Madara na da amfani ga yara.

to be

Breakdown of Madara na da amfani ga yara.

• madara: the milk
• amfani: the usefulness
• yaro: the child

Questions & Answers about Madara na da amfani ga yara.

Why is na used with madara in this sentence instead of something like tana?

In Hausa, to say something "has" a certain quality, we often use the construction X na da Y. Here, na is a short form of nə or na used before da to convey possession or a characteristic. While you might see tana da in other sentences where an explicit subject pronoun (like tana) is needed, in this case na is enough for stating that madara (milk) possesses a beneficial quality.

What does da signify in this sentence?

The word da in na da shows possession or having a characteristic. If you say Madara na da amfani, you are literally saying Milk has benefit or Milk has usefulness. Whether you see madara tana da or madara na da, the presence of da shows that milk possesses that usefulness.

Why do we use ga before yara?

Ga here means for, to, or towards and indicates the direction or intended recipient of the action or benefit. In this case, it's clarifying that the beneficial quality of milk is for children.

What is the best way to understand the word amfani in this context?

Amfani generally means use, benefit, or utility. You can think of it as the Hausa equivalent for useful, beneficial, or valuable. So saying na da amfani is like saying has a beneficial quality or is beneficial.

Is there any variation in how yara is used, or could I use another term for children?

Yara is the common plural form for child (yaro for a boy, yarinya for a girl). If you’re referring to multiple children regardless of gender, yara is the most straightforward option. Other words might be more specific or regional, but yara is widely understood across different Hausa-speaking areas.