Learn Hardcore Hausa: Idan kina gida, zan kira ki a waya. - If you feminine are at home, I will call you on the phone.

Ke is the independent pronoun “you (feminine, singular)” used mainly for emphasis or as a standalone subject, e.g. Ke ce Maryam – You (f.) are Maryam.

Kina is part of the continuous/locative verb system, used for “you are (doing/being).” It’s the feminine second‑person form that goes with ongoing actions or states:

Ina gida – I am at home
Kana gida – You (m) are at home
Kina gida – You (f) are at home

So in Idan kina gida, kina is the correct form to say “you (f.) are (at) home,” not ke.

What is the difference between kana gida and kina gida?

Both mean “you are at home”, but:

kana gida – “you (male, singular) are at home”
kina gida – “you (female, singular) are at home”

Hausa distinguishes gender in the 2nd person singular, so you change kana/kina depending on whether you’re talking to a man or a woman. Apart from gender, the meaning is the same.

Why is there no word like “are” or “to be” in kina gida?

The idea of “are” is built into kina. Hausa doesn’t use a separate verb “to be” in this kind of sentence. Instead, it uses special forms like:

ina – I am
kana / kina – you are (m/f)
yana / tana – he/she is
muna, kuna, suna – we/you(pl)/they are

These are followed directly by a place or an -ing type action:

Ina aiki – I am working
Kina gida – You (f.) are at home

So you don’t add another “to be” word.

What exactly does Idan mean here? Is it “if” or “when”? Is there a difference?

Idan normally means “if” or “when (whenever)” depending on context. In this sentence, it’s most naturally “if”:

Idan kina gida, zan kira ki a waya.
If you are at home, I will call you (on the phone).

It can also carry the sense of “whenever” in some contexts, but here it is a real condition: the call depends on whether you’re at home.

There is also a shorter form in (often pronounced i + nasal), which is basically the same as idan in this kind of conditional:

In kina gida, zan kira ki a waya. – same meaning.

Why is the future expressed as zan kira and not something like “zan yi kira”?

Zan kira is za ni + kira: “I will call.” Here:

za marks future
ni is “I”, contracted to zan
kira is the verb “call”

You can say zan yi kira (literally “I will do a call”), but zan kira is simpler and completely natural. Hausa often uses the verb directly after zan:

Zan je. – I will go.
Zan ci. – I will eat.
Zan kira. – I will call.

So zan kira is the normal way to say “I will call.”

What is the role of ki in zan kira ki a waya?

Ki is the object pronoun for “you (feminine, singular)”. It shows who is being called:

Zan kira ki – I will call you (f.)
Zan kira ka – I will call you (m.)
Zan kira shi – I will call him
Zan kira su – I will call them

So zan kira ki literally means “I will call you (f.).” The ki is required; without it, zan kira just means “I will call,” without saying whom.

Could ki come before the verb, like in some other languages?

In Hausa, short object pronouns such as ki, ka, shi, ta normally follow the verb (and in writing are often attached to it):

Na ganki. – I saw you (f.).
Na gan ka. – I saw you (m.).
Zan kiraki. / Zan kira ki. – I will call you (f.).

So the normal position is after the verb, not before it. You do not say *zan ki kira.

In many texts you’ll see them written as one word: kiraki, kiraka, ganki, etc. In your sentence they are written separately, but the structure is the same.

Why is it a waya and not something like da waya?

A is a very general preposition in Hausa, often meaning “in/at/on/by.” In expressions of communication, a waya means “on (the) phone / by phone.”

Zan kira ki a waya. – I’ll call you on the phone.
Mun yi magana a waya. – We talked on the phone.

Da waya would literally be “with a phone,” focusing more on the instrument, and is less idiomatic for “on the phone” as a medium. A waya is the standard phrase for “by phone.”

You might also encounter ta waya (“through/by way of phone”), which is another natural way to say “by phone,” but your sentence’s a waya is very common and correct.

Why is there no a before gida (why not kina a gida)?

Both forms are possible, but they have slightly different feels:

Kina gida. – You are at home. (very natural, common)
Kina a gida. – You are at the house / in the house. (a bit more explicit)

With certain nouns like gida (“home/house”), Hausa often omits the preposition and just says [be] + noun:

Ina gida. – I am at home.
Yana kasuwa. – He is at the market.

So kina gida is perfectly standard, and you don’t need a here.

Does this sentence sound formal, informal, polite, or rude?

The sentence is neutral and polite, but clearly informal in terms of social distance because it uses the singular “you” (and specifically the feminine form).

It’s what you would say to:

a friend,
a family member,
someone your own age you’re close to,
a woman or girl (since kina/ki are feminine).

For respectful plural “you” (to one or more people politely or to a group), you’d switch to ku forms:

Idan kuna gida, zan kira ku a waya. – If you (pl./polite) are at home, I’ll call you.

Can the same idea be said with another common verb for “call,” like “buga waya”?

Yes. Hausa frequently uses buga waya (literally “hit phone”) to mean “call on the phone.” A very natural alternative is:

Idan kina gida, zan buga miki waya.

Here:

buga waya – to call on the phone
mi‑ki – to/for you (f.)

This version is even more explicit that the call is a phone call. Your original sentence with kira is also correct and idiomatic, especially in many speakers’ everyday speech.

Does Idan kina gida, zan kira ki a waya imply a real future possibility (like English “if”), or is it more like “when(ever)”?

By default, with Idan + present followed by future (zan, za ka, etc.), Hausa normally expresses a real condition—very similar to English “if … will …”:

Idan kana da lokaci, za mu je. – If you have time, we’ll go.
Idan kina gida, zan kira ki a waya. – If you’re at home, I’ll call you.

Depending on context, idan can also sometimes be understood more like “when(ever)” (for repeated or expected situations), but in practical everyday use, you can treat it as “if” here.

Is the feminine really important here? What changes if I talk to a man instead?

Yes, Hausa consistently marks gender for 2nd person singular. To say the same sentence to a man, you change the feminine forms to masculine:

Idan kana gida, zan kira ka a waya.
– If you (m.) are at home, I’ll call you on the phone.

Changes:

kina → kana (you are, f → m)
ki → ka (you, object, f → m)

Everything else stays the same. Native speakers notice this gender marking, so it’s good to practice both patterns.