't enter. (to a group)
4. Write the correct location question for: (a) asking where the market is; (b) asking where the bank is.
5. Choose the correct preposition (kusa da, nesa da, or tsakanin) for each sentence:
(a) The mosque is _____ the bank and the restaurant. (b) The hospital is _____ here. (far) (c) The market is _____ my house. (near)
Sashi na C — Karatu (Reading)
1. Reread Rubutu na 1. Write the full route from the bus park to the market in your own English summary.
2. Find the negative command in Rubutu na 1. Write it in Hausa and explain the mistake it prevents.
3. In Rubutu na 2, what should a traveler do before boarding the bus to Kano?
Sashi na D — Rubutu (Writing)
1. Write a set of directions of 80-100 words from one landmark to another, real or invented. Include at least three different command forms and two prepositions of location.
Sashi na E — Magana (Speaking)
1. Without notes, ask where two different places are located, using the correct form for each noun's gender, and then give a short set of directions to one of them, including one negative command.
Bitar gaba ɗaya — Cumulative review (from Chapters 6-10)
1. Describe a room in your home using akwai or babu (Chapter 6), then describe your daily route to a familiar place using at least two motion verbs and one continuative form from Chapter 7.
2. Write one sentence using a direct-object pronoun from Chapter 9 (for example, asking to buy something at a shop along your described route).
3. State a price between 100 and 1,000 using the number system reviewed in Chapter 9.
Chapter Performance Task
Aikin Aiwatarwa
Taswirar Gari — Town Route Plan
You are helping a newly arrived visitor find their way around a town. Complete both the oral and written components:
- Oral component: Using a simple map (real, hand-drawn, or imagined) with at least four landmarks, explain a route from one landmark to another. Use at least one singular imperative, one ku command, and one negative command with kada. Include at least two prepositions of location (kusa da, nesa da, or tsakanin) and one form of transportation.
- Written component: Write a 90-110-word set of directions covering the same route, organized as connected sentences rather than a disconnected list. Use the editing checklist from the Writing Workshop to review your draft.
- Question-and-answer check: Have a partner (or, for solo study, write out) two follow-up questions about your route, such as Ina … yake/take? for one of the landmarks you mentioned, and answer them in complete Hausa sentences.
Evaluation criteria: correct choice between singular imperative, ka/ki/ku subjunctive command, and kada negative command; accurate prepositions of location; correct gender agreement in location questions; accurate Boko spelling including hooked letters; natural sequencing of directions with connectors.
Answer Key / Amsoshi
Atisayen A — Zaɓi madaidaicin umarni
- Tafi dama! (singular imperative — close friend)
- Ku tsaya nan. (group — two classmates)
- Kada ku shiga tukuna. (respectful ku form for an elder)
- Zo nan! (singular imperative — a child, familiar address)
- Kada ku tafi can. (group negative command)
Atisayen B — Kammala hanya
- gaba
- hagu
- kusa
- tsakanin
- tafi
Atisayen C — Tambayar wuri (sample answers)
- Ina kasuwar take?
- Ina asibitin yake?
- Banki yana nesa da tashar mota.
- Ofishin gidan waya yana tsakanin kasuwa da masallaci.
Atisayen D — Gina umarni (sample answers)
- Juya dama, sa'an nan ka tsaya a kusurwa.
- Ku shiga, don Allah.
- Kada ku juya hagu nan.
- Shiga banki ka tambaya a kanta. (recognition vocabulary accepted in varied forms)
Tambayoyin fahimta na tattaunawa (Dialogue comprehension)
- The bank is between the mosque (masallaci) and the restaurant (gidan abinci).
- Bashir uses the ki subjunctive form, appropriate because he is giving Aisha, a woman he has just met, a respectful direct instruction.
- Kada ki juya hagu — Don't turn left. It warns against confusing the police station with the bank.
- No, it is not far — about a ten-minute walk, according to Bashir.
- Walking (tafiya da ƙafa) and taking a taxi (tasi).
- Ina bankin yake? — the relative-continuative form yake is used because the question begins with ina.
Kula na sauraro (Listening responses)
Kula na A: (1) Far. (2) Taking a taxi. (3) Near the mosque.
Kula na B: (a) T. (b) T. (c) T.
Kula na C: The bank is between the church (coci) and the post office (ofishin gidan waya). The warning is not to turn left too early, or the listener will get lost.
Tambayoyin karatu (Reading comprehension)
- The market is located between the bank and the cinema.
- Turning left at the junction leads only to the police station, not the market — a warning not to confuse the two.
- Ask someone on the street; people there are described as very helpful.
- "Shiga" (Enter/Entrance) and "Fita" (Exit).
- It warns against entering near where cars are being repaired.
- Singular imperatives: ka tambayi (fixed recognition form). Subjunctive ka/ki/ku forms: ka tafi, ka juya, ka tambaya (recognition). Negative: kada ka juya.
Bitar gaba ɗaya — Sashi na B
- tafi, zo, juya, tsaya, shiga
- (a) Ku tafi dama! (b) Ku juya hagu! (c) Ku tsaya nan!
- (a) Kada ka tafi can. (b) Kada ki juya hagu. (c) Kada ku shiga.
- (a) Ina kasuwar take? (b) Ina bankin yake?
- (a) tsakanin (b) nesa da (c) kusa da
Bitar gaba ɗaya — Sashi na D (sample directions)
Idan kana tashar mota, ku tafi gaba har titi na biyu. Sa'an nan ku juya dama. Asibiti yana tsakanin masallaci da gidan sinima. Kada ku juya hagu da wuri — can akwai ofishin 'yan sanda kawai. Idan kun ɓace, ku tambaya a titi. Asibiti ba nesa ba ne daga tashar mota; za ku iya tafiya da ƙafa cikin mintuna goma sha biyar.
Other accurate, well-formed direction sets are equally acceptable. Use the editing checklist to evaluate your work.
Looking Ahead
Abin da ka/ki koya yanzu — What you know now
You can now name common buildings, public services, and forms of transportation; ask where a place is located; and give, follow, and negate directions using three distinct command patterns — the singular imperative, the respectful or plural subjunctive form, and the negative command with kada. You have also practiced motion verbs and the prepositions that describe position and route, and you have seen the relative-continuative subject forms first introduced in Chapter 3 return in a new context: location questions. Looking back: every gender agreement, existence and possession pattern from Chapter 6, and continuative form from Chapter 7 supports the direction-giving you are now doing in connected, communicative Hausa.