Ita tana kusa da gidan.

to be

Breakdown of Ita tana kusa da gidan.

• ita: she
• kusa: near
• gidan: the house

Questions & Answers about Ita tana kusa da gidan.

Why does the sentence contain both ita and tana?

In Hausa, ita is the standalone pronoun meaning "she," while tana is the third-person feminine singular verb form, indicating "she is…." Using ita before tana adds emphasis or clarity, especially if you want to stress the subject "she."

What is the function of kusa da in this sentence?

kusa da is a fixed prepositional phrase in Hausa that translates as "near" or "close to." Here, it indicates that "she" is physically close to the house.

Why does the sentence say gidan instead of gida?

In Hausa, gida means "house" in its basic (indefinite) form, while gidan is a definite form, often referring to "the house." The -n ending marks a definite relationship, like saying "near the house" instead of "near a house."

Is tana in the present tense here?

Yes, tana is the third-person feminine singular present tense form. It conveys that the action (or state of being near) is happening right now.

Could I omit ita at the start?

Yes, you could say Tana kusa da gidan and still be understood. However, including ita emphasizes that the subject is specifically "she" and not anyone else.