Sabis ɗin yana aiki.

to work

Breakdown of Sabis ɗin yana aiki.

• ya: he/it
• sabis: the service

Questions & Answers about Sabis ɗin yana aiki.

Why does ɗin come after sabis instead of before it?

In Hausa, words like ɗin usually come after the noun they refer to. So sabis ɗin follows a pattern like service the/that. English uses the before the noun, but Hausa often marks definiteness after it.

Is ɗin exactly the same as English the?

Not exactly. ɗin often marks something specific, known, or already identifiable in the conversation. In many sentences it is best translated as the, but in some contexts it can feel closer to that. So sabis ɗin can mean the service, and sometimes that service, depending on context.

What does yana mean here?

yana is the form used with a masculine singular subject in this present/imperfective construction. Here it gives the idea of it is or it is working. So yana aiki means it is working, it works, or it is functioning, depending on context.

Why is there no separate word for it or is?