Learn Hardcore Hausa: Yanzu Baba yana amfani da katin banki maimakon ya riƙe kuɗi da yawa a aljihu. - Now father uses a bank card instead of carrying a lot of cash in his pocket.

Baba is a full noun (Dad / Father) placed at the beginning as the topic: “As for Dad, …”
yana is a conjugated pronoun + aspect marker meaning roughly “he is (doing)”.
- ya = he
- na (in this combination) = progressive aspect “-ing”
- together: yana = “he is (in the process of)”

So Hausa often has:

[full noun] + [pronoun+aspect] + verb
- Yanzu Baba yana amfani… ≈ “Right now, Dad, he is using …” (but in English we just say “Dad is using …”)

Grammatically, you normally cannot drop the pronoun part (ya- inside yana). You can drop Baba if the subject is already known:

Yanzu yana amfani da katin banki. – Now he is using a bank card.

What exactly does yana amfani da mean, and why is there no ordinary verb like “yani” for “use”?

Hausa often uses a verbal noun plus the dummy verb yi “to do” to express many actions.

The basic expression for “to use (something)” is yin amfani da
- yi = do
- amfani = use/usage (a noun)
- da = with
- literally: “do use with …” → “use …”

In the progressive:

yana amfani da katin banki
- This is a shortened form of yana yin amfani da katin banki.
- Literally: “He is in the doing of use with a bank card.” → “He is using a bank card.”

So:

yin amfani da X = to use X
yana amfani da X / yana yin amfani da X = he is using X

Both longer and shorter patterns are heard, but yana amfani da is very common in speech.

What does maimakon mean grammatically? Is it a preposition like “instead of” or a conjunction like “instead of that”?

maimakon functions much like English “instead of”, and it can behave a bit like both:

It can introduce a verb clause:
- maimakon ya riƙe kuɗi… – instead of (him) keeping a lot of money…
It can also be followed by a verbal noun:
- maimakon riƙe kuɗi da yawa… – instead of keeping a lot of money…
- maimakon yin amfani da kuɗi… – instead of using cash…

In this sentence it’s followed by a finite clause with ya riƙe. You can think of it as:

maimakon = “instead of (the fact that) / rather than (that)”
maimakon ya riƙe kuɗi… ≈ “instead of him keeping money…”

Why is it maimakon ya riƙe kuɗi and not maimakon yana riƙe kuɗi?

After maimakon, Hausa typically uses a kind of subjunctive / non‑real verb form, not the progressive.

ya riƙe here:
- ya = he (in the same form used for perfective and for subjunctive)
- riƙe = keep / hold

So maimakon ya riƙe kuɗi literally feels like:

“instead of that he (should) keep money”
or
“instead of his keeping money”

Using yana riƙe would sound wrong here, because yana states an ongoing, real action. But with maimakon, we’re talking about a possible / alternative action that does not in fact happen. That’s why ya riƙe is used.

What does riƙe mean exactly here? Does it mean “hold in his hand” or “carry around”?

riƙe basically means “to hold, keep, retain”.

Its nuance depends on the object:

riƙe littafi – to hold a book (physically)
riƙe kuɗi – to keep / carry money on you
riƙe mulki – to hold power / office

In maimakon ya riƙe kuɗi da yawa a aljihu, the idea is:

“instead of carrying/keeping a lot of money in his pocket”,

not so much about having it in his hand, but more about carrying a large amount of cash on his person.

Why is it kuɗi da yawa and not da yawa kuɗi? What is the normal word order for “a lot of X” in Hausa?

The normal pattern is:

[noun] + da yawa = “a lot of [noun] / many [noun]”

So:

kuɗi da yawa – a lot of money
mutane da yawa – many people
motoci da yawa – many cars

Putting da yawa before the noun (da yawa kuɗi) is not the standard order.

So the phrase breaks down as:

kuɗi – money
da yawa – “with much” → “a lot (of it)”
→ kuɗi da yawa – “money with much” → “a lot of money”

Is kuɗi singular or plural? Why don’t we see any plural ending on da yawa?

In Hausa, kuɗi is formally plural, but it behaves like an uncountable mass noun “money” in English.

You don’t normally say a singular “a money”.
You can say:
- kuɗi da yawa – a lot of money
- kuɗi ɗan kaɗan – a little money

da yawa does not change form for singular/plural; it simply means “a lot / many / much”. So agreement isn’t marked here in the same way as in some languages.

Note also:

Verbs often agree with kuɗi in the plural:
- Kuɗi sun ishe ni. – The money is enough for me. (sun = they have)

Why is it a aljihu and not a cikin aljihu? What is the difference?

Both are possible, but there is a nuance:

a aljihu – literally just “in (the) pocket”
a cikin aljihu – literally “in the inside of the pocket”

In everyday speech, a aljihu is completely natural and commonly used for “in (his) pocket”.
a cikin aljihu can sound a bit more explicit or emphatic about the inside location but is also fine.

So in this sentence:

…kuɗi da yawa a aljihu. – “…a lot of money in his pocket.”

The simple a aljihu is enough.

Where is the word “his” in “in his pocket”? Why don’t we see aljihunsa or aljihu nasa?

Hausa often leaves the possessor unexpressed when it is obvious from context, especially with:

body parts
clothes
things that are clearly the subject’s personal items (like their pockets)

So:

a aljihu in this context is naturally understood as “in his pocket”:
- We’re talking about Baba, so the pocket is presumed to be his.

If you really want to make it explicit, you could say:

a aljihunsa – in his pocket
a cikin aljihunsa – in his pocket (inside)

But in this sentence it’s not necessary, and a aljihu sounds perfectly normal and idiomatic.

Can Baba here mean something other than “my dad”? Is it always a literal father?

Baba in Hausa can mean:

One’s actual father – “Dad / Father”
A respectful way to address an older man – similar to “sir”, “uncle”, “old man (respectful)”
Sometimes a nickname or title for a particular man.

In isolation, Baba just means “father / dad”.
In a wider context, it might refer to:

the speaker’s father,
the person you’re talking about’s father, or
a respected older man already known in the conversation.

In the sentence you gave, without extra context, the most straightforward reading is simply “Dad / Father”.

Does Yanzu always have to come at the beginning? Could I say Baba yanzu yana amfani da katin banki…?

You can move yanzu around a bit. Common positions:

Yanzu Baba yana amfani da katin banki…
Baba yanzu yana amfani da katin banki…
Baba yana amfani da katin banki yanzu.

All are grammatically okay, but:

Putting yanzu at the very beginning often sets the time frame first:
- “Now, Dad is using a bank card…”
Putting yanzu right after Baba focuses first on the person, then the time:
- “Dad now is using a bank card…”
Putting yanzu at the end sounds like adding “now” as an afterthought:
- “Dad is using a bank card now.”

The meaning is essentially the same; it’s mostly a matter of emphasis and style.

Can I drop da in amfani da katin banki and just say amfani katin banki?

No. In standard Hausa, you need the da here.

amfani da X = use of X / using X
Without da, amfani katin banki is not correct.

So:

yana amfani da katin banki – he is using a bank card
amfani da motar haya – use of a rental car

Whenever you want to say “use [something]” with amfani, keep the da.