Gida, Hayar Gida, da Ayyuka
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name the rooms and basic parts of a Hausa home and describe where things are located.
- Describe housing situations, including renting, owning, and sharing a home.
- Describe household chores and repairs using familiar verbs and nouns.
- Ask about and report a housing problem or repair need to a landlord, neighbor, or worker.
- Use location expressions to describe where a room, object, or problem is found.
- Continue to ask for clarification, repetition, or confirmation when communication breaks down.
- Apply ne/ce identity clauses, independent pronouns, and subject-reference forms accurately with housing and chore vocabulary.
- Read and write a short description of your own home and its household tasks.
Communication Scenario
After learning about Ibrahim's family in Chapter 2, you are now looking for a place to live near his neighborhood. You visit a house that is available to rent, walk through its rooms with the landlord, and later discover a small problem with the house that needs fixing. As in Chapters 1 and 2, this chapter introduces no new grammatical system. It expands your identity-clause, pronoun, and location vocabulary from Volume I into the domain of housing, rooms, chores, and repairs.
- Every grammar point in this chapter continues to review and extend Volume I structures — no new aspect, tense, or clause type is introduced.
- New vocabulary in this chapter focuses on rooms, housing terms, chores, and repair vocabulary.
- Communication repair remains an active, expected part of every interaction in this volume.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter builds on the household vocabulary from Chapter 2 (gidan iyali, zama, kula da, taimako) by adding room names, housing-situation terms, chore vocabulary, and repair language.
Ɗakunan gida — Rooms of the house
| Hausa | Gender/Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| ɗaki / ɗakuna | m. / pl. | room / rooms |
| ɗakin kwana | m. | bedroom (lit. sleeping room) |
| kicin | m. | kitchen |
| bandaki / bandakuna | m. / pl. | bathroom / bathrooms |
| zauren gida | m. | sitting room, parlor |
| gidan waje | m. | compound, outer yard |
| ƙofa / ƙofofi | f. / pl. | door, gate / doors, gates |
| taga / tagogi | f. / pl. | window / windows |
Room vocabulary above is active for this chapter. Additional household vocabulary will continue to recycle from Chapter 2.
Hayar gida — Housing situations
| Hausa | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| hayar gida | house rent, renting | compound noun |
| na haya | rented (adjectival phrase) | gida na haya = a rented house |
| mai gida / masu gida | landlord/homeowner / landlords | m./f. same form; lit. "owner of house" |
| maigida is also written as two words mai gida; both are seen in practice | orthographic variant | recognition |
| kuɗin haya | rent money | compound noun |
| muna raba gida | we share a house | reviews zama-type household statements from Ch. 2 |
Ayyukan gida — Chores (expanded)
| Hausa | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| tsaftacewa | to clean | reviewed from Ch. 2 dialogue; now active |
| wanke-wanke | washing (clothes, dishes) | noun; yin wanke-wanke = to do the washing |
| share ɗaki | to sweep a room | verb + object frame |
| dafa abinci | to cook food | verb + object frame; reviews girki from Ch. 2 |
| ɗaukar shara | to take out the trash | lexical phrase |
Gyara gida — Household repairs
| Hausa | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| gyara | to repair, fix; repair (noun) | verb and noun form |
| ya lalace / ta lalace | it is broken (m./f. subject) | formulaic descriptive frame |
| famfo | tap, faucet, pipe | English-contact vocabulary, fully integrated |
| wutar lantarki | electricity | compound noun |
| mai gyara / masu gyara | repair worker / repair workers | lit. "one who repairs" |
Gyara sadarwa — Communication repair (recycled)
Continue to use the repair expressions from Chapter 1 (Ka/Ki maimaita, don Allah?; Ban gane ba.; Yaya ake faɗin ... a Hausa?) without additional instruction.
Pronunciation and Boko
Bita: haruffan Boko na musamman a kalmomin gida — Review: special Boko characters in housing vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary continues to use the hooked letter ƙ (as in ƙofa) alongside the digraphs ts and sh (as in tsaftacewa and share, shara). Continue to write these characters and digraphs exactly as taught, without substituting plain letters.
