Za mu shuka tumatir.

we

Breakdown of Za mu shuka tumatir.

• tumatir: the tomato
• za: will
• shuka: to sow; plant

Questions & Answers about Za mu shuka tumatir.

What does za do in this sentence?

Za is the marker that shows the action is in the future. In Za mu shuka tumatir, it tells you that the planting has not happened yet and is something that will happen.

A very simple way to think of it is:

• za = will / going to in this kind of sentence

So the basic pattern here is:

• za + subject pronoun + verb

For example:

• Za mu tafi. = We will go.
• Za su zo. = They will come.

Why is mu placed after za?

In Hausa future constructions like this one, the subject pronoun commonly comes after the future marker za.

So the structure is:

• za + pronoun + verb + object

In your sentence:

• za = future marker
• mu = we
• shuka = plant
• tumatir = tomatoes / tomato

That is why Hausa says:

• Za mu shuka tumatir

rather than putting mu before za.

Does mu mean an inclusive we or an exclusive we?