Ni ina karanta littafi.

I am reading a book.

Breakdown of Ni ina karanta littafi.

• ni: I
• ne: to be
• karanta: to read
• littafi: the book

Questions & Answers about Ni ina karanta littafi.

What does each word in Ni ina karanta littafi mean?

• Ni = I (subject pronoun)
• ina = am (1st‑person‑singular present/progressive marker)
• karanta = read/reading (verb root)
• littafi = book (noun, object)

What is ina, and why is it used here instead of an –ing ending?

Hausa doesn’t add –ing to verbs. Instead, it uses aspect markers before the bare verb root. For the ongoing (progressive) action by “I,” the marker is ina, so ina karanta = “I am reading.”

Why do we have Ni in the sentence? Can I drop it?

Yes. The aspect marker ina already tells you the subject is “I,” so you can simply say ina karanta littafi. Adding Ni puts extra emphasis on “I” (for contrast or clarity).

What’s the basic word order in Ni ina karanta littafi?

Subject (optional) → Aspect marker → Verb → Object
So: Ni (S) ina (Asp) karanta (V) littafi (O).

Why is there no “a,” “an,” or “the” before littafi? How would I say the book?

Hausa nouns are indefinite by default and don’t take separate articles. To mark a specific (“the”) noun, you add a suffix -n: littafi = “(a) book,” littafin = “the book.”

How would I ask Are you reading a book? in Hausa?

You change the aspect marker to match “you” and add a question tone:

• To a male: Kana karanta littafi?
• To a female: Kina karanta littafi?

How do I say He is reading a book or She is reading a book?

Use the 3rd‑person markers:

• Yana karanta littafi = He is reading a book.
• Tana karanta littafi = She is reading a book.

What is the difference between ina and na? They look similar.

• ina = 1st‑person‑singular present/progressive marker (“I am …”).
• na = 1st‑person‑singular perfect/past marker (“I have …” or “I …ed”).
  So Ina karanta littafi = I am reading a book, whereas Na karanta littafi = I read/have read a book.

How do I express I will read a book?

Hausa marks the future with za + subject. For “I,” za + ni contracts to zan:
Zan karanta littafi = I will read a book.