Learn Hardcore Hausa: Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya.

ina = I am / I (progressive or current state)
It already contains the subject I, so you normally do not add ni (I) after it.
- You say Ina jin gajiya, not Ni ina jin gajiya (unless you are emphasizing I in contrast to someone else).

So Ina jin gajiya is roughly I am feeling tired or I feel tired (right now).

What is the difference between ji and jin in Ina jin gajiya?

The base verb is ji, which can mean to feel, to sense, to hear depending on context.

In Ina jin gajiya:

ji (to feel) → jin because it appears before a noun (gajiya).
The -n on jin is a linker sound that ties the feeling (jin) to what is being felt (gajiya).

So literally, jin gajiya is the feeling of tiredness or feeling tiredness.

What exactly does gajiya mean, and why not just use gaji?

gaji is the verb to be tired / to get tired.
gajiya is the noun tiredness, fatigue.

In Ina jin gajiya:

jin = feeling
gajiya = tiredness

So together: I am feeling tiredness → I feel tired.

You could use gaji as a verb in other structures, for example:

Na gaji. = I’m tired / I’ve become tired.
Sun gaji. = They’re tired.

But in this sentence, the pattern jin + noun is being used, so you need the noun gajiya, not the verb gaji.

Is Ina gajiya or Ina gaji also possible, and do they mean the same thing?

They are related but not exactly the same or equally natural in all contexts.

Ina jin gajiya.
- Very common, sounds like I feel tired / I’m feeling tired (emphasizes the feeling).
Na gaji.
- Also very common: I’m tired / I’ve gotten tired.
- Perfective aspect: suggests the tiredness has set in now.
Ina gaji.
- Grammatically possible, but less idiomatic in everyday speech for this meaning. People more often say Na gaji or Ina jin gajiya.
Ina gajiya.
- Possible in some dialects and contexts; can sound like I am in a state of tiredness, but Ina jin gajiya is much more standard and natural.

If you want a safe, everyday way to say I feel tired, stick with Ina jin gajiya or Na gaji.

Does ji here mean to hear or to feel? How do I know the difference?

ji is a flexible verb in Hausa. It can mean:

to hear (a sound, speech)
to feel / to sense (pain, emotions, fatigue, etc.)
to taste in some contexts

You tell the meaning from what comes after it:

Ina jin ƙara. = I hear a noise. (ƙara = noise)
Ina jin zafi. = I feel pain. (zafi = pain/heat)
Ina jin daɗi. = I feel pleasure / I enjoy it. (daɗi = pleasure, enjoyment)
Ina jin gajiya. = I feel tired(ness). (gajiya = tiredness)

So with gajiya, ji clearly has the meaning to feel.

What does kamar mean in kamar jiya? Is it like as or like in English?

kamar means like, as, as if.

In Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya:

kamar = like / as
jiya = yesterday

So kamar jiya is like yesterday or as (it was) yesterday.

Put together: I feel tired, like yesterday.

Why is there no extra verb after kamar jiya, like I was or I felt?

In English you might say:

I feel tired like I did yesterday.
I feel as tired as I felt yesterday.

In Hausa, it’s common to leave out the repeated part that is obvious from context. So instead of saying:

Ina jin gajiya kamar yadda na ji gajiya jiya.
(I feel tired like how I felt tired yesterday.)

People often shorten it to:

Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya.
(I feel tired like yesterday.)

The listener understands that kamar jiya really means as I felt yesterday without you having to say everything.

Can kamar jiya go at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes, you can front it for emphasis or style:

Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya.
= Neutral order: I feel tired like yesterday.
Kamar jiya, ina jin gajiya.
= Emphasizes the comparison: Like yesterday, I feel tired.

Both are correct. The first is more typical in everyday speech; the second adds a bit of focus to kamar jiya.

If I want to say I feel as tired as yesterday, is Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya enough, or do I need extra words?

In normal conversation, Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya is usually enough to convey:

I feel tired like yesterday.
I feel as tired as I did yesterday.

If you want to be very explicit, you can say:

Ina jin gajiya kamar yadda na ji jiya.
= I feel tired as I felt yesterday.

But in most contexts, Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya already has that comparative sense.

How would I say I don’t feel tired like yesterday in Hausa?

You can negate the sentence in a couple of natural ways.

Using Ba na … ba (present/habitual negative of ina):

Ba na jin gajiya kamar jiya.
= I don’t feel tired like yesterday.

Using perfective negative (more like I didn’t get tired like yesterday):

Ban ji gajiya kamar jiya ba.
= I didn’t feel/get tired like yesterday.

For the direct present-meaning I don’t feel tired like yesterday, the first one (Ba na jin gajiya kamar jiya) is the most straightforward.

How do I say I was tired yesterday using the same words?

You can reuse ji, gaji, and gajiya, but the structure changes slightly.

Common options:

Na gaji jiya.
= I was tired yesterday / I got tired yesterday.

or using the same jin gajiya pattern:

Na ji gajiya jiya.
= I felt tired yesterday.

You usually wouldn’t say Ina jin gajiya jiya for I was tired yesterday; that sounds more like I am/was feeling tired yesterday and is less standard. Na gaji jiya or Na ji gajiya jiya is better.

Can I use the same pattern to talk about other physical or emotional states, like hunger or pain?

Yes. Ina jin … + noun is a very common and useful pattern for states you feel.

Some examples:

Ina jin yunwa. = I feel hungry. (yunwa = hunger)
Ina jin ƙishirwa. = I feel thirsty. (ƙishirwa = thirst)
Ina jin zafi. = I feel pain / I feel heat. (zafi = pain/heat)
Ina jin sanyi. = I feel cold. (sanyi = cold, coldness)
Ina jin daɗi. = I feel good / I enjoy it. (daɗi = pleasure, enjoyment)

So Ina jin gajiya kamar jiya fits into a very productive and common pattern in Hausa.