Zauna a wuri.

to sit

Breakdown of Zauna a wuri.

• wuri: the place

Questions & Answers about Zauna a wuri.

Why is Zauna used in this sentence instead of another form?

In Hausa, Zauna is the imperative (command) form of the verb that means "to sit." When you want to tell someone to sit, you use Zauna for a singular subject. If you were commanding multiple people, you would use Ku zauna.

Does the word a always mean "in/at" when used before wuri?

Yes. In Hausa, a is often used as a preposition meaning "in" or "at." When paired with wuri (which means "place" or "spot"), you get the phrase a wuri, literally "at place" or "in a spot."

Why don’t we need a pronoun here, like "You sit"?

Imperatives in Hausa don't require a pronoun if you're speaking directly to someone. The structure Zauna a wuri already carries the meaning of "You (singular) sit in a place."

Can I specify a particular place, like "Sit here" instead of just "Sit in place"?

Absolutely. You can replace a wuri with a more specific location. For example: Zauna a nan ("Sit here") or Zauna a can ("Sit over there"). The imperative form Zauna stays the same.

Is this sentence polite or direct?

Zauna a wuri is generally neutral-imperative. If you want to make it sound more polite in Hausa, you can add "don Allah" ("please"), for example: Zauna a wuri, don Allah ("Please sit in place").