Difference between revisions of "Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Telling-Time"

Latest revision as of 15:47, 2 June 2025

◀️ Numbers 1-20 — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Regular Verbs ▶️

Hausa → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and Time → Telling Time

Telling time is an essential part of daily life, and is no exception in Hausa-speaking cultures. Knowing how to tell the time in Hausa will greatly improve your ability to communicate with Hausa speakers, and enable you to navigate Hausa-speaking countries with ease. In this lesson, you will learn how to tell the time in Hausa, including how to ask for and give the current time.

Expressions of Time[edit | edit source]

In Hausa, as in English, there are different ways to express time, depending on the context:

It is [time]: _Ƙarfe [lokaci]_

What time is it?: _Ƙarfe nawa ne?_

What's the time?: _Menene lokaci?_

Numbers and Time[edit | edit source]

Before delving into how to tell the time, it is essential to review the Hausa numbers from 1 to 20, as they are frequently used when expressing time.

Hausa Numbers 1-20[edit | edit source]

Here are the Hausa numbers from 1 to 20, along with their English translations:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Ɗaya	Dah-yah	One
Biyu	Bee-you	Two
Uku	Oo-koo	Three
Huɗu	Hoo-doo	Four
Biyar	Bee-yah-ree	Five
Shida	Shee-dah	Six
Bakwai	Buh-kwah-ee	Seven
Takwas	Tuh-kwahs	Eight
Tara	Tuh-rees	Nine
Goma	Goh-mah	Ten
Goma sha Ɗaya	Goh-mah shah dah-yah	Eleven
Goma sha Biyu	Goh-mah shah bee-yoo	Twelve
Goma sha Uku	Goh-mah shah oo-koo	Thirteen
Goma sha Huɗu	Goh-mah shah hoo-doo	Fourteen
Goma sha Biyar	Goh-mah shah bee-yah	Fifteen
Goma sha Shida	Goh-mah shah shee-dah	Sixteen
Goma sha Bakwai	Goh-mah shah buh-kwah-ee	Seventeen
Goma sha Takwas	Goh-mah shah tuh-kwahs	Eighteen
Goma sha Tara	Goh-mah shah tuh-rees	Nineteen
Ashirin	Uh-shee-reen	Twenty

Keep in mind that Hausa is a tonal language, meaning that the tone you use when pronouncing a word may change its meaning. It is important to listen closely to the tones used in Hausa, and to practice the proper intonation to ensure that you are understood.

Telling the Time[edit | edit source]

Telling time in Hausa is straightforward as it follows a similar structure to English. The general structure is:

hour + da + minutes

Note: the Hausa phrase for hour 'Awa' is changing to 'Ƙarfe' when asking or telling time.

For example:

It is 1:30. : Ƙarfe Ɗaya da mintuna Talatin.
It is 2:15. : Ƙarfe Biyu da mintuna Sha biyar.
It is 7:45. : Ƙarfe Bakwai da mintuna Arba'in da Biyar.

Sometimes 15, 30 and 45 minutes, are shortened to kwata, rabi and rabi da kwata or saura kwata respectively.

In Hausa, the "hour" can be expressed using either the Hausa numbers from 1 to 12 or the Arabic numbers from 1 to 12. The "hour" is followed by "da", which means "and", and then the number of minutes from 1 to 59.

It is important to note that Hausa speakers use a 12-hour clock. They reference time from 1 to 12, rather than resetting the counting at noon, as is the case with a 24-hour clock.

Additionally, Hausa speakers sometimes reference time by referring to the prayer times according to the Islamic calendar, which are observed five times a day. These include:

Prayer time	Time in Hausa
Dawn prayer	_Fajr_
Midday prayer	_Zuhr_
Afternoon prayer	_Asr_
Sunset prayer	_Maghrib_
Night prayer	_Isha_

If you are in a Hausa-speaking country, it is essential to be aware of these prayer times, as businesses and services may close during these periods.

Asking for the Time[edit | edit source]

To ask someone for the time in Hausa, you can use the following phrases:

What's the time?: _Ƙarfe nawa?_

What time is it?: _Ƙarfe nawa ne?_

Alternatively, if you want to ask if someone know the current time, you can use the following phrases:

Do you know the time?: _Ko ka san ƙarfe nawa?_

Can you tell me the time?: _ko za iya faɗa min lokaci?_

Common Time-Related Vocabulary[edit | edit source]

Here are a few common words and phrases that are useful to know when discussing time in Hausa:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
_Lokaci_	Loh-kah-see	Time
_Farar safe_	fah-rah-r sah-feh	Early morning
_Hantsi_	Al-jahn-nah	Noon
_Azumi_	Uh-zoo-mee	Fasting
_Asuba_	Uh-sooh-bah	mornig prayer
_Maraba_	Mah-rah-bah	Welcome
_Yamma_	Yam-mah	Evening
_Ina kwana?_	Ee-nah kwah-nah	Good morning
_Ƙarfe nawa?_	Kar-feh nah-wah	What's the time?

