Learn Hardcore Hausa: Ina amfani da alƙalami ba fensir ba idan ina rubuta amsa a takarda. - I use a pen, not a pencil, when I am writing an answer on paper.

So structurally it is:
Ina amfani da alƙalami – I use a pen
ba fensir ba – not a pencil
idan ina rubuta amsa a takarda – when I write an answer on paper.

Why is ina used twice in the sentence?

Hausa normally puts a tense/aspect marker in each clause.

First clause: Ina amfani da alƙalami… – “I (am) use‑ing a pen …”
Subordinate clause: … idan ina rubuta amsa a takarda. – “when I (am) writ‑ing an answer on paper.”

Even though it’s the same subject “I”, Hausa does not normally “carry over” the tense marker from the first clause. Each finite clause usually needs its own subject + tense/aspect, so you repeat ina.

You can’t say:
✗ *… idan rubuta amsa a takarda. – this is ungrammatical because there’s no tense/aspect marker with rubuta.

What exactly does ina mean here? Is it “I am” or just “I”?

Ina is a combination of the 1st person singular pronoun and a continuous / progressive marker.

On its own, ni means “I”.
ina + verb expresses “I am doing X” or “I (usually) do X” depending on context.

In this sentence, ina amfani da… and idan ina rubuta… can both be understood as:

“I (typically) use a pen, not a pencil, when I write an answer on paper.”
So ina conveys present, often habitual, action (something you generally do), not just a bare pronoun “I”.

Why do we say amfani da for “use”? Can we just say Ina alƙalami?

No, you can’t say Ina alƙalami for “I use a pen”. That would be incomplete and ungrammatical.

In Hausa, “to use X” is usually expressed with the idiomatic expression:

yin amfani da X – “to use X” (literally “to do use with X”).

In the continuous tense with ina, the yi (“do”) part is often omitted and you just get:

Ina amfani da alƙalami. – I use a pen / I am using a pen.

So the pattern is:

ina / kana / yana … + amfani da + thing used

To talk about using something, you really need amfani da, not just the noun by itself.

What does the structure ba fensir ba mean, and why is ba before and after the noun?

ba … ba around a noun phrase is a common way to say “not X” with a strong contrast or focus:

ba fensir ba – not a pencil (as opposed to something else).

This is different from the regular verbal negation (with a verb), like:

Ba na rubuta da fensir ba. – I do not write with a pencil.

In your sentence, ba fensir ba is attached directly to the noun fensir and is used purely for contrast:

Ina amfani da alƙalami, ba fensir ba…
I use a pen, not a pencil…

So:

ba + noun + ba → “not (that noun)” in a contrastive way.
The bas go before and after the noun phrase they are negating.

Could we instead say Ba na amfani da fensir ba? What is the difference in meaning?

Yes, you can say:

Ba na amfani da fensir ba. – I do not use a pencil.

Difference:

Original sentence:
- Ina amfani da alƙalami ba fensir ba…
- Focus: “I do use a pen, not a pencil.”
- Positive statement contrasted with an alternative that’s rejected.
With verbal negation:
- Ba na amfani da fensir ba.
- Focus: “I don’t use a pencil (at all).”
- It’s a straightforward negative statement about using a pencil, without necessarily highlighting a specific alternative (like a pen).

You could combine both ideas:

Ina amfani da alƙalami, ba na amfani da fensir ba.
I use a pen; I do not use a pencil.

But the compact ba fensir ba is very natural for “not a pencil (but X)”.

What does idan mean here, and does it mean “if” or “when”?

idan can mean both “if” and “when”, depending on context.

With habits or things that are generally true, it is often understood as “when(ever)”:
- … idan ina rubuta amsa a takarda.
  “… when(ever) I write an answer on paper.”
With uncertain or future possibilities, it can be understood as “if”:
- Idan na sami lokaci, zan zo. – If I get time, I will come.

In your sentence, the speaker is describing a regular habit, so the natural English translation is “when” rather than “if”.

Is it necessary to repeat ina in idan ina rubuta, or could we just say idan rubuta?

You must repeat ina (or another appropriate tense marker) in the idan clause. You cannot leave the verb bare:

✔ … idan ina rubuta amsa a takarda. – correct
✗ *… idan rubuta amsa a takarda. – incorrect

Each finite clause in Hausa needs its own tense/aspect:

Main clause: Ina amfani da alƙalami…
Subordinate clause: idan ina rubuta amsa a takarda.

There are other possible aspect choices (e.g., idan na rubuta… – “if/when I write (once/completed)”), but you can’t drop the tense/aspect marker entirely.

What is the role of a in a takarda? Why not some other preposition?

a is a very general locative preposition in Hausa. It can correspond to “in, on, at” depending on context:

a gida – at home
a kasuwa – in the market
a takarda – on paper

In a takarda, it is best translated as “on paper”, because you write on the surface of paper.

You could sometimes see akan takarda (literally “on top of paper”), but a takarda is common and fully natural for “on paper” in this sense.

Does takarda only mean “paper”, or can it also mean “letter / document”?

takarda is flexible and can mean:

paper (the material)
- Ina so na sami takarda. – I want to get (some) paper.
a letter / written document / form
- Na rubuta takarda. – I wrote a letter / document.
- Ka cike takardar nan. – Fill in this form.

In your sentence, amsa a takarda in most contexts is understood as “an answer on paper”, i.e., writing physically on paper (for example, an exam answer sheet).

How are alƙalami and fensir pronounced, and what is special about the letter ƙ?

Pronunciation notes (approximate):

alƙalami
- al – like “al” in “Albert”
- ƙa – this ƙ is an ejective k (a tighter, “poppier” k sound, not aspirated like English k).
- la – “la” as in “lava”
- mi – “mee”
So: al‑ƙa‑la‑mee (with a tense, crisp ƙ).
fensir
- fen – like “fen” in “fence”
- sir – roughly “seer” or “sir” with an r at the end (Hausa r is a tap or trill).

About ƙ:

Hausa distinguishes k and ƙ:
- k – plain [k], like English “k” in cat.
- ƙ – ejective [k’], produced with a little glottal “pop”.
Minimal pairs (different words depending on k vs ƙ) exist, so the distinction is meaningful in Hausa.

In careful speech, learners should aim for a noticeably “tighter” ƙ compared to plain k.