Learn Hardcore Hausa: Uwa ta ce kwalliya ta fi kyau idan ba a ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba. - Mother said make-up looks better if you don’t waste too much time in front of the mirror.

At its narrowest, it can mean make‑up (cosmetics on the face).
More generally, it means decoration / beautification / grooming – how you get yourself to look nice (clothes, jewellery, hair, make‑up, etc.).

In this sentence, it is best understood as your make‑up / the way you have made yourself up, but it can also be felt as your overall prepared appearance in front of the mirror.

Why is there a ta in Uwa ta ce and another ta in kwalliya ta fi kyau? Are they the same thing?

They are the same pronoun form, but each one agrees with a different noun:

Uwa ta ce
- Uwa = mother (a feminine noun)
- ta = 3rd person singular feminine subject pronoun (she)
- So: Mother, she said … → Mother said …
kwalliya ta fi kyau
- kwalliya is grammatically feminine
- ta again means it / she (here: it, referring to the make‑up / appearance)
- So: the make‑up, it is nicer / it looks better

In Hausa, even when the noun is already mentioned, you still normally attach the matching pronoun to the verb:
Uwa ta ce (not just Uwa ce), kwalliya ta fi kyau (not just kwalliya fi kyau).

What exactly does fi mean in ta fi kyau? How does comparison work here?

Fi is a verb meaning to exceed / to surpass / to be more than.

With kyau (beauty, goodness), the pattern X ya/ta fi kyau means X is better / nicer / more beautiful.

kwalliya ta fi kyau
- literally: the make‑up surpasses in beauty
- naturally in English: the make‑up looks better / is nicer

If you mention what it is better than, you add that after fi:

kwalliyarka ta fi ta jiya kyau = your make‑up is better than yesterday’s.

Here, there is no explicit than, so it is a general statement: looks better (in general).

Why are there two ba’s in idan ba a ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba? How does this negation work?

Hausa often uses a double marker for negation: ba … ba.

In this clause:

ba … ba wrap the verb phrase:
- ba a ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba
- = (that) one does not waste much time in front of the mirror

Basic pattern for a negative statement is:

ba
- [subject pronoun / impersonal a] + [verb phrase] + ba

For example:

ba ya zuwa ba = he does not come
ba a cin nama ba = meat is not eaten / people do not eat meat (there)

So here, ba … ba simply makes ɓata lokaci a gaban madubi negative.

What is the a in ba a ɓata lokaci sosai…? Is it the same a as the preposition a meaning in / at?

No, these are two different things that just happen to sound the same:

a as a subject pronoun (impersonal):
- In ba a ɓata lokaci sosai…, this a is an impersonal / generic subject, roughly one / people / you.
- So a ɓata lokaci ≈ one wastes time / people waste time / you waste time (in general).
a as a preposition:
- Later in the sentence, a gaban madubi uses a as a preposition = in / at / on.
- a gaban madubi = in front of the mirror.

So the structure is:

ba [a ɓata lokaci sosai] [a gaban madubi] ba
= if one does not waste much time in front of the mirror.

What does ɓata lokaci literally mean, and why is it used for wasting time?

ɓata means to spoil / to ruin / to waste / to make something bad.
lokaci means time.

So ɓata lokaci is literally to spoil time, which is understood as to waste time.

Some examples:

kar ka ɓata min lokaci = do not waste my time
mun ɓata lokaci sosai = we wasted a lot of time

In your sentence, ba a ɓata lokaci sosai = one does not waste a lot of time.

Does idan here mean when or if?

Idan can mean either when(ever) or if, depending on context:

when / whenever: for general truths or repeated situations
if: for conditions, similar to English if

In this sentence:

kwalliya ta fi kyau idan ba a ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba

it can naturally be taken as either:

make‑up looks better when you don’t waste too much time in front of the mirror
make‑up looks better if you don’t waste too much time in front of the mirror

In everyday speech, that difference is usually not very important; both readings fit.

What does a gaban madubi literally mean? How is gaban formed?

Breakdown:

gaba = front, the part in front of something
gaban = front of … (the possessed form of gaba)
madubi = mirror

So:

a gaban madubi = in the front of the mirror → in front of the mirror

You will see this pattern often:

a gaban gida = in front of the house
a gaban mutane = in front of people / in public

What does sosai contribute in ɓata lokaci sosai? Does it mean very, or too much, or just a lot?

Sosai is an intensifier that often means very, a lot, greatly.

In ɓata lokaci sosai, it makes ɓata lokaci stronger:

ɓata lokaci = to waste time
ɓata lokaci sosai = to waste a lot of time / too much time

Here, in English it is most natural as too much or a lot:

…when you do not waste too much time in front of the mirror.

Why is it Uwa ta ce and not something like Uwa tana cewa? Is there a tense difference?

Yes, there is a tense/aspect difference:

Uwa ta ce
- ta ce is perfective (completed action).
- Means Mother said (she already said it).
Uwa tana cewa
- tana cewa is progressive / continuous.
- Means Mother is saying / keeps saying / usually says.

In your sentence, Uwa ta ce presents it as something she said (on some occasion), not as an ongoing repeated habit. You could say Uwa tana cewa… if you wanted to stress that this is something she often says or always says.

Could the clause ba a ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba be rephrased with an explicit subject like mutane or kai?

Yes. The impersonal a is very natural, but you can rephrase:

idan mutane ba su ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba
= if people do not waste much time in front of the mirror
idan ba ka ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba (speaking to you, singular)
= if you do not waste much time in front of the mirror
idan ba a ɓata lokaci sosai a gaban madubi ba
= if one does not waste much time in front of the mirror (generic)

The original uses a because the statement is general advice, not about any specific person.

Is there any article like the or a in Uwa ta ce kwalliya ta fi kyau…? How do I know whether it is the mother or my mother, etc.?

Hausa generally does not use separate words for a / an / the the way English does. Context tells you:

Uwa ta ce… could be understood as:
- Mother said… (my mother, if that is clear from context)
- The mother said… (some specific mother already known)
- A mother said… (in a more generic story‑telling context)

Similarly with kwalliya:

kwalliya ta fi kyau… = make‑up / your appearance looks better…, and context decides whether it means your make‑up, her make‑up, make‑up in general, etc.

If you really need to be explicit, you add possessives:

uwar nan ta ce… = that mother said…
uwata ta ce… = my mother said…
kwalliyarka ta fi kyau… = your make‑up looks better…