Language/Hausa/Grammar/Conjunctions

Hausa → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Prepositions and Conjunctions → Conjunctions

Introduction

In Hausa, conjunctions serve as the connective tissue of the language, allowing us to link thoughts and ideas to form more complex sentences. Conjunctions are words or phrases that create connections between elements within a sentence. They enable us to express complex ideas by showing the relationships between clauses and phrases in a sentence.

In this lesson, we will focus on conjunctions in Hausa, their usage, and how to connect sentences and clauses. We will explore the different types of conjunctions and the situations in which they are commonly used. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to use conjunctions in Hausa, allowing you to form more complex sentences and express your ideas more clearly.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are used to connect two or more independent clauses, phrases, or words that are equally important. These conjunctions create a relationship of equality or coordination between the elements that they connect.

The most common coordinating conjunctions in Hausa include:

• sai - and
• kuma - and
• ko - or
• wanda - or
• amma - but

For example:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English Translation
Allah ya kara maka maka fushi kam kewaye, sai yaci guri.	Al-lah ya ka-ra ma-ka ma-ka fu-shi kam ke-wa-ye, sai ya-ci gu-ri.	God helps you in many ways, and he protects you.
Kano da Lagos basu tafiya a kakarar halin yanzu kuma zuwa Lafiya, ko Jimeta a karnuwa.	Ka-no da La-gos ba-su ta-fi-ya a ka-ka-rar ha-li-n ya-nzu ku-ma zu-wa La-fi-ya, ko ji-me-ta a kar-nu-wa.	Kano and Lagos don't travel to the same place at the moment, either to Lafiya or to Jimeta in Adamawa state.
Zamu iya gane abin da zamu iya dinga da shi wanda zamu iya fada, wanda kuwa amma wuya.	Za-mu i-ya ga-ne a-bin da za-mu i-ya di-nga da shi wan-da za-mu i-ya fa-da, wan-da ku-wa am-ma wu-ya.	We can tell you what we can do with it and tell you what we can't do with it, but it's difficult.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect an independent clause with one or more subordinate clauses or phrases. These conjunctions create a relationship of dependence between the elements they connect; the subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

The most common subordinating conjunctions in Hausa include:

• idan - if, when
• lokaci-n - since, because
• sai dai - although, even though
• ko dai - although, even though

For example:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English Translation
Idan za ka zauna, na kasance karamin tafin hannu.	I-dan za ka zau-na, na ka-san-ce ka-ra-min ta-fin han-nu.	If you sit down, I will bring a nice hot tea.
Lokacin da safiyarmu ya kasance da baza'ar ne, FYI akwai muhimmanci kamar haka.	Lo-ka-ci-n da sa-fi-yar-mu ya ka-san-ce da ba-za'ar ne, FYI ak-wai mu-him-man-ci ka-mar ha-ka.	Since our budget is tight, FYI there is importance like that.
Sai dai hakan ne, babu wanda ke da kayan zane-zane a gidanmu.	Sai dai ha-kan ne, ba-bu wan-da ke da ka-yan za-ne-za-ne a gi-da-n-mu.	Even though that's the case, we don't have any weapons in our house.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions come in pairs and are used to relate two equal elements. These elements can be words, phrases, or clauses. Correlative conjunctions create parallel structures and are often used to highlight contrasts and comparisons between elements.

The most common correlative conjunctions in Hausa include:

• ita-ita - both... and...
• ko-ko - either... or...
• har-yanzu-yazo - neither... nor...

For example:

Hausa	Pronunciation	English Translation
Ita da Sharif, ita na sake nan da na ke buga.	Ita da Sha-rif, i-ta na sa-ke nan da na ke bu-ga.	Both Sharif and I came here together.
Ko Allah ya kuri har yanzu yazo haka, na samu abinda za ta iya gane.	Ko Al-lah ya ku-ri har ya-nzu ya-zo ha-ka, na sa-mu a-bin-da za ta i-ya ga-ne.	Either God protects it, or nothing can be done about it.
Har yanzu yazo, bai san wani bawan Allah ba.	Har ya-nzu yazo, bai san wa-ni ba-wan Al-lah ba.	Neither currently nor in the past has anyone understood the will of God.

Conclusion

In conclusion, conjunctions are important in Hausa as in any other language for linking words, phrases, and clauses. In this lesson, we have covered the three main types of conjunctions in Hausa, including coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. We went through examples and usage of each type of conjunction and explored the importance of conjunctions in creating more complex sentences.

By mastering the use of conjunctions in Hausa, you will be able to connect various elements in a sentence and more effectively express your ideas, opinions or emotions. So, keep practicing and looking for new examples, and you will soon master the use of conjunctions in Hausa as well.

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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

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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

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Hausa Proverbs and Sayings

• Popular Proverbs
• Common Sayings

Other Lessons

• Present Tense
• Gender
• Indefinite Articles in Hausa
• Questions
• Past Tense
• How to Use Be
• Asking Questions
• Plurals
• Adjectives