Greetings and politeness in Hausa
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the eleven openers everything else builds on. 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 11 Hausa phrases in this lesson
- SannuSAN-noo
- Hello
- Ina kwanaEE-nah KWAH-nah
- Good morning
- Barka da yammaBAR-kah dah YAM-mah
- Good evening
- Sai an jimasai an JEE-mah
- Goodbye
- Sai mun haɗusai moon HA-doo
- See you
- Don Allahdon AL-lah
- Please
- Na godenah GOH-deh
- Thank you
- Babu komaiBAH-boo KOH-mai
- You're welcome
- Yi hakuriyee hah-KOO-ree
- Sorry
- Gafara daigah-FAH-rah dai
- Excuse me
- Na ji daɗin haɗuwa da kainah jee dah-DEEN hah-JOO-wah dah kai
- Nice to meet you
The everyday greeting at any hour. The reply is "yauwa, sannu" (YOW-wah, SAN-noo).
Literally "how did you sleep?". The answer is "lafiya" (lah-FEE-yah), well.
Literally "blessings of the evening". The reply is "barka kadai".
Literally "until a while", see you later.
Until we meet, a friendly farewell.
Literally "for God's sake", the everyday please.
Literally "I thank".
Literally "it is nothing".
Literally "have patience", the everyday apology.
To get past someone or interrupt politely.
Literally "I enjoyed meeting you". To a woman, "da ke".