Learn Hardcore Hausa: Baba yana da asusu a banki. - Father has an account at the bank.

Hausa does not have a simple verb that means “to have” the way English does. Instead, it uses “da” (with) together with an appropriate form of “to be”:

Ina da mota. – I have a car.
Suna da yara. – They have children.

So “yana da” is the standard way to say “has” for he / she / it in the present:
shi yana da… = he has…

Could I just say “Baba da asusu a banki” without “yana”, or is “yana da” required?

On its own, “Baba da asusu a banki” is not normal Hausa for “Baba has a bank account.”

You generally need a form of “to be” plus da:

Baba yana da asusu a banki. – Baba has a bank account.
Ni ina da asusu a banki. – I have a bank account.

Some dialects and informal speech may show variations (e.g. “Baba na da asusu…”), but in clear, standard Hausa, for a full sentence, you say:

[subject] + [appropriate “to be” form] + da + [thing possessed]

Why is the subject “Baba” and also “yana”? Isn’t that like saying “Baba he has a bank account”?

In Hausa, this is normal and not redundant.

Baba = the full noun subject (“Baba”)
yana = contains ya- (3rd person masculine) + -na (progressive “is doing / is being”)

So:

Baba yana da asusu a banki.

literally has both the noun (Baba) and the pronominal subject marker (ya- inside yana).

This is how Hausa verb forms work: the verb almost always carries a subject marker (like ni-, ka-, ya-, ta- etc.), even when you also say the full noun:

Ali yana aiki. – Ali is working.
Musa ya tafi. – Musa went.

You cannot normally drop yana and leave just “Baba da asusu…”, and you also cannot normally say just:

“Baba da asusu.” (ungrammatical as a full sentence)

Does “Baba” here mean “my father” or is it a man’s name?

It can be either, depending on context.

“Baba” as “father”
- In many contexts, baba = father / dad.
- People might refer to their father as Baba in the third person if everyone knows who they mean.
“Baba” as a personal name or title
- Baba is also a common male name or respectful title (like “elder”).
- In writing, you might capitalize it as Baba when it’s a name.

So:

Baba yana da asusu a banki.
Could be:
- “Dad has a bank account.”
- “Baba (the man named Baba) has a bank account.”

Only the wider conversation tells you which one is intended.

What exactly does “asusu” mean? Is it only for bank accounts?

Asusu basically means “account / fund / pot of money”, and by extension “account” in a modern financial sense.

Common uses:

asusun banki – bank account / bank fund
asusun ajiya – savings account
asusu na fansho – pension fund
asusun makaranta – school fund

In your sentence, “asusu a banki” is naturally understood as a bank account.

So:

Baba yana da asusu a banki.
= Baba has a bank account.

Why is it “a banki” and not “a cikin banki”? What’s the difference between “a” and “a cikin”?

Both a and a cikin can relate to location, but they are used a bit differently.

a = at / in / on (general location marker)
- Baba yana aiki a banki. – Baba works at a bank.
- Baba yana da asusu a banki. – Baba has an account at a bank.
a cikin = inside, in the interior of (more physically “inside”)
- Kudi suna a cikin banki. – The money is inside the bank building.
- Akwai mutane a cikin banki. – There are people inside the bank.

For “having an account at a bank”, “a banki” is the natural phrase; you don’t usually say “asusu a cikin banki” unless you really want to stress physical “inside,” which is odd for accounts.

Is “banki” just the English word “bank”? Are there any grammar issues I should know with it?

Yes, “banki” is a loanword from English (via contact with English / colonial administration / modern finance).

Grammar points:

It behaves like a regular Hausa noun in terms of inflection:
- Singular: banki – bank
- Plural: bankuna – banks
It can take the location marker a:
- a banki – at a bank
- a bankuna – at banks
It combines with other nouns just like native words:
- asusun banki – bank account/fund
- ma’aikatan banki – bank workers

So there is no special irregular grammar; treat it like a normal masculine noun.

How would I say “Baba does not have a bank account” in Hausa?

A very common, natural negative is:

Baba ba shi da asusu a banki.
= Baba doesn’t have a bank account.

Structure:

Baba – Baba
ba shi – he (in a negative “be” construction)
da asusu – with an account (i.e. has an account)
a banki – at a bank

The ba … da pattern is used to negate possession:

Ina da mota. → Ba ni da mota. – I don’t have a car.
Suna da yara. → Ba su da yara. – They don’t have children.
Baba yana da asusu a banki. → Baba ba shi da asusu a banki.

You may also see a shorter dialect form “Baba bai da asusu a banki.”, but “ba shi da” is very clear and common.

How would I turn this into the question “Does Baba have a bank account (at a bank)?” in Hausa?

You have a few natural options.

Add “shin” at the beginning (quite clear, a bit formal):
Shin Baba yana da asusu a banki?
= Does Baba have a bank account (at a bank)?
Use intonation only (spoken):
Baba yana da asusu a banki?
(Said with rising intonation on banki.)
Use the particle “ne” for emphasis / confirmation:
Baba yana da asusu a banki ne?
– This often feels like “So Baba has a bank account at a bank, right?”

All three are understood; “Shin Baba yana da asusu a banki?” is the safest, textbook-style way to form a yes/no question.

How would I say “Baba used to have a bank account” or “Baba will have a bank account”?

To change time/aspect, you change the verb form instead of “asusu a banki”.

“Baba used to have a bank account.”
You can use a past or habitual past sense:
- Baba yana da asusu a banki a da.
  – Baba used to have a bank account (before, in the past).
- More plainly:
  A da, Baba yana da asusu a banki.
Context and “a da” (= in the past, before) give the “used to” meaning.
“Baba had a bank account (at some point in the past).”
- A da, Baba yana da asusu a banki.
- Or sometimes with a perfective sense in a larger context, but the possession structure itself generally keeps “yana da”
  - time marker.
“Baba will have a bank account.”
You normally talk about opening or getting an account:
- Baba zai bude asusu a banki. – Baba will open a bank account.
- If you really want “will have,” you can still say:
  - Nan gaba, Baba zai kasance yana da asusu a banki.
    – In the future, Baba will be having / will have a bank account.

In practice, Hausa often expresses future possession through the future of the action (e.g., “will open / will get”) rather than a bare “will have.”