Fasaha tana da amfani a aiki.

to be

Breakdown of Fasaha tana da amfani a aiki.

• da amfani: to have utility
• fasaha: the skill
• aiki: the work

Questions & Answers about Fasaha tana da amfani a aiki.

Why is tana used instead of yana in this sentence?

In Hausa, tana is used for third-person feminine singular subjects, while yana is used for masculine. The word fasaha (meaning “technology” or “skill”) is treated as a feminine noun, so we say fasaha tana… rather than fasaha yana….

What is the role of da in tana da amfani?

In Hausa, da can mean “has,” “with,” or “and” depending on context. In tana da amfani, it implies that fasaha “has usefulness” or “is useful.”

Why do we say a aiki instead of something else like a wajen aiki?

The preposition a means “at” or “in,” and aiki means “work” or “job.” A wajen aiki could also be used to mean “at the workplace,” but a aiki more simply states “at work” in general.

Could we say mai amfani instead of da amfani?

Yes. Mai amfani also means “useful.” If you say fasaha tana da amfani, you’re saying “Technology has usefulness.” If you say fasaha mai amfani, you’re describing it as “Technology that is useful.” Both forms convey a similar idea but are slightly different stylistically.

How would we say “It (technology) is not useful at work” in Hausa?

You could negate it by saying fasaha ba tana da amfani ba a aiki, which literally means “Technology does not have usefulness at work.”