Mu, ku, su are the plural independent pronouns: mu “we/us,” ku “you” addressed to more than one person, and su “they/them.” Unlike singular kai/ke and shi/ita, these plural forms do not distinguish gender. A mixed group, an all-male group, and an all-female group can all be referred to with the appropriate plural person form.
These are free words used for contrast, identification, coordination, and standalone answers. All unlabelled patterns are (neutral Nigerian Standard Hausa). Ordinary boko writes them without tone or vowel-length marks.
Three independent forms, several grammatical series
| Function | First plural | Second plural | Third plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| independent | mu | ku | su |
| completive subject–TAM | mun | kun | sun |
| continuative subject–TAM | muna | kuna | suna |
| future | za mu | za ku | za su |
| direct object | mu | ku | su |
| indirect object | mana | muku | musu |
| possessive after littafi | littafinmu | littafinku | littafinsu |
The independent and direct-object forms happen to be spelled alike in all three plural persons. Their grammatical environment still differs. Initial contrastive su in Su sun gan mu is independent; final mu is a direct object.
Su sun gan mu a tashar mota.
They saw us at the bus station. (contrastive ‘they’)
Mu mun gan su a bakin kasuwa.
We saw them at the market entrance. (contrastive ‘we’)
Position and clause structure—not spelling alone—tell the learner which series is present.
Independent plurals add contrast
A neutral finite clause normally needs no independent pronoun because its subject–TAM form already identifies the person and number.
Mun gama aikin da wuri.
We finished the work early.
Add mu, ku, su when groups are contrasted or corrected:
Mu mun gama aikin; ku ba ku gama ba.
We finished the work; you all did not.
Ku kuna jira a nan; su suna jira a waje.
You all are waiting here; they are waiting outside.
Mu za mu dafa abinci, su za su kawo ruwa.
We will cook the food, and they will bring water.
The independent pronoun manages the discourse contrast. The forms mun/kun/sun, muna/kuna/suna, and za mu/za ku/za su make each verb finite and supply its tense–aspect value.
Overt plural nouns still take plural marking
An overt plural subject does not replace the preverbal marker:
Ɗaliban sun shiga ɗakin karatu da safe.
The students entered the library in the morning.
Malamai suna taro a ofis.
The teachers are holding a meeting in the office.
Sun and suna agree with the overt plural nouns. Independent su follows the same principle:
Su sun dawo daga makaranta, amma mu muna nan.
They returned from school, but we are still here.
English permits a single word they to serve as the finite clause's subject. Hausa normally retains its preverbal subject–TAM form whether the independent pronoun is present or not.
Identification and focused groups
Plural independent pronouns combine with ne for identification. In focused completive clauses, the following forms are muka, kuka, suka rather than neutral mun, kun, sun.
Mu ne baƙin da kuka gayyata.
We are the guests whom you invited.
Ku ne kuka kira ofishin jiya?
Were you all the ones who called the office yesterday?
Su ne suka taimaka mana a hanya.
They are the ones who helped us on the road.
The focused pattern identifies a group; it is not simply a wordier version of neutral sun taimaka mana “they helped us.” Complete focused and relative paradigms are treated separately.
Independent plurals are also natural as short answers:
Waɗanne ne za su fara? Mu.
Which people will begin? Us.
The English answer uses object-form us, while Hausa selects free independent mu.
Ku and the identity of the addressees
Ordinary ku addresses more than one listener and does not distinguish the listeners' genders.
Ku kuna zuwa Kano gobe?
Are you all going to Kano tomorrow?
Ku ne sabbin ɗaliban?
Are you the new students? (addressed to a group)
The social choice between ordinary singular and respectful forms depends on relationship and context; the respectful address and titles page treats that pragmatic system separately. Here ku is the straightforward grammatical plural.
Direct objects, recipients, and possessors
Direct-object mu/ku/su look exactly like the independent forms, but they occur in the object position selected by the verb:
Likita ya kira mu da safe.
The doctor called us this morning.
Mun jira ku a gaban asibiti.
We waited for you all in front of the hospital.
Na gan su suna shiga shagon.
I saw them entering the shop.
For recipients or beneficiaries, use mana, muku, musu:
Aisha ta kawo mana abinci.
Aisha brought us food.
