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Mutane waɗanda ke zuwa masallaci ko coci suna gaisawa da safiya.

Mutane waɗanda ke zuwa masallaci ko coci suna gaisawa da safiya.
People who go to the mosque or church greet one another in the morning.
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Questions & Answers about Mutane waɗanda ke zuwa masallaci ko coci suna gaisawa da safiya.

What does waɗanda mean here, and why is it needed after mutane?

Mutane means people. Waɗanda is a plural relative pronoun meaning who / that (plural).

So:

  • mutane = people
  • waɗanda = who (plural), those who

Putting them together: Mutane waɗanda ke zuwa… = People who go…

In Hausa, you normally use wanda / wadda / waɗanda to introduce a clause that describes a noun (like who/that in English).

What is the role of ke in waɗanda ke zuwa masallaci ko coci?

Ke here is part of the verbal construction that shows an ongoing or habitual action in a relative clause.

  • Outside a relative clause you would say: Suna zuwa masallaci = They go / are going to the mosque.
  • Inside a relative clause describing a noun, you often use (da) ke after the noun or relative pronoun:
    • Mutane waɗanda ke zuwa masallaci = People who (habitually) go to the mosque.

So ke helps link waɗanda to the verb zuwa, giving the idea of people who (are) going / who usually go.

Why is it zuwa masallaci ko coci and not something like zuwa masallacin or zuwa cocin?

Masallaci and coci are in their basic, bare forms, which are usually indefinite (not specifically the mosque, just a mosque in general).

  • masallaci = a mosque
  • masallacin (with -n) would usually be understood as the mosque or the mosque of …
  • coci = a church
  • cocin = the church / the church of …

In this sentence the meaning is generic: people who go to (a) mosque or (a) church, so the bare forms masallaci and coci are natural.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in the sentence?

Hausa does not have separate words for “the” and “a/an” like English does. Instead, it uses:

  • The bare noun (e.g. masallaci, coci) for a general or often indefinite meaning.
  • Suffixes such as -n / -r / -ɗin (depending on the word) and context to give a more definite sense:
    • masallacin = the mosque
    • cocin = the church

So masallaci ko coci can be translated as a mosque or (a) church, or simply mosque or church, depending on context.

What kind of word is gaisawa, and how is it related to the verb gaisa?

Gaisawa is a verbal noun (like a gerund in English).

  • gaisa = to greet (each other)
  • gaisawa = greeting / the act of greeting

So suna gaisawa literally means they are doing greeting or they are engaged in greeting, which we translate simply as they greet (one another).

The -wa ending is a common way of forming verbal nouns in Hausa.

Why is it suna gaisawa, not just gaisawa or suna gaisa?

The structure is:

  • suna = they (are)
  • gaisawa = greeting / the act of greeting

Suna gaisawa works like they are greeting or they greet. Using the verbal noun (gaisawa) is very common for actions done in a general or reciprocal way.

You can say suna gaisa, and it is understood, but suna gaisawa is very natural for the general idea they exchange greetings / they greet one another.

What does da safiya literally mean, and how does it correspond to “in the morning”?

Literally:

  • da often means with, but with times it functions like in / at.
  • safiya = morning

So da safiya is in the morning / at (the) morning. It is the usual way to express “in the morning” in Hausa.

Other close expressions:

  • da safe = in the morning
  • kowace safiya = every morning
Does suna gaisawa da safiya mean they are greeting right now, or that they usually greet in the mornings?

By itself, suna gaisawa can describe either present continuous (they are greeting) or habitual (they greet), and context decides.

Because the sentence says “people who go to the mosque or church greet in the morning”, with da safiya, it is most naturally understood as habitual:

  • They (normally) greet one another in the morning.

If you wanted to emphasize a one‑time, right‑now action, you would usually have more specific context or a different structure around it.

Why is ko used between masallaci and coci, and not da?
  • ko = or
  • da = usually and / with, and also used for in/at with times

In masallaci ko coci, ko is correctly translating “or”:

  • masallaci ko coci = mosque or church

If you said masallaci da coci, it would mean mosque and church (both).

How would I change the sentence to talk about just one person instead of people?

Replace the plural mutane and waɗanda with the singular forms:

  • Mutum wanda ke zuwa masallaci ko coci yana gaisawa da safiya.

Breakdown:

  • Mutum = a person
  • wanda = who (masculine singular)
  • yana gaisawa = he is greeting / he greets

For a generic person (not specifically male), this form is still commonly used.

Can the time phrase da safiya be moved to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Hausa often allows time expressions at the beginning for emphasis or clarity. For example:

  • Da safiya, mutane waɗanda ke zuwa masallaci ko coci suna gaisawa.

This is still “In the morning, people who go to the mosque or church greet (one another)”. The meaning stays the same; you just highlight the time a bit more.

What’s the difference between masallaci and masallacin, or coci and cocin?

The difference is mostly about definiteness / possession:

  • masallaci – mosque (general, indefinite)
  • masallacin – the mosque / mosque of … (definite or possessed)
    • masallacin gari = the town’s mosque
  • coci – church (general)
  • cocin – the church / church of …
    • cocin ƙauye = the village church

In your sentence, we are speaking generally (any mosque or church), so the bare forms masallaci and coci are appropriate.