Learn Hardcore Hausa: Jiya na manta da umurni na likita. - Yesterday I forgot the doctor’s instructions.

Na manta
- Here na is the subject pronoun “I” in the perfective (completed) tense.
- na manta = I forgot.
umurni na likita
- Here na is a possessive / linking particle meaning “of”.
- umurni na likita = the instruction(s) of the doctor / the doctor’s instructions.

So:

First na = I (subject pronoun).
Second na = of (possessive linker connecting umurni to likita).

Do I have to use da after manta, or can I say Na manta umurni na likita without da?

With this meaning (“forget something”), you should include da. The usual pattern is:

manta da X = to forget X / forget about X

So:

Na manta da umurni na likita. = I forgot the doctor’s instructions.

Leaving out da (Na manta umurni na likita) sounds odd or non‑standard in most contexts if you mean “forgot the instructions”. It’s better to memorize manta da as a fixed combination.

Note:
You do not use da when manta is followed by another verb:

Na manta in bi umurnin likita. = I forgot to follow the doctor’s instructions.
(Here it’s manta in [verb], not manta da.)

Can I move jiya to a different place, like Na manta da umurni na likita jiya? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can move jiya, and the basic meaning stays the same.

Common options:

Jiya na manta da umurni na likita.
Na manta da umurni na likita jiya.

Both mean the same: the forgetting happened yesterday.

Nuance:

Putting jiya at the beginning (Jiya...) slightly highlights the time (“As for yesterday, I forgot…”).
Putting jiya at the end can feel a bit more like you’re telling the whole event and then specifying when it happened.

For everyday use, both word orders are natural and correct.

How do I say “I didn’t forget the doctor’s instructions yesterday” in Hausa?

Use the ba … ba negative pattern with the verb:

Jiya ban manta da umurni na likita ba.

Breakdown:

ba + na → ban (the ba merges with na “I”).
ban manta = I did not forget.
Final ba closes the negative clause.

You can also move jiya:

Ban manta da umurni na likita jiya ba.

Both are acceptable; the first version with Jiya at the start is especially natural.

Does Na manta da umurni na likita mean “I forgot” (finished action) or “I have forgotten” (I still don’t remember now)?

The Hausa perfective form (na manta) can cover both ideas, depending on context.

With jiya, you clearly place the event in the past:
- Jiya na manta da umurni na likita. → The forgetting happened yesterday.
  It can still imply that you don’t remember them now, but the sentence mainly tells you when you forgot.
Without a time word, Na manta da umurni na likita can often be translated as:
- I have forgotten the doctor’s instructions (focus on the current result: I don’t remember them).

So the form is the same in Hausa; you choose “I forgot” vs “I have forgotten” in English based on context.

What is the difference between umurni na likita and umurnin likita?

Both are ways to say “the doctor’s instruction(s)”:

umurni na likita – uses the separate linker na (“instruction of (the) doctor”).
umurnin likita – uses a -n ending attached to umurni as a linker (umurni + n).

In practice:

umurni na likita and umurnin likita are both understood as “the doctor’s instructions”.
The choice can depend on speaker preference, rhythm, or region. For a learner, it’s enough to know that both are correct and mean the same thing in normal speech.

In English we usually say “instructions” (plural). Is umurni singular or plural?

Grammatically, umurni is singular, but in real usage it often works like a mass noun:

umurni na likita = the doctor’s instruction / the doctor’s instructions.
(English translation may use singular or plural.)

Hausa often doesn’t mark the plural here unless it’s important to emphasize “many”:

umurni da yawa na likita = many instructions from the doctor.
umurni da dama na likita = several instructions from the doctor.

So even though umurni is singular in form, it commonly refers to the whole set of instructions, just like English “advice.”

How can I say “I forgot to follow the doctor’s instructions” using this verb manta?

To say “forgot to do X”, Hausa commonly uses manta + in + verb:

Na manta in bi umurnin likita.
= I forgot to follow the doctor’s instructions.

Pattern:

Na manta in [verb phrase]
- Na manta in kira ka. = I forgot to call you.
- Na manta in sha magani. = I forgot to take the medicine.

Notice that here it is manta in …, not manta da ….
Use manta da X for forgetting a thing, and manta in [verb] for forgetting to do something.

How do I say “you forgot / he forgot / they forgot” with manta?

In the perfective (completed) tense, manta combines with different subject pronouns:

Na manta – I forgot.
Ka manta – you (male singular) forgot.
Kin manta – you (female singular) forgot.
Ya manta – he forgot.
Ta manta – she forgot.
Mun manta – we forgot.
Kun manta – you (plural) forgot.
Sun manta – they forgot.

You then add da + the thing forgotten:

Ka manta da umurni na likita. – You (m.sg.) forgot the doctor’s instructions.
Sun manta da umurni na likita. – They forgot the doctor’s instructions.

Where is the word for “the” in umurni na likita? How do you say “the doctor” vs “a doctor”?

Hausa does not have separate words for “a” or “the” like English does.

likita can mean “a doctor” or “the doctor”, depending on context.
umurni na likita is usually understood as “the doctor’s instruction(s)” in a specific situation, even though there is no word for “the”.

To make definiteness explicit, Hausa uses other strategies, for example:

likitan nan – this doctor / that particular doctor.
umurnin likitan nan – the instructions of this (particular) doctor.
umurnin wani likita – the instruction(s) of some doctor / of a certain doctor.

So in your sentence, context tells us we are talking about the doctor whose instructions are relevant, even though the Hausa just says likita.