Ka zauna a nan.

here

Breakdown of Ka zauna a nan.

• zauna: to sit
• ka: you (masculine)

Questions & Answers about Ka zauna a nan.

What does ka mean in Ka zauna a nan?

Ka is the 2nd person singular masculine subject pronoun, roughly you (male).

In this sentence, it marks that the command is directed at one male person. The basic breakdown is:

• ka – you (male, singular)
• zauna – sit / stay
• a – at / in / on (preposition)
• nan – here

So literally: You (male), sit at here.
Natural English: Sit here or Stay here (to a man/boy).

Is this a command or a statement? How should I understand the tone of Ka zauna a nan?

In everyday conversation, Ka zauna a nan is understood as a command / instruction: Sit here or Stay here.

Grammatically, the form ka zauna can also function as a completive (past-like) form meaning you sat, but:

• Said on its own, with the right intonation, and followed by a nan, it is almost always a polite command.
• Context and tone of voice tell you whether it is a command (Sit here) or a description (you sat here).

For learners, you can safely treat Ka zauna a nan as Sit here unless context clearly shows a past meaning.

Why is there a ka before the verb? Can I just say ?