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Now that you know the basics of telling time in Hausa, you can effectively ask and answer questions about time. With practice, you will develop a strong familiarity with Hausa numbers and time-related vocabulary, enabling you to speak Hausa with ease. Congratulations on taking the first step to learning Hausa and mastering this fascinating aspect of the language!

Table of Contents - Hausa Course - 0 to A1[edit source]

Course Presentation

Greetings and Introductions

Nouns and Pronouns

Numbers and Time

Verbs and Conjugation

Everyday Activities

Adjectives and Adverbs

Food and Dining

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Travel and Tourism

Hausa Customs and Traditions

Shopping and Bargaining

Negation and Questions

Hausa Proverbs and Sayings

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

Hausa - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

Template:Hausa-Page-Bottom

◀️ Numbers 1-20 — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Regular Verbs ▶️

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ; It is [time]:
-: _Shi ne [time]_
+: _Ƙarfe [lokaci]_
 ; What time is it?:
-: _Ya kamata wane?_
+: _Ƙarfe nawa ne?_
 ; What's the time?:
-: _Abin da wannan lokaci?_
+: _Menene lokaci?_
 == Numbers and Time ==
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ! Hausa !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| Daya || Dah-yah || One
+| Ɗaya || Dah-yah || One
 |-
 | Biyu || Bee-you || Two
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 | Uku || Oo-koo || Three
 |-
-| Hudu || Hoo-doo || Four
+| Huɗu || Hoo-doo || Four
 |-
-| Biyari || Bee-yah-ree || Five
+| Biyar || Bee-yah-ree || Five
 |-
 | Shida || Shee-dah || Six
@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 | Takwas || Tuh-kwahs || Eight
 |-
-| Tares || Tuh-rees || Nine
+| Tara || Tuh-rees || Nine
 |-
 | Goma || Goh-mah || Ten
 |-
-| Goma sha Daya || Goh-mah shah dah-yah || Eleven
+| Goma sha Ɗaya || Goh-mah shah dah-yah || Eleven
 |-
 | Goma sha Biyu || Goh-mah shah bee-yoo || Twelve
@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 | Goma sha Uku || Goh-mah shah oo-koo || Thirteen
 |-
-| Goma sha Hudu || Goh-mah shah hoo-doo || Fourteen
+| Goma sha Huɗu || Goh-mah shah hoo-doo || Fourteen
 |-
 | Goma sha Biyar || Goh-mah shah bee-yah || Fifteen
@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 | Goma sha Takwas || Goh-mah shah tuh-kwahs || Eighteen
 |-
-| Goma sha Tares || Goh-mah shah tuh-rees || Nineteen
+| Goma sha Tara || Goh-mah shah tuh-rees || Nineteen
 |-
 | Ashirin || Uh-shee-reen || Twenty
@@ Line 88: / Line 88: @@
 <code>hour + da + minutes</code>
-For example:
+'''Note:''' the Hausa phrase for hour 'Awa' is changing to 'Ƙarfe' when asking or telling time.
-* It is 1:30. : ''Shi ne da uku daya da goma sha hamsin.''
+For example:
-* It is 2:15. : ''Shi ne da biyu da goma sha fidalin.''
-* It is 7:45. : ''Shi ne da bakwai da sha shida tara da hudu.''
+*It is 1:30. : ''Ƙarfe Ɗaya da mintuna Talatin.''
+*It is 2:15. : ''Ƙarfe Biyu da mintuna Sha biyar.''
+*It is 7:45. : ''Ƙarfe Bakwai da mintuna Arba'in da Biyar.''
+Sometimes 15, 30 and 45 minutes, are shortened to ''kwata'', '' rabi'' and ''rabi da kwata'' or ''saura kwata'' respectively.
 In Hausa, the "hour" can be expressed using either the Hausa numbers from 1 to 12 or the Arabic numbers from 1 to 12. The "hour" is followed by "da", which means "and", and then the number of minutes from 1 to 59.
@@ Line 101: / Line 105: @@
 {| class="wikitable"
-! Prayer time !! Time in Hausa
+!Prayer time!!Time in Hausa
 |-
-| Dawn prayer || _Fajr_
+|Dawn prayer||_Fajr_
 |-
-| Midday prayer || _Zuhr_
+|Midday prayer||_Zuhr_
 |-
-| Afternoon prayer || _Asr_
+|Afternoon prayer||_Asr_
 |-
-| Sunset prayer || _Maghrib_
+|Sunset prayer||_Maghrib_
 |-
-| Night prayer || _Isha_
+|Night prayer||_Isha_
 |}
 If you are in a Hausa-speaking country, it is essential to be aware of these prayer times, as businesses and services may close during these periods.
-=== Asking for the Time ===
+===Asking for the Time===
 To ask someone for the time in Hausa, you can use the following phrases:
-; What's the time?:
+;What's the time?:
