Wannan shi ne sanadin matsalar.

to be

Breakdown of Wannan shi ne sanadin matsalar.

• shi: he
• wannan: this
• matsala: the problem

Questions & Answers about Wannan shi ne sanadin matsalar.

What does wannan mean here, and why does it stand alone?

Wannan means this or this one.

In this sentence, it is being used as a pronoun, not as an adjective before a noun. So instead of this problem or this cause, it simply means this.

So:

• wannan littafi = this book
• wannan = this / this one

In Wannan shi ne sanadin matsalar, wannan is the thing being identified.

Why is shi ne used? Does shi mean he?

Not necessarily. In this sentence, shi is not best understood as English he.

Hausa often uses a pronoun plus ne/ce in identification sentences, where English uses is. So shi ne here works like it is or simply part of the structure meaning is.

A very literal breakdown is:

• Wannan = this
• shi ne = it is / is
• sanadin matsalar = the cause of the problem

So the full sentence means This is the cause of the problem.

What exactly does ne do?

Ne is an identifying or focus marker used in sentences like this. It often shows that one thing is being equated with or identified as another thing.