Ni ba ni da gyada yanzu.

I do not have peanuts right now.

Breakdown of Ni ba ni da gyada yanzu.

• ni: I
• da: to have
• ba: not
• gyada: the peanut
• yanzu: right now

Questions & Answers about Ni ba ni da gyada yanzu.

Why does the sentence Ni ba ni da gyada yanzu repeat ni?

In Hausa, the first ni marks the subject pronoun (I), while the second ni is part of the negative construction ba … da, which indicates do not have. So the structure literally reads as I – do not have – peanuts – now.

How does Hausa express "to have" with ba … da?

Hausa doesn’t typically use a direct verb for to have. Instead, you use a construction: (Pronoun) ba (Pronoun) da (Object). This structure means (Subject) does not have (Object) when used negatively. For a positive statement (I have peanuts), you drop the negative element and say Ni ina da gyada.

Why is the word yanzu placed at the end of the sentence?

In Hausa, time-related words such as yanzu (now) often appear at the end of a statement. You can move them around for emphasis, but placing them at the end is very common and natural in everyday speech.

Is the subject pronoun Ni at the beginning mandatory?

Generally, yes. In many Hausa sentences, you explicitly state the pronoun at the beginning. This helps clarify the subject and sets up the structure for either a positive or negative statement. While context sometimes allows omitting pronouns, it’s clearer and more standard to include Ni.

Does the expression Ni ba ni da gyada yanzu change if I'm talking about something other than peanuts?

You would simply replace gyada with another noun. For instance, if you don’t have a pen, you can say Ni ba ni da biro yanzu. The structure remains the same; only the object changes.