Learn Hardcore Hausa: Watakila amsar ka ba daidai ba ce, amma kana iya gyara ta idan ka gwada sake rubutawa. - Maybe your answer is not correct, but you can correct it if you try writing it again.

Watakila means maybe / perhaps. It is an adverb that usually comes at the beginning of the clause it modifies, just like maybe at the start of an English sentence.

Watakila amsar ka ba daidai ba ce
= Maybe your answer is not correct.

You could also place watakila later, but sentence-initial position is the clearest and most common for learners:

Amsar ka watakila ba daidai ba ce. (also possible, but less neutral-sounding for beginners)

Why is it amsar ka and not just amsa ka or amsarka?

The base noun is amsa (answer). To say your answer, Hausa uses:

The genitive linker -r (or -n after some sounds):
- amsa
  - -r
    - ka → amsar ka
In writing, this is often joined: amsarka.
- amsar ka (separate) and amsarka (one word) are both seen.
- Many textbooks prefer the joined form with pronouns: amsarka, amsarki, amsarsu, etc.

So:

amsa = answer
amsarka / amsar ka = your (masculine singular) answer

You would change the pronoun for other persons:

amsata / amsa ta = my answer
amsarku / amsar ku = your (plural) answer

Why is the verb “to be” not written explicitly in amsar ka ba daidai ba ce?

Hausa does not use a separate verb to be in the present tense the way English does. Instead, it uses a copula particle like ne or ce, plus word order.

Amsar ka daidai ce.
= Your answer is correct.

Here, ce plays the role of is, and agrees with a feminine subject (amsa is grammatically feminine).

With negation you get:

Amsar ka ba daidai ba ce.
Literally: Your answer not correct not is.
Meaning: Your answer is not correct.

What is the function of the two ba in ba daidai ba ce?

The ba … ba pattern is the normal way to negate this kind of copula sentence in Hausa.

Affirmative: Amsar ka daidai ce.
= Your answer is correct.
Negative: Amsar ka ba daidai ba ce.
= Your answer is not correct.

Structure:

First ba: comes before the adjective or complement.
Second ba: comes after the adjective or complement, and before ne/ce.

If you drop one ba, it sounds wrong or at best very colloquial; learners should keep both ba.

Why is it ce and not ne at the end of ba daidai ba ce?

Ne and ce are copular particles that agree with the gender of the subject:

ne → masculine or non-human plural subjects
ce → feminine singular subject

The subject here is amsar ka = amsa (answer), which is a feminine noun in Hausa.
So you must use ce:

Amsar ka daidai ce. (feminine)
Compare:
Amsa tana daidai. (She/it is correct – also feminine agreement with tana)
Sako naka daidai ne. (Your message is correct – sako is masculine, so ne)

What does kana iya mean literally, and how is it different from za ka iya?

kana is the progressive form of ka (you masc. sg.) with the auxiliary na, roughly “you are (in the state of)”.
iya means to be able / can.

So kana iya ≈ you are able (to) → you can.

Difference from za ka iya:

kana iya gyara ta: you can (are able to) fix it, in general or right now.
za ka iya gyara ta: you will be able to fix it / you can fix it (future or more prospective).

In your sentence:

amma kana iya gyara ta
= but you can fix it (you have the ability to fix it).

Why is there no kai (you) written separately before kana iya?

The subject pronoun kai (you, masculine singular) is usually not needed when its person is already marked on the verb.

ka / kana / za ka already show 2nd person singular masculine.
So kai would be redundant:
- Kai kana iya gyara ta is possible, but sounds like emphasis: You can fix it (as opposed to someone else).

For a neutral sentence, kana iya gyara ta is natural and correct.

What does gyara mean here, and why do we add ta after it?

gyara means to fix, correct, repair, adjust.

The ta is an object pronoun meaning it / her, referring back to amsa (answer), which is feminine:

gyara ta = fix it / correct it (the answer).

Hausa object pronouns agree with the gender/number of the object:

gyara shi = fix him / it (masculine)
gyara ta = fix her / it (feminine)
gyara su = fix them

Why is idan ka gwada used, and not something like idan kana gwadawa?

Idan means if / when.

ka gwada is the perfective / simple form: “you try” (in the sense of perform a try, make an attempt).
In conditional clauses, Hausa commonly uses this form after idan.

So:

idan ka gwada sake rubutawa
≈ if you try rewriting (it) / if you make the attempt to rewrite (it).

Idan kana gwadawa would mean if you are (in the process of) trying, focusing on an ongoing action. It is grammatically possible, but doesn’t fit as naturally here: the sentence talks about a single attempt you might make to fix your answer, so ka gwada is more idiomatic.

What does sake mean in sake rubutawa, and why is rubutawa (verbal noun) used instead of just rubuta?

sake means again or re- (as a prefix-like word: rewrite, redo, etc.).
rubuta = to write
rubutawa = writing (verbal noun / gerund)

In Hausa, sake often combines with a verbal noun to express doing something again:

sake rubutawa = rewriting / to rewrite
sake karantawa = rereading / to read again

You can also say:

idan ka sake rubuta ta
= if you rewrite it

Here, sake rubutawa is like saying if you try rewriting (using a gerund), which matches the English-style translation quite well.

Could the sentence use rubuta ta instead of rubutawa, and what would change?

Yes, you could say:

… idan ka gwada sake rubuta ta.
= … if you try to rewrite it.

Difference in nuance:

sake rubutawa (with verbal noun) feels a bit more like the act of rewriting, somewhat general or nominal.
sake rubuta ta (finite verb + object) feels a bit more like actually doing the rewriting of it.

Both are understandable and acceptable. The given sentence with rubutawa is smoother for many speakers, especially after gwada (try).

How would the sentence change if we were talking to a woman instead of a man?

For a female singular addressee, some pronouns and forms would change:

ka (you masc. sg.) → ki (you fem. sg.) in perfective
kana → kina in the progressive
Possessive -ka (your masc. sg.) → -ki (your fem. sg.)

So one natural version would be:

Watakila amsarki ba daidai ba ce, amma kina iya gyara ta idan ki ka gwada sake rubutawa.

More basic, still correct, version:

Watakila amsarki ba daidai ba ce, amma kina iya gyara ta idan ki gwada sake rubutawa.

Key changes:

amsarki = your (feminine addressee) answer
kina iya = you (fem.) can
ki gwada / ki ka gwada = you (fem.) try

Is the word order with amma the same as English but, and where must amma go?

Amma means but / however and behaves similarly to English but as a conjunction.

Typical word order:

…, amma kana iya gyara ta …
= …, but you can fix it …

Amma usually comes:

at the beginning of a clause: Amma kana iya gyara ta.
or between clauses: …, amma kana iya gyara ta.

You would not normally move amma to the end of the clause. It should stay at the beginning of the second idea, just like English but.