Language/Hausa/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion

Hausa Grammar - Give your Opinion

Hi Hausa learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on expressing opinions in Hausa. We will cover different expressions you can use to give your personal opinion and present arguments to support your position. We will also learn how to ask for opinions and respond to them. This lesson is suitable for intermediate learners who already have some knowledge of grammatical structures in Hausa. Let's get started! Don't forget to use the Polyglot Club website to find native speakers and ask them any questions you might have.

Expressing opinions

In Hausa, there are several ways of expressing opinions, depending on the context, the level of formality, the mood, and the tone of the conversation. Here are some common expressions:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Na gode ba zafin zai faru.	nã gode bà zàfìn zày fàrù.	In my opinion, it won't rain.
In kana so ku kawo fahimta, to zan fassara.	Ìn kà nà só kù káwò fàhímtà, tò zàn fàssàrà.	If you want me to explain it to you, I will.
Ni na gani cewa aka kafa son haka.	Nì nà gànì cèwà akà kàfà sòn hàkà.	I think we should do it that way.
To ka koma ina so ku mene ne?	Tò kà kòmá ìnà só kù mènè nè?	What do you think?
Ni na tsaya-tsaya da wani abu.	Nì nà tsàyà-tsàyà dà wànì àbù.	I have mixed feelings about something.

Note that you can use the particle "ba" to negate the verb and express a negative opinion, as in the first example. You can also use the particle "da" to link two nouns and express a descriptive opinion, as in the last example.

Presenting arguments

When you give your opinion, you may also want to support it with arguments or reasons why you hold that view. Here are some useful expressions:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Saboda haka...	Sàbòdà hàkà...	That's why...
Kada ka samu ni da ciwo.	Kàdà kà sámù nì dà cìwó.	Don't get me wrong.
Ina so ka sani cewa...	Ìnà só kà sànì cèwà...	I want you to know that...
Bari ina so ka zabi duniya na gaskiya.	Bàrì ìnà só kà zàbì dùníyà nà gáskìyà.	Let me explain my vision of the real world.
Lalle kada ka san yadda mutane suke ganin haka.	Làlì kàdà kà sàn yàddà mútànè sùkè gànìn hàkà.	But you know how people perceive it.

Notice that you can use the adverb "saboda" (because of) to introduce a reason or a consequence of your opinion. You can also use the imperative form "bari" (let) to introduce a clarification or a definition of your concept.

Asking for opinions

You can also ask for opinions using different structures and expressions. Here are some examples:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Ko kana so ku fahimta?	Kò kà nà só kù fàhím̀tà?	Do you want me to explain it to you?
To ka gani cewa, me ya kusa?	Tò kà gànì cèwà, mè yà kúsà?	What do you say, is it possible?
Kuna iya magana da na zama masani?	Kùnà ìyà màgànà dà nà zámà màsànì?	Can we talk as equals?
To gaskiya ya fahimci, abun ya kasance mafi yawan abin da aka bada shi.	Tò gáskìyà yà fàhìmcì, àbùn yà kásàncè màfì yàwàn àbín dà akà bàdà shì.	Honestly, what do you think is the most important thing?

You can also use the verb "so" (want) followed by the particle "ko" (if) to express a tentative or hypothetical proposition, as in the first example.

Responding to opinions

Finally, you need to know how to respond to other people's opinions and give feedback or comments. Here are some sample expressions:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Rana zan tafi yarda!	Rànà zàn tàfì yàrdà!	That's a good idea!
Na san wani abu da kuka cewa aka kafa.	Na sàn wànì àbù dà kùkà cèwà akà kàfà.	I know something that fits that description.
To Allah ya yi waka.	Tò Allàh yà yì wàkà.	God forbid! (disagreeing politely)
Ki samu abin da ya fi yawa ba tare da cewa...	Kì sàmù àbìn dà yà fìyàwà bà tàrè dà cèwà...	You got something right, but not everything...
Zan yi hujja da aka ce ba shi daidai ba.	Zàn yì hújjà dà àká cè bà shì dàìdàìbà.	I can argue against that point.

The expression "To Allah ya yi waka" is used to express disagreement or disapproval in a polite and indirect way, without contradicting the interlocutor directly.

Dialogue

Now, let's see how to use these expressions in a dialogue:

• Person 1: So ka koma ina so ku yi qaraqara domin je? (What do you think we should do for lunch?)
• Person 2: Ina so mu je shinkafa da miya. (I suggest we have rice and water.)
• Person 1: Kada ka samu ni da ciwo, shinkafar miya ban san ba ni da shi. (Don't get me wrong, I don't like rice and water.)
• Person 2: Kana so ku fahimta? (Do you want me to explain?)
• Person 1: E, ina so. (Yes, please do.)
• Person 2: Shinkafa yana da kulumi da kasa, da kuma anfi sananne ta da yawa na mai wanke-wanke. (Rice has starch and energy, as well as many vitamins and minerals.)
• Person 1: Saboda haka, zan rasa da abinda kake so. (That's why, I will go with what you suggest.)

Conclusion

We hope this lesson has helped you improve your skills in expressing opinions and presenting arguments in Hausa. Remember to use the correct structures and expressions to make your thoughts clear and convincing. To further enhance your Hausa Grammar, you can also check other resources and practice with native speakers on the Polyglot Club website. Don't be shy to ask for feedback and advice. Keep up the good work and see you in the next lesson! 😊

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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. 😎

With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: Future Tense & Adjectives.

Other Lessons

• How to Use Have
• Adjectives
• Indefinite Articles in Hausa
• Conditional Tense
• Conditional Mood
• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Definite Articles in Hausa
• Prepositions
• Pronouns

Sources

• Hausa language - Wikipedia
• The Hausa Language: An Encyclopedic Reference Grammar (Yale ...
• An Outline of Hausa Grammar

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