Relative Completive after Object Wh-Words

When a Hausa question fronts a completed verb's object—“what,” “whom,” or “which thing”—the clause normally uses the relative completive subject–TAM series. Thus neutral Kun sayi littafi “You all bought a book” contrasts with object question Wane littafi kuka saya? “Which book did you all buy?” The questioned object is at the front, but kuka still agrees with the subject “you all.”

Review the whole contrast on Plain and Relative TAM Forms before applying it specifically to object questions.

All unlabelled forms are (neutral Nigerian Standard Hausa). “Relative” names the paradigm selected by focus-related syntax; it does not mean “past tense,” and it does not mean the question must contain an English relative pronoun.

The object moves to focus; the subject marker remains

An object question has three crucial pieces:

1. a fronted interrogative object, such as me “what,” wa “whom,” or wane/wace/waɗanne “which”;
2. a relative-completive marker agreeing with the clause's subject;
3. a lexical verb with an object gap rather than a repeated ordinary object.

In the first question, me is the object and kuka marks a second-person plural subject. In the second, wa is the object and kika marks one female addressee. In the third, feminine wace agrees with mota inside the object phrase, but plural suka agrees with the people who chose it. Agreement inside the object phrase and subject agreement must not be confused.

Complete paradigm after me

The table uses saya “buy.” Each me is the questioned object; the relative-completive form identifies the subject.

The visible contrasts with the plain completive are kika/kin, muka/mun, kuka/kun, suka/sun, aka/an. In ordinary boko, relative and plain na, ka, ya, ta look identical, though the syntax still selects the relative paradigm.

Plain statement, polar question, object question

Compare three clause types while keeping the event complete:

A question mark does not automatically select the relative form. The polar question asks whether the whole proposition is true and keeps plain kun. The constituent question focuses the object wane firiji and selects relative kuka.

The same contrast appears with an impersonal subject:

Me, wa, and which-expressions

Use me for “what” and wa for a human object “whom.” The wane series modifies an overt noun and agrees according to the noun expression: common forms include masculine wane, feminine wace, plural waɗanne.

The overt subjects Aisha and Musa are followed by ta and ya. Although those singular spellings also occur in the plain paradigm, the object-question construction licenses their relative-completive use. With kika and muka, the paradigm is visible.

Object questions versus subject questions

Both subject and object constituent questions select relative syntax, but their structures differ. In a subject question, the wh-word itself asks who performed the action. In an object question, another subject is expressed by the preverbal marker or an overt noun plus that marker.

In the second pair, suka makes plural subject agreement explicit. Do not decide subject versus object merely from English who/whom, since everyday English often uses who for both. Identify the semantic roles and the overt Hausa subject.

The object is not repeated

Fronting creates an object gap. Standard object questions do not normally add an ordinary resumptive object pronoun after the verb.

The phrase wace yarinya already supplies the questioned object. Adding ordinary object ta after gayyata would change the construction rather than simply agreeing with the fronted noun.

This differs from a topic followed by a full comment in some discourse structures. The focused interrogative pattern taught here uses the gap and relative-completive marker.

Completed aspect, not automatic past tense

The relative completive presents an event as bounded and complete. A time expression determines its relation to the speech moment.

English uses present perfect, simple past, and past perfect across these examples. Hausa keeps relative completive kika, suka, muka because each event is viewed as complete; yanzu, bara, and the earlier-than relation supply the time frame.

With a state-like predicate, English may use a present:

The established-state interpretation of sani does not turn kika into a present-tense form. Aktionsart affects translation while the relative-completive construction remains intact.

Negative object questions use a negative construction

Affirmative relative forms cannot simply survive after a generic ba. A completed negative question uses the negative completive pattern, including clause-final ba.

Compare affirmative Waɗanne saƙonni kuka karanta? with negative Waɗanne saƙonni ba ku karanta ba? Polarity selects a separate subject form. The difference is not created by changing karanta alone.

Habitual object questions use another aspect

If the question asks about a routine rather than a completed event, the relative continuative is normally appropriate.

Kuke is relative continuative; kuka is relative completive. Neither form is simply an English tense. The frequency phrase and viewpoint distinguish an open routine from a bounded visit.

Exercises

Turn each neutral report into an object question. (1) Kun sayi mota → Wace mota kuka saya? (2) Sun kira likita → Wane likita suka kira? (3) Kin ga Amina → Wa kika gani? (4) An gyara hanya → Wace hanya aka gyara? (5) Keep the overt subject: Musa ya dafa abinci → Me Musa ya dafa? Then distinguish the subject question Wa ya dafa abincin? “Who cooked the food?”

Common Mistakes

1. Keeping a plain plural form after an object wh-word

2. Treating the fronted object as the subject

3. Dropping the marker after an overt subject

4. Repeating the questioned object with an ordinary pronoun

5. Calling relative completive a past tense

Key Takeaways

• Fronted object wh-words normally select relative-completive subject marking in completed affirmative clauses.
• The marker agrees with the performer of the action, not with the questioned object.
• Learn the visible pairs kin/kika, mun/muka, kun/kuka, sun/suka, an/aka.
• Polar questions keep the plain form; constituent questions select relative syntax.
• Subject wa asks who acted; object wa co-occurs with another subject marker or overt subject.
• Relative completive expresses completion, not an English past tense; time phrases and aktionsart guide translation.
• Negative completed questions and habitual questions select their own constructions rather than retaining affirmative relative completive.