Hausa kama is a Grade 1 verb whose concrete core is “catch, seize, take hold of.” It follows the Grade 1 core pattern and also appears in several high-frequency constructions: kama aiki “begin work,” kama hanya “set out/take a route,” and kama da “resemble.” Its weak verbal noun is kamawa when no local object follows, while object-bearing continuatives use kama.
English encourages overextension because catch, hold, fit, suit, match, and begin overlap differently. Hausa keeps meaning-specific frames distinct. A thief is a direct object of literal kama; the thing resembled follows da; physical fit and suitability normally use expressions such as yi wa daidai, yi wa kyau, or dace da; and “catch a cold” uses affected-subject kamu da. A useful entry must therefore record construction and valency along with the gloss.
All unlabelled examples are (neutral Nigerian Standard Hausa) in ordinary boko.
Grade 1 object forms
The A-form with no following object, B-form before a direct-object pronoun, and D-form before an indirect object normally have long final -a. The C-form before a noun-like direct object has short final -a. Two-syllable kama keeps its high–low melody, so final-vowel length carries the main audible contrast. Boko writes kama everywhere.
| Environment | Written form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A: no following object | kama | ’Yan sanda sun kama. |
| B: direct-object pronoun | kama | Sun kama shi. |
| C: noun-like direct object | kama | Sun kama ɓarawon. |
| D: indirect object | kama | Ka kama mini jakar. |
| no-object verbal noun | kamawa | Suna kamawa. |
Jami’an tsaro sun kama wanda ake nema a tashar jirgin ƙasa.
The security officers arrested the wanted person at the railway station. (formal/news; C-form before a noun-like object)
Wanda ake zargin ya gudu, amma jami’an sun kama shi a bakin kasuwa.
The suspect ran away, but the officers caught him by the market. (B-form before masculine shi)
Ki kama mini kwandon nan har in ɗaure igiyar takalmina.
Hold this basket for me while I tie my shoelace. (D-form before beneficiary mini; to one woman)
Kamawa and object-bearing continuatives
Use kamawa after a continuative marker when no local object follows. Before a noun, direct pronoun, or indirect object, weak -wa is absent and the appropriate Grade 1 form appears.
’Yan sanda suna kamawa tun da safe, amma ba su fitar da sanarwa ba tukuna.
The police have been making arrests since morning, but they have not issued a statement yet. (no-object verbal noun)
Masu gadi suna kama mutanen da ke shiga ba tare da kati ba.
The guards are catching people who enter without a card. (noun object)
Ƙwallon ta jiƙe da ruwa, amma mai tsaron gida yana kama ta da kyau.
The ball is wet, but the goalkeeper is catching it well. (pronoun object)
Yana kama mana akuyoyin idan sun fita daga shingen.
He catches the goats for us when they get out of the enclosure. (beneficiary mana plus noun theme)
Kamawa can also function as an event noun. It is not an invariant infinitive and does not itself mark present time.
Kamawar wanda ake zargin ta jawo ce-ce-ku-ce a jaridu.
The arrest of the suspect caused controversy in the newspapers. (nominal event; feminine agreement)
Literal catch, seize, hold, and contextual “catch a vehicle”
Literal kama licenses an ordinary patient object: a ball, thief, rope, animal, or body part. The context decides whether English prefers catch, arrest, seize, or hold.
Ki kama igiyar da hannuwa biyu domin kada ta kuɓuce.
Hold the rope with both hands so that it does not slip away. (directive to one woman)
In travel contexts, kama mota is used for reaching/catching a vehicle, but the same words can also describe stopping or seizing a vehicle in another context. Hau mota unambiguously profiles boarding. Natural translation therefore depends on the event, not on a fixed English pairing.
Idan muka tashi da wuri, za mu kama motar farko zuwa Zariya.
If we get up early, we will catch the first vehicle to Zaria. (travel context)
Mun hau motar ƙarfe takwas a tashar Kano.
We boarded/caught the eight-o’clock vehicle at Kano station. (boarding-focused alternative)
Beginning and setting out
Kama aiki means begin or take up work, not merely obtain a job. Kama hanya means set out, take to the road, or follow a route. The dedicated guide to collocations with kama gives the wider phraseology. The nouns belong to established collocations; this does not create a productive rule in which kama + any activity noun means “begin doing it.”
Sabuwar shugabar za ta kama aiki ranar Litinin bayan an gabatar da ita.
The new director will assume her duties on Monday after she is introduced. (formal/institutional)
Da sassafe muka tattara kayanmu muka kama hanya zuwa Sokoto.
At daybreak we gathered our belongings and set out for Sokoto. (journey collocation)
Samu aiki means get/find employment, while fara aiki is a transparent general alternative for begin work. These distinctions prevent a misleading English-driven paraphrase.
Rahama ta sami aiki a watan jiya, amma za ta kama aiki ne mako mai zuwa.
