Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.

Some children like math, and others like Hausa.

Breakdown of Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.

• ne: to be
• yaro: the child
• so: to like
• Hausa: Hausa
• kuma: and also
• lissafi: the mathematics
• wasu: some
• wasu: other

Questions & Answers about Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.

Can you break the sentence down word by word and explain each part?

The sentence Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa. can be broken down like this:

• wasu – some (used with plural nouns)
• yara – children (plural of yaro, child)
• suna – they are / they (imperfective marker for 3rd person plural)
• son – liking / love (verbal noun of so, with a linker -n)
• lissafi – mathematics, arithmetic, calculation

Second part:

• wasu – (other) some / others
• kuma – and / also / whereas / on the other hand
• suna – they are / they (again, 3rd person plural imperfective)
• son – liking
• Hausa – the Hausa language (or the Hausa people, depending on context; here, the language)

Put together: Some children like mathematics, and some (others), on the other hand, like Hausa.

What exactly does wasu mean here, and why is it used with yara?

Wasu means some and it is specifically used with plural nouns.

• yara is plural (children), so wasu yara = some children.

You would not normally say wasu yaro for some child; wasu implies more than one. If you want a child or one child, you would use yaro ɗaya (one child), not wasu yaro.

Why is wasu repeated in the second part (wasu kuma...)? Could I just say suna kuma son Hausa?

The repetition of wasu in wasu kuma signals another group: some (children) ... and other(s) on the other hand.

• Wasu yara – some children
• wasu kuma – others / some (others)

If you said only suna kuma son Hausa, it would sound like you are still talking about the same some children doing an additional activity (liking Hausa as well). Repeating wasu makes it clear: first group likes math, second group (others) likes Hausa instead.

What is the function of kuma in wasu kuma suna son Hausa?

Kuma is a very flexible connector that can mean and, also, too, or whereas/on the other hand, depending on context.

In this sentence, kuma has a contrastive feel:

• Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.
  → Some children like mathematics, whereas others like Hausa.

So wasu kuma is like saying others, on the other hand or others instead.

What does suna son literally mean? Why are there two words for like?

Suna son is made of:

• suna – they are / they (imperfective)
• son – liking, a verbal noun of so (to like/love)

Literally, it is something like they are in a state of liking (it). Hausa often uses a subject pronoun + an imperfective form (na / kana / yana / muna / suna) plus a verbal noun to express many actions and states:

• suna son lissafi – they like math
• muna cin abinci – we are eating food
• yana kallon fina-finai – he is watching films

So suna son works as a unit meaning they like.

Why is it son lissafi and not so lissafi?

The base form is so (to like / to love), but when it directly links to a noun object, it typically appears as son:

• son lissafi – liking of math
• son Hausa – liking of Hausa

The -n at the end is a linker (a kind of genitive marker) that connects so to the following noun. In writing, you usually see the linked form son + noun:

• Ina son lissafi. – I like math.
• Suna son Hausa. – They like Hausa.

So son lissafi is just so + -n + lissafi.

Is suna son present continuous (like are liking) or simple present (like like) in English?

In Hausa, the form suna son (with suna) is an imperfective form. It covers:

• Habitual meaning: they like / they usually like
• Ongoing meaning: they are liking / they are in the process of liking (for appropriate verbs)

With verbs of feeling or preference like so, the natural English equivalent is usually simple present:

• Suna son lissafi. → They like (or love) math.

So here, treat suna son as like, not are liking.

Can I leave out the second suna son and say Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma Hausa?

Yes, in informal spoken Hausa, it is common to omit repeated verbal material when it is clear from context. You could hear:

• Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma Hausa.

Native speakers will understand that suna son is implied after Hausa.

However, in careful or written Hausa (like in textbooks or formal writing), it is more standard and clearer to repeat the verb:

• Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.

What does lissafi cover? Is it just school mathematics, or any kind of counting?

Lissafi primarily means mathematics / arithmetic, the school subject. But it can also refer to:

• calculation
• counting
• doing sums

In this sentence, because of the context yara (children) and the pairing with Hausa, lissafi is best understood as the school subject maths.

Why is Hausa capitalized here? Is that always required?

In English, we capitalize Hausa because it is a proper noun: the name of a language and an ethnic group.

In Hausa writing itself, capitalization follows the same kind of rules as English when written in the Latin script:

• Names of languages, peoples, places, persons – capitalized: Hausa, Turanci, Nijeriya, Kano.
• Ordinary common nouns – not capitalized: yara, lissafi, littafi.

So, yes, Hausa is normally capitalized in standard writing.

What is the singular of yara, and how would the sentence change if I talk about one child?

The singular of yara is yaro (boy/child; context often makes gender clear, or you can say yarinya for girl).

If you talk about one child, you would change the subject and the verb form:

• Wani yaro yana son lissafi, wani kuma yana son Hausa.
  
  • wani yaro – some boy / a boy
  • yana – he is / he (3sg imperfective)

So:

• Plural: Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.
• Singular: Wani yaro yana son lissafi, wani kuma yana son Hausa.

Is the word order fixed, or can I front the objects, like Wasu yara lissafi suke so, wasu kuma Hausa suke so?

Yes, you can change the word order for focus in Hausa. Both are grammatical but have slightly different emphasis:

1. Neutral order (subject–verb–object):

   • Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa.
     → Simple statement about who likes what.

2. Focused object:

   • Wasu yara lissafi suke so, wasu kuma Hausa suke so.
     → Emphasis on lissafi and Hausa (it is math that some children like; it is Hausa that the others like).

The second pattern is common in spoken Hausa when contrasting choices, but for beginners the neutral suna son X order is easier and perfectly natural.

Why is yara used, not something like ’ya’ya? Do they mean the same?

Both refer to children, but with a nuance:

• yara – children in general; kids, pupils, young people.
• ’ya’ya – one’s own children / offspring (more about family relationship).

In the sentence Wasu yara suna son lissafi, wasu kuma suna son Hausa, we are talking about children in a general or school context, not necessarily someone’s own sons and daughters, so yara is the natural choice.