Ni ba ni da kuɗi a yanzu.

I do not have money right now.

Breakdown of Ni ba ni da kuɗi a yanzu.

• ni: I
• da: to have
• ba: not
• yanzu: right now
• kuɗi: the money

Questions & Answers about Ni ba ni da kuɗi a yanzu.

Why do we see "Ni" twice in the sentence "Ni ba ni da kuɗi a yanzu"?

In Hausa, the first Ni clearly marks the subject as "I," while the second ni is part of the negative possession structure "ba ni da," which essentially means "I don't have." This repetition of "ni" is normal in Hausa grammar to form a negative statement about possession.

How can I say the opposite, i.e., "I have money right now"?

Simply use the positive form of the possession construction: "Ni ina da kuɗi a yanzu." Hausa uses "ina da" to express "I have."

What is the function of the word "da" in this sentence?

In this context, "da" helps indicate possession. For positive statements, you’d say "ina da" (I have). With the negative marker "ba ... ba" (or sometimes "ba ... da"), it changes to "ba ni da" (I don’t have).

Do I always need "a yanzu" if I want to say "right now"?

Yes. "A yanzu" literally means "at this moment" or "now," so including it clarifies that the lack (or possession) applies at this specific time. If you leave it out, you’re simply making a general statement about having or not having money.

Is there a shorter way to say the same thing in everyday speech?

A common shortcut might be "Ba ni da kuɗi yanzu" without repeating the initial "Ni." Hausa speakers often drop the subject pronoun if the context is clear, but the full form is perfectly correct and sometimes more emphatic.