-: _Abin da wannan lokaci?_
+:_Ƙarfe nawa?_
-; What time is it?:
+;What time is it?:
-: _Ya kamata wane?_
+:_Ƙarfe nawa ne?_
-Alternatively, if you want to ask if someone has the current time, you can use the following phrases:
+Alternatively, if you want to ask if someone know the current time, you can use the following phrases:
-; Do you have the time?:
+;Do you know the time?:
-: _Shin shi ne wani lokaci?_
+:_Ko ka san ƙarfe nawa?_
-; Can you tell me the time?:
+;Can you tell me the time?:
-: _Ka iya baka lokaci?_
+:_ko za iya faɗa min lokaci?_
-=== Common Time-Related Vocabulary ===
+===Common Time-Related Vocabulary===
 Here are a few common words and phrases that are useful to know when discussing time in Hausa:
 {| class="wikitable"
-! Hausa !! Pronunciation !! English
+!Hausa!!Pronunciation!!English
 |-
-| _Lokaci_ || Loh-kah-see || Time
+|_Lokaci_||Loh-kah-see||Time
 |-
-| _Farar tare_ || Fuh-ruh rah-rei || Early morning
+|_Farar safe_||fah-rah-r sah-feh||Early morning
 |-
-| _Aljanna_ || Al-jahn-nah || Noon
+|_Hantsi_||Al-jahn-nah||Noon
 |-
-| _Azumi_ || Uh-zoo-mee || Fasting
+|_Azumi_||Uh-zoo-mee||Fasting
 |-
-| _Asuba_ || Uh-sooh-bah || Afternoon
+|_Asuba_||Uh-sooh-bah||mornig prayer
 |-
-| _Maraba _ || Mah-rah-bah || Good afternoon
+|_Maraba_||Mah-rah-bah||Welcome
 |-
-| _Ashi mashi_ || Ah-shee-mah-shee || Evening
+|_Yamma_||Yam-mah||Evening
 |-
-| _Ina kwana?_ || Ee-nah kwah-nah || How old are you?
+|_Ina kwana?_||Ee-nah kwah-nah||Good morning
 |-
-| _Magana ta kwana?_ || Mah-gah-nah tah kwah-nah || What's the time?
+|_Ƙarfe nawa?_|| Kar-feh nah-wah||What's the time?
 |}
-== Conclusion ==
+==Conclusion==
 Now that you know the basics of telling time in Hausa, you can effectively ask and answer questions about time. With practice, you will develop a strong familiarity with Hausa numbers and time-related vocabulary, enabling you to speak Hausa with ease. Congratulations on taking the first step to learning Hausa and mastering this fascinating aspect of the language!
@@ Line 179: / Line 183: @@
+==Other Lessons==
-==Other Lessons==
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Numbers|Numbers]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Numbers|Numbers]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Basic-Phrases-in-Hausa|Basic Phrases in Hausa]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Basic-Phrases-in-Hausa|Basic Phrases in Hausa]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/People-in-Hausa|People in Hausa]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/People-in-Hausa|People in Hausa]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Clothes|Clothes]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Clothes|Clothes]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Camping|Camping]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Camping|Camping]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Ordering-at-a-Restaurant|Ordering at a Restaurant]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Ordering-at-a-Restaurant|Ordering at a Restaurant]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Introducing-Yourself|Introducing Yourself]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Introducing-Yourself|Introducing Yourself]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Common-Food-Items|Common Food Items]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Common-Food-Items|Common Food Items]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Transportation|Transportation]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Transportation|Transportation]]
+*[[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Numbers-1-20|Numbers 1 20]]
-* [[Language/Hausa/Vocabulary/Numbers-1-20|Numbers 1 20]]
-<span class='maj'></span>
+<span class="maj"></span>
 ==Sources==
-* [https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Hausa Hausa - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com]
+*[https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Hausa Hausa - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com]
 {{Hausa-Page-Bottom}}
@@ Line 204: / Line 207: @@
 |[[Language/Hausa/Grammar/Regular-Verbs|Next Lesson — Regular Verbs ▶️]]
 |}
-</span>