Questions & Answers about Ina so in sha shayi bayan na ci abinci.
In Ina so in sha shayi, why do we need both so and in sha? Why not just say Ina sha shayi bayan na ci abinci?
Ina so in sha shayi means I want to drink tea.
- Ina sha shayi = I am drinking tea / I drink tea (habitually).
- Ina so in sha shayi = I want to drink tea (I’m not drinking yet; it’s a desire or intention).
So:
- so = to like / to want
- in sha = that I (should) drink (subjunctive form)
Putting it together:
Ina so in sha shayi = I want (that I should drink) tea → I want to drink tea.
If you said Ina sha shayi bayan na ci abinci, it would mean I (usually / now) drink tea after I eat food, not I want to drink tea after I eat food.
What exactly is the little word in in in sha? Is it a pronoun, a tense marker, or what?
The in in in sha is the 1st person singular subjunctive marker.
Hausa has a special set of forms called subjunctive (sometimes also called “short imperfective” in older descriptions), used after verbs like want, try, order, tell, and in some other structures.
For sha (to drink):
- ina sha = I drink / I am drinking
- na sha = I drank / I have drunk
- in sha = (that) I drink / I should drink (subjunctive)