Shi yana lafiya.

to be

Breakdown of Shi yana lafiya.

• lafiya: well
• shi: he

Questions & Answers about Shi yana lafiya.

Why do we use Shi at the start — is it simply the Hausa word for He?

Yes, Shi is the third-person masculine singular pronoun in Hausa. It means he or him in English and is used whenever referring to a male subject.

What does yana mean, and why is it used here?

Yana is a combination of the pronoun-marking prefix ya plus the continuous tense marker na. It shows that the subject (he) is currently in some state or action. In this case, it signals that he is currently in a state of being well.

Does lafiya specifically mean health, or can it be more general?

Lafiya literally relates to health or well-being. In many contexts, it can mean wellness or good condition. It’s also used in greetings and general expressions about one’s state of being.

Can I replace Shi with She for a female subject, like Ita tana lafiya?

Yes, to refer to a female, you use Ita instead of Shi. So Ita tana lafiya would mean She is well. Just remember to use ta for the feminine prefix in continuous tense (tana).

Is this sentence also used as a greeting, or would I say it differently in conversation?

The sentence Shi yana lafiya is more of a statement about someone else’s well-being. For greetings or checking on someone directly, you might say Kana lafiya? (to a male you) or Kina lafiya? (to a female you) which literally translates to Are you well?.