Helpful Hausa Words and Translations

Most Nigerians are familiar with some Hausa words. But have you ever wanted to talk to Hausa people or toast a pretty Hausa girl but didn't know how? Well have no fear, your friendly Hausa-speaking Nigerian is here to help.

Below is a list of words and phrases you can use to communicate with (stereo) typical Hausa people. Note the extensive use of a as described in Why I Love the Hausa Language. The pronounciations can be tricky though and a word can have two meanings depending on the stress of a syllable, so good luck!

Talking to a Hausa/Fulani girl
Kin yi kyau walahi! .... You are very pretty!
Me sunan ki? ............. What is your name?
Ina son ki ............. I love you
Baban ki barawo ne, dan ya sata               Your father is a thief cos he stole the stars
wuta daga sama ya sa a idon ki! .............  from the sky and put them in your eyes!
Za ki aure ni? .............. Will you marry me?
Kina son ki je Dubai da ni? ...........  Do you want to come to Dubai with me?
Baban ki yana gida? .................   Is your father at home?               

Fulani girl in traditional Fulani costume

Talking to a Hausa Gateman
You
Menene? .............What is it?
Ka gama? ............. Have you finished?  
Ka tafi ............. You can go (male, replace ka with ki if female)
Ka dawo gobe .............. Come back tomorrow
Ina zuwa ............ I'm coming
Bude gate.............. Open the gate
Kule gate............... Lock the gate


Him
Bani kudi na ............ Give me my money
Na gama ............I've finished
Zan tafi ............ I'm going
Ban gan moton ka ba............ I didn't see your car
              
Talking to Almajiris
Ka na iya karatu? .............. Can you read?
Ka na jin yunwa? ...............  Are you hungry?
Ina maman da baban ka? .......... Where is your mum and dad?
Ina gidan ka? ................ Where is your house?
Tafi chan! ................ Go away!
Ka barni! ................. Leave me alone!
Ba ni da kudi ............. I don't have any money
Ka je makaranta ................. Go to school
Boko ba haram ba! .............. Western education is not a sin!

Other helpful words:

Greetings
Yayade ............ Hello/How are you
Answer: Lafiya ............ I'm fine

Ina Kwana ........... Good morning
Answer: Lafiya ......... Fine

Sai wata rana .......... See you later
Sai gobe .......... See you tomorrow

Speaking
Bin sani ba .......... I don't know
Ba Hausa ...........  I don't speak Hausa
Ba Turanchi ........ I don't speak English

At the Shop/Store

Nawa ne? .................... How much is it?

Ina son in siya ..............  I want to buy

Kudi ................ Money

Wanchan ................. That one

Ya yi tsada ................ It's expensive

Nagode .................. Thank You

Bani... .................. Give me....

Ai (as in hay) ..................  Yes

A-a (as in rapper) ...........  No (Listen to this)

Ba kudi ............... I don't have money     

Numbers

Daya (One)                                     

Biyu (Two)

Uku (Three)

Hudu (Four)

Biyar (Five)

Shida (Six)

Bakwai (Seven)

Takwas (Eight)

Tara (Nine)

Goma (Ten)

Goma-sha-daya (Eleven: ten and one; and so on)

General  Words and Phrases

Gobe ............ Tomorrow

Yau (as in Go) ............ Today

Jiya ................ Yesterday

Da Safe ................. In the morning

Da Rana ............... In the afternoon

Da Yama ............. In the evening

Da Dare ............. In the night

Zo .......... Come

Tafi ......... Go

Zauna ............Sit down

In sha' Allah ............ By God's Grace

Yaro/ Yarinya .............. Boy/ Girl

Mata/ Mutum ................ Woman/ Man

Takalmi ................ Shoes

Riga .............. Dress

Hula ............. Cap          

Eating 

Abinchi ....... Food

Ruwa ........ Water

Shinkafa ........ Rice

Wake .......... Beans

Miya ........ Soup

Doya ......... Yam       

The Body

Kai ......... Head

Gashi ........ Hair

Ido ........ Eye

Hanchi ....... Nose

Baki ........ Mouth

Hanu ......... Hand

Chiki ......... Stomach (also means 'inside' depending on stress on last syllable)

Baya ......... Back

Kafa ......... Leg

Duwawu .......... Bottom

If you want to learn how to speak Hausa click here

Debenhams' Hausa Sign Annoys Nigerians

People were surprised that major department store Debenhams in London decided to appeal to Nigerian customers by using the Hausa language in their signage last month, because they felt that Hausa was the least popular language spoken by Nigerians in the UK.

Debenhams' Oxford Street store puts up signage featuring the Hausa language at the bottom 

The signs featured the words "Na gode don sayayyarka a Debenhams" which means "Thank you for shopping at Debenhams" in Hausa, with the words also in Arabic and Mandarin. Debenhams said it selected the languages based on the highest number of overseas shoppers who claimed their tax back within the store.

One poster commenting on the topic on the Nairaland forum said:

"I think the shop owners may just be misinformed. Igbo or Yoruba would have been better. I have met very few Hausas in the UK. . . very few."

But I think Debenhams and other major stores like Harrods and Selfridges are right to court Hausa customers.

Hausas may be few in number, but the majority of those in the UK are wealthy and influential and spend lots of money in London. On the other hand, Nigerians from other tribes in the UK are largely working class and often shop in the inner-city areas. The ratio of rich Hausas to average Nigerians may be as low as 1:8, but in terms of spending power, major retailers respect them more.

Also, Hausa/Fulani shoppers are concentrated in the Oxford Street/ Edgware Road area because of the large Muslim and Arab community there, so whilst other tribes spread their wealth across the UK, Hausas are repeat, respected and respectable customers in the same large stores around Oxford Street.

A funny cartoon comparing Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani shoppers

Because of the common sight of poor Hausa children begging on the streets of Nigeria and the 'Maiguards' (gatekeepers) of many Nigerian homes been poorly-paid Hausa men, many think that rich Northerners are too few to matter to British retailers.

But professional, educated Hausa/Fulanis in the UK (see my post 8 Reasons Why You Meet Few Hausa People in the UK) are harder to spot because they are not usually found in Nigerian-dominated areas in London as many live outside London. Also, many Hausa/Fulani men and women look 'different' because of their Islamic attire. 

People underestimate Hausa/Fulanis. They imagine we're poor, uneducated and uninterested in the finer things in life. This is true to some extent, but rich Alhajis and their families travel abroad to shop just as much as other tribes, having made their money in politics and business like other Nigerians.

Hausa is also the second most widely spoken language in Africa after Swahili, with approximately 43 million speakers across West Africa including Ghana, Sudan, Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon and Niger. So though Yorubas are dominant in the Nigerian diaspora, there are only 20 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom are Nigerians with some speakers in Togo and Benin.

I applaud Debenhams for featuring Hausa in its signage, not only because of the language's popularity across Africa but also because this helps to show other Nigerians that Hausa/Fulanis have an important presence outside of Nigeria.