Language/Hausa/Grammar/Plurals

Hausa Grammar - Plurals

Hi Hausa learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will look at the plural forms of Hausa nouns. This is an essential topic for language learners who wish to understand the basics of Hausa grammar. Plurals represent one of the most important structural features of many languages, including Hausa. By learning the plural forms of nouns, you will have a much better understanding of the language.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Future Tense, Conditional Mood, How to Use Be & Adjectives.

Basic Overview

In Hausa, plurals are formed in a variety of ways, depending on the noun. Most often, a plural is formed by adding an -n at the end of the singular form of the noun. For example:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
lissafin	lee-sah-feen	Book
lissafin n'	lee-sah-feen-n	Books

There are also a number of other ways to form plurals, which we will look at in more detail below. Additionally, there are some nouns in Hausa that are inherently plural and do not have a singular form.

Plural Formations

Let's take a look at the different ways plurals are formed in Hausa.

Plurals ending in -ai

Plural nouns ending in -ai are formed by replacing -ai with -aye. Here are some examples:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
farfajai	far-fuh-djai	Gizzard
farfajaye	far-fuh-dja-yeh	Gizzards

Plurals ending in -awa

Nouns ending in -awa form plurals by simply replacing the final -a with -u.

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
hanyau	han-yow	Rooster
hanyuwu	han-yoo-woo	Roosters

Plurals ending in -i

Nouns ending in -i usually have their plurals formed by adding -ai to the end.

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
baƙi	bah-kee	Goat
baƙai	bah-kai	Goats

Plurals ending in -u

For nouns ending in -u, the plural form is often created by adding -una at the end.

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
babu	bah-boo	None/No
babuna	bah-boo-nah	Nones

Pluralia tantum

Pluralia tantum are nouns that are inherently plural and do not have a singular form. These can include body parts or clothing items. Here are some examples:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
kalmomin	kahl-moh-min	Eyelashes
ƙeke	keh-keh	Glasses

Dialogue

Here's a conversation to help you see plurals in context!

• Person 1: Kade kwamfuta za su fara taho? (What time will the cooks start cooking?)
• Person 2: Za su fara taho bayan dare? (Will they start cooking after noon?)
• Person 1: Eh, zasu fara taho bayan dare. (Yes, they will start cooking after noon.)
• Person 2: To, ka san farfajaye da shaƙata? (Do you know how to cook the gizzards with vegetables?)
• Person 1: Ai, ba ni san. (No, I don't know.)

Conclusion

Understanding the rules for forming plurals in Hausa is an important step in becoming more proficient in the language. By knowing how to form plurals, you will be able to communicate more effectively and will have a better understanding of what you hear and read. To improve your skills, be sure to practice speaking and writing Hausa with native speakers. You can find many language exchange partners on Polyglot Club. Don't be afraid to find native speakers and ask them any questions you have about plurals and other grammar topics!

Don't forget to check out the other grammar lessons in the Hausa Grammar series to further improve your understanding of the language. Thanks for reading!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Hausa language - Wikipedia
• Hausa plural Systems: a diachronic presentation

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Present Tense, Past Tense, Negation & Questions.

Other Lessons

• Questions
• Past Tense
• How to Use Be
• Possessive Case in Hausa
• Conditional Tense
• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• Indefinite Articles in Hausa
• Conditional Mood

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