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Lesson 3 of 10
Yes, no and the essentials in Hausa
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Hausa words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Hausa phrases in this lesson
- Eeeh
- Yes
- A'aAH-ah
- No
- Totoh
- Okay
- Ban gane baban GAH-neh bah
- I don't understand
- Kana jin Turanci?KAH-nah jeen too-RAN-chee
- Do you speak English?
- Sake faɗa, don AllahSAH-keh fah-JAH, don AL-lah
- Can you repeat that?
- A hankali, don Allahah han-KAH-lee, don AL-lah
- Slowly, please
- Mene ne wannan?MEH-neh neh wan-NAN
- What is this?
- Ina buƙatar...EE-nah boo-KAH-tar
- I need...
- Za ka taimake ni?zah kah tai-MAH-keh nee
- Can you help me?
The ' is a catch in the throat.
The everyday okay, used constantly.
The ba at the end completes the negative.
Literally "do you hear English?". To a woman: "kina jin".
Literally "say it again, please".
Literally "with care", slowly.
"Ina buƙatar likita", I need a doctor.
To a woman: "za ki".