Na ajiye marufin.

I kept the packaging.

Breakdown of Na ajiye marufin.

• ni: I
• ajiye: to keep
• marufi: the packaging; wrapper

Questions & Answers about Na ajiye marufin.

Why is it na and not ni for I?

In this sentence, na is the normal form used before a completed verb for I. Hausa often combines the subject and the tense/aspect information into one short word.

So:

• na ajiye = I put / I kept / I have put

By contrast, ni is the independent pronoun I/me, used in other kinds of sentences, not usually in this basic verb pattern.

Is na here the same word as my/mine?

No. Hausa has more than one word spelled na.

Here, na is a verbal marker meaning something like I + completed action.

In other contexts, na can also be connected with possession, but that is a different use. So in Na ajiye marufin, think of na only as part of the verb phrase: I did ...

Is this sentence past tense?

Usually, yes: it describes a completed action.

Depending on context, English might translate it as:

• I put the wrapper/cover/package down
• I kept the wrapper/cover/package
• I have put the wrapper/cover/package down

So it is not an ongoing action like I am putting... It is a completed one.