Zan aiko muku da jadawalin gobe.
I will send you all the schedule tomorrow.
Malamin ya bayyana musu darasin a hankali.
The teacher explained the lesson to them slowly.
Possessive forms attach to the possessed noun:
Littafinmu yana ofis, littafinku yana nan, nasu kuma yana gida.
Our book is at the office, your book is here, and theirs is at home.
In littafinmu/littafinku, the possessive material is joined to the noun. Free mu/ku cannot simply be placed after littafi to mean “our/your book.”
Coordination changes person
When singular people are coordinated, agreement follows the combined group. A group containing the speaker is first-person plural:
Ni da ita za mu je asibiti tare.
She and I will go to the hospital together.
A group containing the addressee but not the speaker is second-person plural:
Kai da Musa za ku jira a nan.
You (male) and Musa will wait here.
A group containing neither speaker nor addressee is third-person plural:
Aisha da Musa za su dawo gobe.
Aisha and Musa will return tomorrow.
The future markers za mu, za ku, za su agree with the whole coordinated phrase, not just the nearest singular noun.
Practice Exercises in context
Mu muna sayar da littattafai; su suna sayar da kayan abinci.
We sell books; they sell groceries.
Ku kun kawo namu, amma su ba su kawo nasu ba.
You all brought ours, but they did not bring theirs.
Sun nuna mana ɗakin, sannan muka gode musu.
They showed us the room, and then we thanked them.
Mu ne za mu buɗe shagon yau.
We are the ones who will open the shop today.
Common Mistakes
1. Replacing subject–TAM marking with an independent pronoun
❌ Su gama aikin.
Incorrect as ‘They finished the work.’
✅ Su sun gama aikin.
They finished the work. (contrastive)
2. Dropping agreement after an overt plural noun
❌ Ma’aikatan koma ofis.
Incorrect as a finite completive clause.
✅ Ma’aikatan sun koma ofis.
The workers returned to the office.
3. Using independent ku for a recipient
❌ Zan aiko ku da saƙo.
Incorrect for ‘I will send you all a message’ when ku is intended as recipient.
✅ Zan aiko muku da saƙo.
I will send you all a message.
4. Separating a plural possessive
❌ littafi mu
Incorrect for ‘our book.’
✅ littafinmu
our book
5. Using singular agreement with a coordinated group
❌ Ni da Aisha zan je kasuwa.
Incorrect — the subject includes the speaker plus Aisha and is first-person plural.
✅ Ni da Aisha za mu je kasuwa.
Aisha and I will go to the market.
Key Takeaways
- Independent mu, ku, su mean “we/us,” plural “you,” and “they/them”; they make no gender distinction.
- Finite plural subject forms remain necessary: mun/kun/sun, muna/kuna/suna, za mu/za ku/za su.
- Direct-object mu/ku/su are spelled like the independent pronouns but occupy a different grammatical slot.
- Recipients are mana/muku/musu, and possessives are joined forms such as littafinmu/littafinku/littafinsu.
- Coordinate the agreement with the whole group: speaker included gives mu forms, addressee included gives ku forms, and third parties give su forms.
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Start learning Hausa →Related Topics
- Independent Pronouns: Full ParadigmA1 — Learn the eight free personal-pronoun forms and distinguish them from Hausa subject–TAM, object, indirect-object, and possessive forms.
- Independent Pronouns for Contrastive FocusA1 — Use Hausa independent pronouns to identify, correct, or contrast the person responsible for an action without losing the required subject–TAM marker.
- Pronouns after da: Accompaniment and CoordinationA1 — Choose Hausa independent pronouns after da when expressing ‘with’ or joining people with ‘and,’ then match the resulting subject correctly.
- Plain Completive PronounsA2 — Master the Hausa plain completive paradigm na, ka, kin, ya, ta, mun, kun, sun, and impersonal an for neutral completed-event clauses.
- Plural Object Pronouns mu, ku, and suA2 — Use Hausa mu, ku, and su for first-, second-, and third-person plural direct objects while keeping subject, recipient, and possessive series distinct.
- masa, mata, mana, muku, and musuB1 — Use Hausa masa, mata, mana, muku, and musu to mark recipients, beneficiaries, and other ma-linked participants without confusing them with direct objects.