Wannan shi ne tushen matsalar.

This is the source of the problem.

Breakdown of Wannan shi ne tushen matsalar.

• ne: to be
• shi: he
• wannan: this
• matsala: the problem

Questions & Answers about Wannan shi ne tushen matsalar.

Can you break the sentence down word by word?

Yes:

• Wannan = this or this one
• shi ne = is / it is
• tushen = the root/source of
• matsalar = the problem

So a very literal gloss is:

This, it is, the root/source of the problem.

Natural English: This is the root of the problem.

What does wannan mean exactly?

Wannan is a demonstrative, meaning this or this one.

It can point to:

• a physical thing
• an idea
• a situation
• something just mentioned in conversation

So in this sentence, wannan can mean this thing or this situation.

A useful contrast is:

• wannan = this
• wancan = that

Why is shi ne used here? Doesn’t wannan already mean this?

Good question. In Hausa, sentences that identify something often use a pattern like shi ne or ita ce.

Here, shi ne functions like or simply in English.