The words ƙofa (door, gate) and taga (window) contain vowel-length distinctions not shown in ordinary Boko spelling. Practice these words aloud with a listening model, paying attention to natural rhythm rather than reading each syllable as though it carried equal weight.
Bita: jimlar "ya/ta lalace" — Review: the "it is broken" frame
The formulaic frame ya lalace / ta lalace uses the same subject-reference forms reviewed in Chapters 1 and 2 (ya for masculine subjects, ta for feminine subjects). Practice the frame with different housing nouns: famfo ya lalace (the tap is broken), ƙofa ta lalace (the door is broken).
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
As in Chapters 1 and 2, this chapter introduces no new grammatical system. It continues to expand your control of Volume I's identity clauses (ne/ce), independent pronouns, subject-reference patterns, and basic negation, now applied to housing, rooms, chores, and repairs.
3.1 Review and expansion: identity clauses with housing vocabulary
Identity clauses with ne/ce work the same way with housing vocabulary as they did with family vocabulary in Chapter 2. Agreement continues to depend on the gender and number of the subject.
- Wannan ɗakin kwana ne.This is a bedroom.
- Wannan ƙofa ce.This is a door.
- Wannan gida na haya ne.This is a rented house.
3.2 Location review: describing where something is
This chapter recycles the basic location vocabulary reviewed in Chapters 1 and 2, applying it now to rooms and objects in the home. Location statements continue to use the subject-reference forms already active from Volume I.
- Kicin yana kusa da zauren gida.The kitchen is near the sitting room.
- Bandaki yana bayan ɗakin kwana.The bathroom is behind the bedroom.
- Famfo yana cikin kicin.The tap is in the kitchen.
Prepositions such as kusa da (near), bayan (behind), and cikin (inside) are treated here formulaically as recognized frames; a fuller system of prepositions and relational nouns is not scheduled until later in this volume.
3.3 The formulaic frame: ya/ta lalace (it is broken)
Treat ya lalace / ta lalace as a fixed descriptive frame rather than analyzing its internal verb structure, consistent with the age-pattern approach in Chapter 2.
- Famfo ya lalace, don haka ba mu da ruwa.The tap is broken, so we don't have water.
- Taga ta lalace tun mako biyu.The window has been broken for two weeks.
3.4 Review: basic negation with housing statements
- Ba mu da wutar lantarki a yau.We don't have electricity today.
- Wannan ba ɗakin kwana ba ne, kicin ne.This is not a bedroom, it is a kitchen.
Atisayen A — Zaɓi daidai (Choose correctly): Complete each sentence with the correct pronoun, subject marker, or ne/ce form.
- Wannan ƙofa ___. (This is a door.)
- Famfo ___ lalace. (The tap is broken.)
- Kicin ___ kusa da zauren gida. (The kitchen is near the sitting room.)
- Ba gida na haya ___. (It is not a rented house.)
Model Dialogue
Yanayin hali: Kuna ziyarar wani gida na haya kusa da unguwar Ibrahim. Mai gidan yana nuna muku ɗakuna, kuma daga baya kuna tattaunawa game da wata matsala a gidan.
(Setting: You are visiting a rented house near Ibrahim's neighborhood. The landlord shows you the rooms, and later you discuss a problem with the house.)
Vocabulary notes for the dialogue: mai haya = renter, tenant (parallel to mai gida, "owner of house"; recognition here, active later); tsakanin = between, among (recognition; a fuller preposition system is not scheduled until later in this volume); gefensa = his/her side (recognition).
Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:
- How many rooms does the house have, and what are they?
- Where is the bathroom located?
- Why does Bala ask the landlord to repeat himself?
- What problem does the landlord mention, and when will it be fixed?
- How is cleaning the outer yard divided among the households?
Listening
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud, twice. Complete the listening task after the passage.
