Rigar ruwan sama da takalmin tafiya suna nan.

Because riga changes form when it is followed by another noun that defines it more closely. This is often called the construct form or a linking form.

So:

• riga = shirt / garment / coat
• rigar ... = shirt/coat of ...

In rigar ruwan sama, the noun is linked to what comes after it, so riga becomes rigar.

Literally, ruwan sama means water of the sky:

• ruwa = water
• sama = sky / above
• ruwan sama = rain

Here ruwa becomes ruwan because it too is in that linking/construct form before another noun.

For the same reason as rigar. The noun takalmi changes to a linking form when another noun follows it:

• takalmi = shoe
• takalmin tafiya = shoe of walking / walking shoe

So takalmi becomes takalmin before tafiya.

Tafiya means walking, going, travel, or journey, depending on context.

In takalmin tafiya, it describes the kind of shoe: a shoe for walking or travel. That is why English may translate it as walking shoe or walking shoes.

Here da means and. It joins the two noun phrases:

• rigar ruwan sama
• takalmin tafiya

Learners often notice that da can also mean with in other sentences. That is true, but in this sentence it simply means and.

Because the subject is plural overall. Even though each noun phrase by itself is singular in form, the sentence is talking about two things together:

• the raincoat
• the walking shoe(s)

So Hausa uses the plural subject form suna = they are.

Those would be used for one item, not two together.

For example:

• tana nan = it is here, for many feminine singular nouns
• yana nan = it is here, for many masculine singular nouns
• suna nan = they are here

Since the sentence has two coordinated items joined by da, the plural form suna is the natural choice.

That is normal in Hausa. A full noun subject is commonly followed by a matching subject marker/pronoun in the clause.

So Hausa often works like this:

• full subject
• matching subject form
• rest of the predicate

That is why you get Rigar ruwan sama da takalmin tafiya suna nan, not just the noun phrase by itself followed by nan.

Not in the same way as English. Hausa does not always use a separate verb exactly matching English to be.

In this sentence, the idea of are is expressed by the pattern suna nan:

• suna = they are
• nan = here / present

So suna nan means they are here or they are present.

Nan usually means here, but it can also mean present or available, depending on context.

So suna nan can mean:

• they are here
• they are present
• they are available

The best English translation depends on the situation.

Hausa does not use articles the way English does. It does not need a separate word like the before nouns in many cases.

So whether you understand the sentence as:

• the raincoat and the walking shoes are here
• or a raincoat and walking shoes are here

depends mostly on context. In real use, listeners usually know from the situation which meaning is intended.

In form, takalmin is singular: it comes from takalmi. So literally it looks like walking shoe.

However, Hausa and English do not always package number the same way in translation. English may prefer walking shoes where Hausa uses a singular form in an expression like this.

If a speaker wants to make the plural very explicit, Hausa can also use plural noun forms in the right context.