Makaranta tana kusa da wuri nan.

to be

Breakdown of Makaranta tana kusa da wuri nan.

• kusa: near
• wuri: the place
• da: with
• makaranta: the school
• nan: this

Questions & Answers about Makaranta tana kusa da wuri nan.

Why does the sentence use tana instead of na or ina?

In Hausa, tana is the third-person singular feminine form of the verb "to be" in the continuous aspect, which is often used for location statements about a singular feminine noun like Makaranta (school). Na would be used for a masculine subject, and ina is the first-person singular (I am). So we specifically say Makaranta tana... because "school" is treated as a feminine noun in Hausa.

What does kusa da mean, and how is it used?

Kusa da means "near" in English. You typically put kusa da right before the place or thing something is close to, so Makaranta tana kusa da wuri nan literally means "The school is near this place."

What is the role of wuri nan in this sentence?

Wuri nan means "this place" or "this specific location." You can use just nan to say "here," but wuri nan emphasizes the idea of a particular spot or area you are referring to.

Can you remove wuri and just say kusa da nan?

Yes, you can say Makaranta tana kusa da nan ("The school is near here"). This is also correct and a bit simpler. However, including wuri makes it even clearer that you are referring to a place rather than just "here."

What if I said Makaranta na kusa da wuri nan?

Using na could imply either a masculine subject or a reduced form of nana (colloquially meaning "is" in some contexts). In standard grammar, you would use tana for a feminine subject like Makaranta to be clear and correct. If you hear na, it might be regional or informal usage, but it’s not the standard form for "the school is."