Sauraro — Gidan Amina (Amina's House)
"Sunana Amina. Muna zaune a gida na haya mai ɗakuna huɗu: ɗakin kwana biyu, kicin, da zauren gida. Ni da 'yar'uwata muna raba ɗaki ɗaya. Wutar lantarki ta lalace jiya da dare, don haka mun kira mai gyara da safe. Yanzu wutar lantarki tana aiki sosai. Kowace rana, ni na tsaftace zauren gida, kuma uwata na dafa abinci a kicin."
Kula na sauraro — Questions: (1) How many rooms does Amina's house have? (2) Who does Amina share a room with? (3) What broke, and when? (4) Who cleans the sitting room, and who cooks?
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 short housing notice below. Underline every identity clause (ne/ce) and circle every room name.
Sanarwar Hayar Gida — Housing Rental Notice
Akwai gida na haya kusa da kasuwa. Gidan gida ne mai ɗakuna uku: ɗakin kwana biyu da kicin ɗaya. Bandaki yana bayan gida, kuma akwai famfo mai kyau a cikin kicin. Kuɗin haya ba shi da yawa, kuma mai gida yana zaune kusa da gidan. Duk wanda ke son duba gidan, ya tuntuɓi mai gidan da wayar salula.
New words for recognition: akwai = there is/are; mai kyau = good, in good condition; ya tuntuɓi = should contact; wayar salula = mobile phone.
Tambayoyin fahimta — Comprehension questions:
- How many rooms does the advertised house have, and what are they?
- Where is the bathroom, and what is said about the tap in the kitchen?
- Where does the landlord live?
- How should someone contact the landlord to see the house?
Writing Workshop
- Karanta sanarwar hayar gida da hankali. Reread the housing rental notice and notice how it names rooms, states the rent situation, and gives contact information.
- Tsarawa. Plan a short paragraph describing your own home: how many rooms it has, at least one location statement, at least one chore, and one repair need (real or imagined).
- Rubuta. Write 60–90 words in Hausa. Include at least two identity clauses (ne/ce), one location expression, one chore or repair expression, and one negation.
- Duba jerin bincike. Check your draft against the checklist below.
- Rubuta siffa ta ƙarshe. Produce a clean final version.
Jerin binciken gyara — Editing checklist:
- Ne and ce are used correctly according to gender/number of the subject.
- At least one location expression uses a reviewed frame (kusa da, bayan, cikin) accurately.
- At least one chore or repair word or phrase from this chapter's vocabulary appears.
- Negation with ba ... ba is correctly formed if used.
- The hooked letter ƙ and the digraphs ts/sh are used correctly, especially in housing words.
- No grammar beyond Volume I appears (no future za, no habitual -kan-, no productive focus construction).
Speaking Practice
Atisayen ƙa'ida — House-tour drill
With a partner, take turns describing an imaginary house room by room, using at least three room names and one location expression each.
Matsalar gida — Reporting a repair problem
Role-play reporting a housing problem to a landlord (real or imagined), using ya/ta lalace and related vocabulary. Include at least one moment of asking for repetition.
Madadin karatu kai tsaye — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing your own home: number of rooms, one location statement, and one chore or repair need.
Culture and Communication
Housing in many Hausa-speaking communities often takes the form of a compound (gida) shared by several households or extended family units, with shared outer yards and negotiated responsibilities for cleaning and upkeep. This arrangement varies by region, income level, and urban or rural setting, and should not be treated as the only legitimate housing pattern.
Some housing and repair vocabulary, particularly terms drawn from English contact (such as famfo), may vary in pronunciation or preferred form between Nigerian and Nigerien Hausa-speaking communities. This course presents forms most useful for general communication in Kano-based standard usage.
Common Mistakes
Error: *Famfo lalace ne. (treating the "broken" frame like an identity clause with ne)
Correction: Famfo ya lalace. — Hausa expresses "it is broken" with the subject-reference form plus lalace, not with ne/ce. Keep the two patterns separate, just as with the age pattern in Chapter 2.
