Abokina Ali yana nan.

My friend Ali is here.

Breakdown of Abokina Ali yana nan.

• nan: here
• ne: to be
• Ali: Ali
• abokin: the friend

Questions & Answers about Abokina Ali yana nan.

What does the suffix -na in abokina signify?

The -na on aboki (“friend”) is the 1st‑person‑singular possessive suffix, so
    aboki + -na → abokina = “my friend.”

Why is Ali placed after abokina? Could you say Ali abokina instead?

In Hausa, a noun with a possessive suffix is usually followed by its appositive name.
    Abokina Ali = “my friend Ali.”
Saying Ali abokina would sound odd; if you want to pause for emphasis you could say
    Ali, abokina, yana nan, but the default order is Abokina Ali.

What is yana, and how is it formed?

yana is the 3rd‑person‑masculine‑singular present‑habitual copula (“is/are here”). It breaks down roughly into:
  • y- = 3 ps masculine prefix
  • ‑a‑ = copula root (proximal)
  • ‑na = present/habitual aspect marker
Together, y + a + na = yana (“he/it (m.) is [habitually] here”).

How would you say “she is here” in Hausa?

Use the 3rd‑person‑feminine form tana nan. For example:
    Abokiyata Zainab tana nan.
“My (female) friend Zainab is here.”

What does nan mean? Can you use it in other ways?

nan means “here” (proximal place adverb).
  • a nan = “in here”
  • nan nan = “right here” (more emphatic)

How would you say “My friend Ali is not here”?

Hausa uses the negative circumfix ba … ba around the verb. For 3 ps m you get baya instead of yana:
    Abokina Ali baya nan.
Literally: “My friend Ali is‑not present here.”

How do you ask “Is my friend Ali here?” in Hausa?

Two common ways:
  1) Rely on rising intonation:
    Abokina Ali yana nan?
  2) Add the question particle Shin at the front:
    Shin abokina Ali yana nan?
Both mean “Is my friend Ali here?”

Could you drop abokina and just say Ali yana nan?

Yes.
    Ali yana nan simply means “Ali is here.”
Use abokina only if you need to specify “my friend.”

How would you say “our friend Ali is here”?

Use the 1st‑person‑plural possessive suffix -mu on aboki, which turns into abokinmu:
    Abokinmu Ali yana nan.
= “Our friend Ali is here.”

How do you refer to a female friend instead of a male one?

The general word for a female friend is abokiya. Add the 1 ps sg suffix -ta (“my”):
    Abokiyata Maryama tana nan.
= “My (female) friend Maryama is here.”