Za mu jira sai dai idan bankin ya maido da kuɗin.

We will wait unless the bank restores the money.

Breakdown of Za mu jira sai dai idan bankin ya maido da kuɗin.

• jira: to wait
• idan: if
• mu: we
• banki: the bank

Questions & Answers about Za mu jira sai dai idan bankin ya maido da kuɗin.

What does za mu jira mean word by word?

It breaks down like this:

• za = future marker
• mu = we
• jira = wait

So za mu jira means we will wait.

A very common Hausa pattern is:

za + subject pronoun + verb

For example:

• za mu tafi = we will go
• za su zo = they will come

How does sai dai idan mean unless?

In this sentence, sai dai idan works as a set expression meaning unless.

A useful way to think of it is:

• idan = if
• sai dai idan = unless / except if

So:

Za mu jira sai dai idan...
= We will wait unless...

It is best to learn sai dai idan as a chunk, because sai, dai, and idan can each have other uses in other contexts.

Why are there both bankin and ya in bankin ya maido?

Because in Hausa, the verb normally includes a subject marker, even when the subject noun is stated explicitly.