Language/Hausa/Grammar/Gender

Hausa Grammar - Gender

Hi Hausa learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Hausa grammar regarding gender in nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Understanding gender is crucial for mastering the language. We will also add cultural information and interesting facts along the way. Let's get started!

Noun Gender

In Hausa, there are two genders: masculine and feminine. But, unlike in some other languages, gender in Hausa is not based on the sex of the object, but rather on the noun's inherent gender. For example, the word for "man," "Dan Adam" (pronounced "dahn ah-dahm"), is masculine, so any noun that refers to a man, like "Dan Adam gida" (pronounced "dahn ah-dahm gee-dah," which means "man's house"), is also masculine.

Here are some more examples of masculine nouns:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Dan iska	da(h)n IS-kah	Fisherman
Dan musa	da(h)n MOO-sah	A person named Musa
Dan shanu	da(h)n SHAH-noo	Butcher

In contrast, feminine nouns in Hausa include words like "girl," "daughter," and "mother." But beware, as some words are considered feminine, even if they refer to male subjects.

Here are some more examples of feminine nouns:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
Mace (mah-jay)	MAH-jay	Girl
Uwar (waahr) mallam (mah-LAHM)	OO-war MAH-lahm	Wife of the Mallam
Amarya (a-MAH-ree-yah)	Almond in English	A girl getting married

TIP: To know the gender of a noun, you need to be familiar with the suffixes and prefixes attached to the words.

Pronoun Gender

Pronouns in Hausa have different forms based on the gender of the speaker, the person/people being spoken to, and the subject of the sentence.

Here are some examples of gender-specific pronouns in Hausa:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English
I	ni	Masculine subject pronoun (I)
Na	nah	Feminine subject pronoun (I)
Ka	kah	Masculine subject pronoun (you)
Ki	kee	Feminine subject pronoun (you)
Ya	yah	Masculine object pronoun (him, it)
Ta	tah	Feminine object pronoun (her, it)

In Hausa, there is no gender-neutral pronoun such as "they" or "it." Instead, the masculine pronoun is used to refer to a group of people or objects that includes at least one masculine noun, even if there are multiple feminine ones.

For example:

• Dan Adam da mace suna tafiya. (A man and a girl went for a walk.)
• The above sentence uses "Dan Adam" (masculine noun) as the subject of the sentence, so the masculine subject pronoun "sun" is used instead of the feminine one "sune."

Verb Agreement

In Hausa grammar, verbs must agree with the gender of the noun or pronoun they refer to.

Here are some examples:

• Mahaifiyar kitse ya kama ganin cewa shi dan Adam ne. (The teacher thinks he is a man.)
• The word "kama" (meaning "thinks") is in the third person singular form, used for masculine subjects.

• Amarya ta fara kawo lantarki ga daukar kwallon sa. (The bride brought presents for all his in-laws.)
• The word "kwallon" (meaning "in-laws") is masculine, so the verb "sa" (meaning "their") is also masculine.

Nouns can also affect the tense of verbs, for example:

• Dan iska gani da idanu ga mutane. (Fishermen always have patience with people.)
• The word "idãnu" (meaning "patience") is feminine, so the verb "faɗi" (meaning "have") has the feminine suffix "-ã".

Cultural Tip: Hausa culture is based on a patriarchy system. Men play a significant role in decision-making, yet women are responsible for taking care of their family.

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Yaya zan so ku yi miyar tari? (What do you want to drink?)
• Person 2: Na so su miyar shayi. (I want tea.)

==> To improve your Hausa Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Hausa Grammar
• Hausa People
• Grammar Gender

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