Language/Hausa/Grammar/Prepositions

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Hausa → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Prepositions

Welcome to another exciting lesson in our "Complete 0 to A1 Hausa Course"! Today, we will explore the fascinating world of prepositions in the Hausa language. Understanding prepositions is crucial as they are the glue that holds our sentences together, helping us express relationships between different elements. Whether you’re describing where something is located, indicating time, or connecting ideas, prepositions are essential!

This lesson will cover the following:

• What are prepositions?

• Common prepositions in Hausa.

• How to form prepositional phrases.

• Examples to illustrate usage.

• Exercises to practice what you've learned.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of Hausa prepositions and how to use them effectively in your conversations.

What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. They often indicate relationships in terms of location, time, and direction. In Hausa, just like in English, prepositions play a vital role in constructing meaningful sentences.

Here are some key characteristics of prepositions:

• Location: They describe where something is (e.g., in, on, under).

• Time: They indicate when something happens (e.g., before, after, during).

• Direction: They show movement towards something (e.g., to, from).

Common Prepositions in Hausa

Below is a list of some frequently used prepositions in Hausa along with their English translations:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
a	/a/	in/on
a cikin	/a t͡ʃikin/	inside
daga	/daɡa/	from
zuwa	/zuwa/	to
kan	/kan/	on
a waje	/a waʤɛ/	outside
tare da	/taɾɛ da/	with
kafin	/kafin/	before
bayan	/bajan/	after
cikin	/t͡ʃikin/	within

How to Form Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase usually consists of a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun. In Hausa, the structure is similar to English. Below are examples of how to form prepositional phrases:

1. Preposition + Noun:

• Hausa: "a gida" (in the house)

• Structure: Preposition (a) + Noun (gida)

2. Preposition + Pronoun:

• Hausa: "tare da ni" (with me)

• Structure: Preposition (tare da) + Pronoun (ni)

3. Preposition + Noun Phrase:

• Hausa: "a cikin kasuwa" (inside the market)

• Structure: Preposition (a cikin) + Noun Phrase (kasuwa)

Examples of Prepositional Usage

To better grasp how prepositions function in Hausa, here are 20 examples that illustrate their usage in sentences:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Na zauna a gida.	/na zauna a gida/	I stay at home.
Kafin ya tafi, ya ci abinci.	/kafin ja tafi, ja t͡ʃi abinci/	Before he leaves, he eats food.
Matar tana cikin dakin.	/matar tana t͡ʃikin dakin/	The woman is in the room.
Sun tafi daga birni.	/sun tafi daɡa birni/	They left from the city.
Kudi suna kan tebur.	/kudi suna kan tebur/	The money is on the table.
Na je zuwa kasuwa.	/na d͡ʒe zuwa kasuwa/	I went to the market.
Ya tsaya a waje.	/ja tsaya a waʤɛ/	He stayed outside.
Tare da abokina, na je.	/taɾɛ da abokina, na d͡ʒe/	With my friend, I went.
Bayan aiki, zan huta.	/bajan aiki, zan huta/	After work, I will rest.
Ka zauna cikin mota.	/ka zauna t͡ʃikin mota/	Sit inside the car.
Na karanta a cikin littafi.	/na kaɾanta a t͡ʃikin littafi/	I read in the book.
Mun tafi tare da iyalina.	/mun tafi taɾɛ da iyalina/	We went with my family.
Zai dawo daga tafiya.	/zai dɑwo daɡa tafiya/	He will return from the trip.
Ya yi magana kan wannan.	/ja yi magana kan wannan/	He spoke about this.
A cikin wannan gida, akwai dakin.	/a t͡ʃikin wannan gida, akwai d͡ʒakin/	Inside this house, there is a room.
Na yi aiki tare da su.	/na yi aiki taɾɛ da su/	I worked with them.
Sun zauna a kan kujerar.	/sun zauna a kan kujerar/	They sat on the chair.
Matar ta tafi kafin rana.	/matar ta tafi kafin rana/	The woman left before dawn.
Na tafi bayan cin abinci.	/na tafi bayan t͡ʃin abinci/	I left after eating food.
Sun yi tafiya zuwa kauye.	/sun yi tafiya zuwa kauye/	They traveled to the village.
Na ga shi a waje.	/na ɡa ʃi a waʤɛ/	I saw him outside.

Exercises

Now that you've learned about prepositions, it's time to put your knowledge to the test! Here are 10 exercises for you to practice.

1. Complete the sentence with the correct preposition:

• "Na zauna ___ gida." (I stay at home.)

• Answer: "Na zauna a gida."

2. Translate the following sentence into Hausa:

• "I went to the market."

• Answer: "Na je zuwa kasuwa."

3. Choose the correct preposition:

• "Kudi suna ___ tebur." (The money is ___ the table.)

• Options: a, daga, tare da

• Answer: "Kudi suna kan tebur."

4. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:

• "Ya tafi ___ birni." (He left ___ the city.)

• Answer: "Ya tafi daga birni."

5. Identify the preposition in the following sentence:

• "Na karanta a cikin littafi."

• Answer: "a cikin" (in the)

6. Match the Hausa prepositions with their English translations:

• a -

• daga -

• zuwa -

• tare da -

• Answer:

• a - in/on

• daga - from

• zuwa - to

• tare da - with

7. Translate the following into English:

• "Sun tafi tare da iyalina."

• Answer: "They went with my family."

8. Create a sentence using "a cikin" (inside):

• Example: "A cikin dakin, akwai kofa." (Inside the room, there is a door.)

9. Complete the sentence with the correct preposition:

• "Matar tana ___ dakin." (The woman is ___ the room.)

• Answer: "Matar tana cikin dakin."

10. Write a sentence using "bayan" (after):

• Example: "Bayan cin abinci, zan huta." (After eating, I will rest.)

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on Hausa prepositions! By understanding and practicing these essential elements of the language, you are one step closer to becoming proficient in Hausa. Remember to use prepositions in your daily conversations to enhance your fluency. Keep practicing, and don’t hesitate to revisit this lesson whenever you need a refresher!

Table of Contents - Hausa Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

  ---

Everyday Activities

• Daily Routine
• Transportation

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Food Items
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Tourism

• Asking for Directions
• Accommodation

  ---

Hausa Customs and Traditions

• Traditional Clothing
• Festivals and Celebrations

  ---

Shopping and Bargaining

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Bargaining Phrases

  ---

Negation and Questions

• Negation
• Asking Questions

  ---

Hausa Proverbs and Sayings

• Popular Proverbs
• Common Sayings

Sources

• Hausa Prepositions
• Hausa Grammar | LEARN101.ORG

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Questions
• Indefinite Articles in Hausa
• 0 to A1 Course
• Conjunctions
• Present Tense
• Conditional Tense
• Give your Opinion
• Adverbs

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