Rahama got a job last month, but she will start work next week. (obtaining versus beginning employment)
Resemblance, fit, suit, and comparison
In X yana/tana kama da Y, da introduces the comparison standard: yaron yana kama da mahaifinsa “the boy resembles his father.” The subject is what resembles; the complement after da is what it resembles. Yi kama da is another established way to present likeness or appearance.
Sabuwar jaririyar tana kama da mahaifiyarta wajen idanu.
The new baby girl resembles her mother in the eyes. (resemblance frame)
Tsarin wannan ginin ya yi kama da na tsohuwar makaranta.
The design of this building resembles that of the old school. (yi kama da variant)
Do not use bare kama as a universal equivalent of English fit or suit. For physical size, rigar ta yi mata daidai means “the dress fits her.” For flattering appearance, rigar tana yi mata kyau means “the dress suits/looks good on her.” For appropriateness or compatibility, use dace da.
Rigar ta yi mata daidai, kuma launin yana yi mata kyau.
The dress fits her, and the color suits her. (size fit versus flattering appearance)
Wannan tsarin bai dace da ƙaramar cibiyar lafiya ba.
This arrangement is not suitable for a small health center. (appropriateness with dace da)
Kamar “like/as if” is also distinct: it introduces a comparison rather than inflecting as a predicate. Keep kama da, yi kama da, and kamar in separate lexical entries.
Processes that take hold and kamu da
Some subjects themselves enter a “taking hold” state: fire catches, henna takes, a lock catches. These intransitive/process uses do not supply an omitted direct object.
Rufin ya kama da wuta kafin maƙwabta su kawo ruwa.
The roof caught fire before the neighbors brought water. (process frame; da wuta)
Lallen amaryar ya kama ƙwarai, shi ya sa hannayenta suka yi ja.
The bride’s henna took very well, so her hands became deeply red. (result/process use)
For contracting a disease, Hausa commonly uses affected-subject Grade 7 kamu da, not active kama plus a disease as a direct object.
Yaron ya kamu da mura bayan ya kwana a ɗaki mai sanyi.
The child caught a cold after sleeping in a cold room. (affected-subject kamu da)
Common Mistakes
1. Keeping -wa before a direct object
❌ Jami’an suna kamawa ɓarayi a kasuwa.
Incorrect—the full no-object verbal noun cannot precede the noun object ɓarayi.
✅ Jami’an suna kama ɓarayi a kasuwa.
The officers are catching thieves in the market.
2. Omitting da in resemblance
❌ Jaririyar tana kama mahaifiyarta.
Wrong for ‘resembles her mother’; bare kama invites a catch/hold reading.
✅ Jaririyar tana kama da mahaifiyarta sosai.
The baby girl closely resembles her mother.
3. Using kama for every English fit or suit
❌ Rigar tana kama ta sosai.
Incorrect calque for ‘the dress fits/suits her.’
✅ Rigar ta yi mata daidai kuma tana yi mata kyau.
The dress fits her and looks good on her.
4. Confusing getting work with beginning it
❌ Ta kama aiki jiya, amma har yanzu ba a ɗauke ta aiki ba.
Contradictory for the intended reading—kama aiki says she began or assumed work.
✅ Ta nemi aiki jiya, amma har yanzu ba a ɗauke ta aiki ba.
She looked/applied for work yesterday, but she has not yet been hired.
5. Translating catch a cold with active kama
❌ Yaron ya kama mura bayan ruwan sama.
Incorrect neutral frame for contracting an illness; use affected-subject kamu da.
✅ Yaron ya kamu da mura bayan ruwan sama.
The child caught a cold after the rain.
Key Takeaways
- Literal Grade 1 kama means catch, seize, arrest, or hold; A/B/D have long final -a, C short -a.
- The no-object verbal noun is kamawa, but object-bearing continuatives use kama.
- Learn kama aiki and kama hanya as established begin/set-out collocations, not a freely productive rule.
- Kama da predicates resemblance; fit, flattering appearance, and suitability normally use yi wa daidai, yi wa kyau, and dace da.
- Fire, dye, and mechanisms can “take” in process frames; contracting an illness uses affected-subject kamu da.
Related Topics
- Grade 1: Core Form PatternB1 — Recognize Grade 1 Hausa verbs by their -a termination, H-L-(H) melody, and final-vowel shortening before noun objects.
- Grade 1 Verbal NounsB1 — Form and use the usual Grade 1 weak verbal noun in -wa while recognizing object-conditioned forms and lexical strong alternatives.
- Grade 7 versus Passive InterpretationB2 — Distinguish genuine patient-oriented Grade 7 passives from resultative, intensive, lexical, and impersonal constructions by using syntactic and discourse diagnostics.
- Direct Objects after Regular VerbsA2 — Place Hausa direct-object pronouns immediately after regular Grade 1 and Grade 4 verbs while preserving the verb's correct pre-pronoun form.
- Core Collocations with kamaB1 — Distinguish literal kama ‘catch/hold’ from conventional frames for resemblance, setting out, beginning work, catching fire, and obligation.
- Using the Verb Citation Form before Every ObjectB1 — Repair object-conditioned Hausa verb forms by identifying the verb's grade and the kind of expression that follows it.