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Questions & Answers about Sun yi imani da ilimi.
What does sun mean here?
Sun is the 3rd person plural subject pronoun in Hausa. In this sentence, it means they.
So:
- sun = they
- It is used when the subject is plural.
In many beginner examples, sun often appears before a completed action.
Why is there a separate word yi after sun?
Yi is the verb to do / to make, but in Hausa it is also used in many common expressions where English would use a single verb.
In sun yi imani, the idea is literally something like they did belief, but the natural meaning is they believed or they had faith.
So this is a very common Hausa pattern:
- yi + noun
to express an action that English may express with one verb.
Examples of similar structures in Hausa often include nouns for actions, states, or feelings.
Is imani a verb or a noun?