Essential Hausa Phrases to Learn if You Wish to Mingle

The Hausa people are mostly located in the northern parts of Nigeria with a population of over 30 million, a few of them have moved to other parts of the country and seem to be finding their footing really well.

Hausa’s are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa and understanding a few phrases might just help you someday.

Sannu means Hello”: One of the most interesting things about Hausa is the Arabic accent that is usually associated with it. Whenever you say “sannu”, make sure to add emphasis on the first syllable.

Na gode means “Thank you”: Thank you in any language is always a good word to know, and ”na gode” is the way to thank people in the Hausa language.

Eh / A’a means “yes or no”: Just as the letter ‘a’ is pronounced in the English alphabet, ”eh” with just a little stress in pronunciation means yes in Hausa, while A’a means no.

Ina gidan wanka? means “Where is the bathroom?”: It’s best to know how to ask where the bathroom is. It will not be great to start gesticulating when pressed. ”Ina gidan wanka” will come in handy when in the company of Hausa’s.

Kunna bar and Juya dama mean “Turn left or right” respectively: If you have to tell the driver that they need to take the next turning, ”kunna bar” means turn left and ”juya dama” means turn right.

Daina means “Stop”: The word to signal a stop in Hausa is ”daina”.

Dadi means “delicious”: It’s always nice to know how to compliment the person who whips up a delicious meal. Sying Dadi is exactly the way to do it in Hausa.

Ina jin yunwa means “I’m hungry”: We all need food and the foodies among us know that it is vital. It is therefore important to know how to communicate your stomach grumbling to your host.
Ruwa means “water”: The northern parts of Nigeria is usually hot. Knowing how to ask for water is essential.

Numbers 0 – 10: It is important to know your numbers as it will come in handy while buying. The numbers 1 to 10 in Hausa are: 1- daya, 2- biyu, 3- uku, 4- hudu, 5- biyar, 6- shidda, 7- bakwai, 8- takwas, 9- tara, 10- goma

Na fito daga means “I’m from…”: It will be nice to be able to tell where you are from won’t it? Well, this is the phrase to start with.

Kana jin harshen turanci kuwa? means “Do you speak English?”: Asking this of any Hausa person you meet will let you know how the conversation is going to go.