Breakdown of Ni bana son fannin gwamnati.
ni
I
ba … ba
not
so
to like
fannin gwamnati
the field of government
Questions & Answers about Ni bana son fannin gwamnati.
What does Ni add here? Could I just say Bana son fannin gwamnati?
Ni is the independent/emphatic pronoun “I / me (personally)”.
- Ni bana son fannin gwamnati = As for me, I don’t like the field of government (even if others might).
- Bana son fannin gwamnati = I don’t like the field of government (neutral statement, less contrast).
So you can drop Ni and say Bana son fannin gwamnati; it’s still correct. Ni is only for emphasis or contrast.
Why is it bana and not just ba? What exactly does bana mean?
Bana here is really ba na (often written together in ordinary writing):
- ba = general negative particle
- na = “I” in this tense/aspect slot (the same na you see in ina “I am” and na “I (did)”)
Affirmative pattern with this verb:
- Ina son fannin gwamnati – I like the field of government.
Negative:
- Ba na son fannin gwamnati (often written Bana son fannin gwamnati) – I do not like the field of government.
So bana is not a single word with its own meaning; it’s ba + na fused in pronunciation and spelling, forming “I don’t (…)/I am not (…‑ing)” in this context.