Learn Hardcore Hausa: Ni bana son in zauna na dogon lokaci ba tare da motsa jiki ba. - I don’t like to sit for a long time without exercising.

Ni is the independent pronoun “I”. Bana son already contains the “I” information (from the -na part), so ni is not grammatically necessary here.

So why is it there?

Ni is used for emphasis or clarity:
- Ni bana son... → I don’t like… (contrastive: “me, I don’t like it”)
- Bana son... → I don’t like… (neutral)

You can drop ni and the sentence will still be correct:

Bana son in zauna na dogon lokaci ba tare da motsa jiki ba.

What exactly is going on in bana son? How does it relate to ina son?

Ina son = “I like / I love / I want” (literally “I am liking”), present/habitual.
Ba + ina son = “I do not like / I don’t want.”

In fast and standard speech, ba ina contracts to bana, and it is usually written that way:

Ba ina son... → bana son... = “I don’t like / I don’t want…”

So:

Ina son in zauna... → “I like to sit…”
Bana son in zauna... → “I don’t like to sit…”

Son is the verbal noun of so “to like, to want, to love”.

What does in zauna mean literally? Why not ina zauna?

Zauna is the verb “sit / stay / reside”.
In here is a subjunctive/“that I” marker, often used after verbs like like, want, need:
- Ina son in tafi. → “I want to go.” (I am liking that I go.)
- Bana son in zauna. → “I don’t like to sit.” (I don’t like that I sit.)

Compare with ina zauna:

Ina zauna a gida. → “I live / I stay at home.” (present/habitual “I am sitting/staying”)
In zauna → “(that) I sit” / “to sit” (a kind of infinitive/subjunctive used as a complement).

So bana son in zauna is the normal way to say “I don’t like to sit…”, not bana son ina zauna.

What’s the difference between zauna and zaune? Which one fits this sentence?

Zauna is a verb form: “to sit, to stay”:
- Ka zauna. → “Sit down.”
- Ina son in zauna. → “I like to sit / I want to sit.”
Zaune is more like a state/position: “sitting, seated, living (in a place)”:
- Ina zaune a Kano. → “I live in Kano.” / “I am based in Kano.”
- Mutanen suna zaune. → “The people are sitting.”

In your sentence, we need the verb “to sit” after son, so zauna is correct:

...bana son in zauna... not bana son in zaune.

How does na dogon lokaci express “for a long time”? What do na and dogon do here?

Breakdown:

Lokaci = “time”.
Dogo = “tall / long (in space or time)”.
Before a noun, dogo changes form to dogon (adjectival form):
- dogo mutum → incorrect
- dogon mutum → “a tall person”
- dogon lokaci → “a long time”
Na is the genitive/linking particle, often translating as “of”:
- na gida → “of the house”
- na dogon lokaci → “of a long time”

So in zauna na dogon lokaci literally is “to sit of a long time,” which is how Hausa regularly expresses:

“to sit for a long time.”

You could also see tsawon lokaci (“length of time”), but na dogon lokaci is very common and natural.

Why is there ba twice in ba tare da motsa jiki ba? Can we drop the second ba?

Ba tare da X ba is a fixed negative structure meaning “without X”.

Tare da = “together with / along with.”
Ba tare da... ba = literally “not together with…” → “without…”

Pattern:

Na yi tafiya ba tare da abokina ba.
→ “I travelled without my friend.”
Na kalli fim ba tare da kuka ba.
→ “I watched the film without crying.”

In your sentence:

ba tare da motsa jiki ba → “without exercise / without physical activity.”

About dropping the second ba:

In careful/standard Hausa, the closing ba is normally kept.
In fast casual speech, some speakers may drop it, but as a learner you should keep both:
- ✅ ba tare da motsa jiki ba (recommended)
- ❌ ba tare da motsa jiki (non‑standard for writing/learning).

What does motsa jiki literally mean, and is it the normal way to say “exercise”?

Yes, motsa jiki is the normal everyday way to say “(physical) exercise”.

Literal meaning:

motsa = “to move, to stir, to shake.”
jiki = “body.”

So motsa jiki = “moving the body” → exercise, physical activity.

Examples:

Ina yin motsa jiki kowace rana. → “I exercise every day.”
Motsa jiki yana da kyau ga lafiya. → “Exercise is good for health.”

In your sentence, ba tare da motsa jiki ba is best translated as “without exercising / without physical activity.”

Could the word order be changed, like putting na dogon lokaci earlier or moving ba tare da motsa jiki ba?

The basic and most natural order is:

Ni bana son [in zauna na dogon lokaci] [ba tare da motsa jiki ba].

Both bracketed parts are complements of bana son (“I don’t like …”).

You have some flexibility, but not every rearrangement sounds natural or correct:

Still acceptable (though a bit marked):
- Ni bana son in zauna ba tare da motsa jiki ba na dogon lokaci.
  (focus on “without exercise” more than on “long time”)
Not good:
- ❌ Ni bana son na dogon lokaci in zauna ba tare da motsa jiki ba.
  (splits in zauna and its time phrase in an odd way)

For learners, it’s best to keep:

in zauna na dogon lokaci together
ba tare da motsa jiki ba at the end.

Can I remove some elements and still be correct, like dropping ni or the whole ba tare da motsa jiki ba part?

Yes, you can shorten it in different ways, depending on what you want to say:

Drop ni (keep meaning, lose emphasis):
- Bana son in zauna na dogon lokaci ba tare da motsa jiki ba.
Drop the “without exercise” part (change meaning):
- Ni bana son in zauna na dogon lokaci.
  → “I don’t like to sit for a long time.”
  (no mention of exercise now)
Keep only the “without exercise” idea, drop “for a long time”:
- Ni bana son in zauna ba tare da motsa jiki ba.
  → “I don’t like to sit without exercising.”

All of these are grammatical; they just express slightly different ideas.

What is the nuance of bana son in zauna...? Is it about a general habit, or a one‑time situation?

Bana son (negative of ina son) usually expresses a general preference / habit, similar to English “I don’t like (doing X)”:

Bana son in zauna na dogon lokaci...
→ “I don’t like (in general) to sit for a long time without exercising.”

If you wanted to talk about a specific future situation, you might use something like:

Ba zan so in zauna na dogon lokaci ba tare da motsa jiki ba ba.
→ “I will not want to sit for a long time without exercising.” (more point‑in‑time / future oriented)

So your original sentence is best understood as a general statement about your habits or preferences.