Learn Hardcore Hausa: Ni ina jin tsoron wuta a ɗakin girki.

Ina is a form that combines the subject “I” with a progressive / continuous aspect. It usually corresponds to English “I am …‑ing” or “I am (in a state of) …”.

In this sentence:

ina jin… ≈ “I am feeling / I experience…”

Even though English says “I am afraid” (stative), Hausa still uses ina here, because feelings and ongoing states are often expressed with this progressive‑type form:

Ina jin yunwa. – “I am hungry.”
Ina jin daɗi. – “I feel good / I’m pleased.”
Ina jin tsoron wuta. – “I am afraid of fire.”

So ina signals a present, ongoing state or activity.

What does jin tsoron literally mean, and why do we need jin in this sentence?

The key pieces are:

ji (verb) – to hear, feel, sense, experience
jin – the verbal noun/infinitive form of ji
tsoro – fear (a noun)

Jin tsoro literally means “feeling fear” or “having fear”.

In Hausa, many physical and emotional states are expressed with jin + a noun:

jin tsoro – to feel fear / be afraid
jin zafi – to feel pain
jin yunwa – to feel hunger / be hungry
jin ƙishirwa – to feel thirst / be thirsty

So in Ina jin tsoron wuta, you literally have:

ina – I am (in progressive aspect)
jin – feeling
tsoron wuta – fear of fire

→ “I am feeling fear of fire” → “I am afraid of fire.”

Without jin, the sentence would sound incomplete or wrong for this meaning.

Why is it tsoron wuta and not just tsoro wuta? What does the -n at the end of tsoron do?

The -n at the end of tsoron is the genitive / linker that connects two nouns in a “X of Y” relationship.

tsoro – fear
wuta – fire, electricity

When tsoro is followed by another noun it’s typically put in a construct form with -n, becoming tsoron:

tsoron wuta – fear of fire
tsoron Allah – fear of God
tsoron duhu – fear of the dark

So tsoro wuta is ungrammatical here; you need tsoron wuta to mean “fear of fire”.

Could I say Ina tsoron wuta instead of Ina jin tsoron wuta?

You will hear Ina tsoron wuta in real speech, and it will usually be understood as “I am afraid of fire.” However, ina jin tsoron wuta is the more complete and clearly idiomatic form.

Two points:

With feelings, Hausa strongly favors jin + noun
So jin tsoro, jin yunwa, jin zafi, etc., are very standard.
Dropping jin
In fast or informal speech, speakers sometimes drop jin when the meaning is obvious, which is why you may hear:
- Ina tsoron wuta.
  But for learners, it’s safer and more natural to keep jin:
- Ina jin tsoron wuta.

So: Ina tsoron wuta is not “wrong”, but Ina jin tsoron wuta is the clearer model to copy.

What does wuta cover? Is it only “fire”, or also “electricity” and things like that?

Wuta is a broad word in Hausa. Common meanings include:

fire (literal flames)
electricity / power
(electric) light in many everyday phrases

Examples:

Na ga wuta. – I saw fire.
An yanke wuta. – The power/electricity has been cut.
Ku kashe wuta. – Turn off the light / switch off the electricity.

In tsoron wuta a ɗakin girki, context strongly suggests “fire (or flames) in the kitchen”—for example, gas flames, open fire, or anything that can burn. A native speaker might also understand it more broadly as anything dangerous related to heat or fire in the kitchen.

How is a ɗakin girki put together, and what does each part mean?

Breakdown:

a – a preposition meaning “in, at, on” (location; exact English choice depends on context)
ɗaki – room
-n – genitive/linker, connecting two nouns
girki – cooking, the act of cooking; by extension, “kitchen” in combinations

So:

ɗaki – a room
ɗakin girki – “the room of cooking” → kitchen
a ɗakin girki – “in/at the kitchen”

Thus a ɗakin girki corresponds to English “in the kitchen”.

Why is the preposition a used here, and not something like cikin?

Both a and cikin can relate to location, but they aren’t identical:

a – very general: “in / at / on / by”
- a gida – at home
- a makaranta – at school
- a tebur – on the table (by contact)
cikin – literally “inside (of), in the middle (of)”
- cikin ɗaki – inside the room
- cikin jaka – inside the bag

In a ɗakin girki:

a is perfectly normal, neutral: “in the kitchen.”
cikin ɗakin girki would emphasize the interior, like “inside the kitchen (space).” It’s also possible, but slightly more specific in feel.

For a basic “in the kitchen” meaning, a ɗakin girki is the default, simple choice.

Can the word order change, for example putting a ɗakin girki earlier in the sentence?

Yes, Hausa word order is somewhat flexible for emphasis, but there are rules.

Neutral order (your sentence):

Ni ina jin tsoron wuta a ɗakin girki.
→ Subject + verb phrase + location
→ “Me, I am afraid of fire in the kitchen.”

To emphasize the place, Hausa often fronts the location and slightly changes the verb form:

A ɗakin girki nake jin tsoron wuta.
Literally: “It is in the kitchen that I feel fear of fire.”

Notes:

The neutral ina often becomes nake in this focused structure.
Fronting like this is common when you contrast locations:
A ɗakin girki nake jin tsoron wuta, ba a waje ba.
– “It’s in the kitchen that I’m afraid of fire, not outside.”

For everyday use, your original order is completely natural, and you don’t have to move a ɗakin girki unless you want that kind of emphasis.

How could I use this same pattern to say other things like “I am afraid of snakes” or “I am afraid of the dark”?

You can use the template:

Ina jin tsoron + [thing you fear]

Some examples:

Ina jin tsoron macizai.
– I am afraid of snakes.
(maciji = snake (sg), macizai = snakes (pl))
Ina jin tsoron duhu.
– I am afraid of the dark / darkness.
(duhu = darkness)
Ina jin tsoron ruwa.
– I am afraid of water.
(ruwa = water)
Ina jin tsoron tsawo.
– I am afraid of heights.
(tsawo = height)

So the structure from Ni ina jin tsoron wuta a ɗakin girki generalizes nicely:

(Ni) ina jin tsoron X (optional a Y)
→ “(Me,) I am afraid of X (in/at Y).”