Error: *kofa written with a plain k.
Correction: ƙofa — the hooked ƙ marks a distinct sound from plain k and must always be written accurately.
Chapter Review
Sashi na A — Kalmomi (Vocabulary)
1. Give the Hausa for: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, door, window, and rent.
Sashi na B — Nahawu (Grammar)
1. Write a sentence stating that the tap in your kitchen is broken, using the correct frame.
2. Complete each identity statement with the correct ne/ce form: (a) Wannan ɗaki ___ (referring to a bedroom); (b) Wannan ƙofa ___; (c) Wannan gida na haya ___.
3. Negate the sentence Muna da wutar lantarki a yau.
Sashi na C — Karatu da Rubutu
1. Reread the housing rental notice and summarize it in two English sentences.
2. Write your 60–90-word home description, following the Writing Workshop instructions.
Sashi na D — Magana
1. With a partner or instructor, perform the house-tour drill and repair-reporting role-play from the Speaking Practice section.
Practical Performance Task
Aikin Aiwatarwa
Duba Gida — Viewing a House
Complete all four components:
- Listening: Listen to the Amina household passage read aloud and answer the comprehension questions.
- Speaking: With a partner, perform an unrehearsed short exchange in which you tour a house, ask about rooms and a repair problem, including one instance of asking for repetition.
- Reading: Read the housing rental notice and answer the comprehension questions.
- Writing: Submit your 60–90-word home description.
Evaluation criteria: correct ne/ce agreement; correct use of the ya/ta lalace frame; accurate use of at least two room or repair words; natural use of at least one communication-repair expression; accurate ordinary Boko spelling and special characters, including ƙ and the digraphs ts/sh. Consistent with A2 expectations, comprehensible and task-fulfilling communication should not be penalized as though produced by an advanced speaker.
Answer Key / Amsoshi
Atisayen A (Grammar synthesis, Section 3.4)
- Wannan ƙofa ce.
- Famfo ya lalace.
- Kicin yana kusa da zauren gida.
- Ba gida na haya ba ne.
Tambayoyin fahimta na tattaunawa (Dialogue comprehension)
- The house has three rooms: a bedroom, a kitchen, and a sitting room.
- The bathroom is near the bedroom, at the back of the house.
- Bala asks the landlord to repeat because he did not catch where the bathroom was located.
- The kitchen tap is broken; a repair worker will come the following week.
- Each renter cleans their own side of the outer yard, and taking out the trash is shared among the households.
Kula na sauraro (Listening responses)
(1) Amina's house has four rooms: two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a sitting room. (2) Amina shares a room with her sister. (3) The electricity broke last night. (4) Amina cleans the sitting room, and her mother cooks in the kitchen.
Tambayoyin karatu (Reading comprehension)
- The advertised house has three rooms: two bedrooms and one kitchen.
- The bathroom is at the back of the house, and the kitchen has a good, working tap.
- The landlord lives near the house.
- Anyone interested should contact the landlord by mobile phone.
Sashi na B (Chapter Review grammar)
- Famfo na kicina ya lalace.
- (a) Wannan ɗaki ɗakin kwana ne. (b) Wannan ƙofa ƙofa ce. (c) Wannan gida na haya gida ne.
- Ba mu da wutar lantarki a yau ba.
Sashi na C (Sample writing)
Gidanmu gida ne mai ɗakuna uku: ɗakin kwana, kicin, da zauren gida. Kicin yana kusa da zauren gida. Ba mu da matsala a gidanmu a yanzu, amma taga ta lalace makon da ya wuce, kuma mun kira mai gyara. Kowace rana, ni na share ɗakin kwana, kuma ɗan'uwana na ɗaukar shara.
Other accurate, well-formed paragraphs meeting the stated requirements are equally acceptable.
Looking Ahead
Abin da ka/ki koya — What you have learned
You have expanded Volume I's identity clauses, independent pronouns, and subject-reference patterns into the domain of housing, rooms, chores, and repairs, while continuing to practice communication repair and location description.