Ana sha ruwa sosai a gida.

Water is being drunk very much at home.

Breakdown of Ana sha ruwa sosai a gida.

• ruwa: the water
• sosai: very
• gida: the home
• sha: to drink

Questions & Answers about Ana sha ruwa sosai a gida.

What does ‘Ana…’ represent in this sentence?

Ana is the continuous tense marker in Hausa, roughly translating to “someone/people are [doing something]”. It indicates an ongoing action or a habitual action. In this case, it tells us that the action of drinking water is happening regularly or continuously.

Why do we use ‘sha ruwa’ together, rather than just ‘sha’?

In Hausa, sha often collocates with the object ruwa to mean “to drink water.” Although sha can be used alone with other objects (like sha shayi = “drink tea”), it is frequently taught or expressed as sha ruwa for “drink water”. It’s a set phrase that is widely understood and standard.

What does ‘sosai’ exactly mean here?

Sosai typically means “very much”, “a lot,” or “seriously”. In this context, it intensifies the verb, showing that a lot of water is being consumed.

How should I understand the phrase ‘a gida’?

The phrase a gida means “at home”. In Hausa, a is a preposition that can mean “in/at/on” depending on context. Gida means “house” or “home.” Put together, a gida indicates “at home.”

Does this sentence always mean multiple people are drinking water, or can it be a single person?

Ana is an impersonal and indefinite subject construction in Hausa, so it does not specify singular or plural. It literally means “one is” or “people are”, depending on context. So the sentence can imply anyone or multiple people are doing the action at home.