Likita ya ba shi magani don tari, ya ce mura za ta wuce idan ya sha ruwa mai zafi.

The doctor gave him medicine for the cough and said the cold will pass if he drinks hot water.

Breakdown of Likita ya ba shi magani don tari, ya ce mura za ta wuce idan ya sha ruwa mai zafi.

• ruwa: the water
• idan: if
• shi: him
• ce: to say

Questions & Answers about Likita ya ba shi magani don tari, ya ce mura za ta wuce idan ya sha ruwa mai zafi.

What does ya mean here, and why does it appear several times?

In this sentence, ya is the 3rd person singular masculine subject pronoun: he.

It appears three times, each with a slightly different role:

1. Likita ya ba shi magani…

   • ya = he, referring to Likita (the doctor).
   • Meaning: The doctor gave him medicine…

2. …, ya ce…

   • Again ya = he, still referring to Likita.
   • Meaning: …, and he said… (the doctor is the one speaking).

3. …idan ya sha ruwa mai zafi.

   • ya = he, now understood as the patient (the person who must drink the hot water), not the doctor.
   • Context tells us that it’s the sick person who should drink, not the doctor.

So ya always means he, but who he refers to depends on context.

What is the difference between tari and mura?

Both are illness-related, but they’re not the same:

• tari = cough, the specific symptom of coughing.
• mura = (common) cold, the illness (runny nose, sore throat, maybe cough, etc.).

So in the sentence:

• magani don tari = medicine for cough
• mura za ta wuce = the cold will pass

How does ba shi work in ya ba shi magani?