Lafiya a nan.

the well-being

Breakdown of Lafiya a nan.

• nan: here

Questions & Answers about Lafiya a nan.

Why is the word lafiya used here instead of something longer?

In Hausa, lafiya can carry the sense of well-being, safety, or peace quite succinctly. It’s a common word used to convey that everything is in order, or that someone or something is well.

What does a nan mean in this context?

A nan literally means here, indicating a location. It tells you the place where lafiya applies—so it’s well or peaceful here.

Is there any particular reason the phrase isn’t longer, like lafiya tana nan?

Hausa often allows short statements where the meaning is clear from context. Lafiya a nan is enough for everyday speech. If you added tana (it is), you’d be more explicit, but it’s not strictly necessary.

Can I use lafiya a nan to greet or ask about someone’s health directly?

Generally, lafiya a nan sounds more like a statement about a location or situation being fine. For asking about someone’s health, you’d use expressions like lafiya lau? (Are you well?). To greet someone, you might say ina kwana? (Good morning?) or sannu (hello).

What if I want to respond with more emphasis, like Yes, it is indeed peaceful here?

You could say eh, da gaske ne, lafiya a nan or eh, da gaske ne, lafiya kalau a nan. Adding da gaske ne (indeed or truly) and kalau (completely fine) gives that extra emphasis in Hausa.