Idan ba mu kula da tsabta ba, za mu kamu da cuta.

If we do not take care of cleanliness, we will catch a disease.

Breakdown of Idan ba mu kula da tsabta ba, za mu kamu da cuta.

• ba … ba: not
• idan: if
• mu: we
• tsabta: the cleanliness

Questions & Answers about Idan ba mu kula da tsabta ba, za mu kamu da cuta.

What does Idan mean here, and is it always translated as if?

Idan is a common conjunction that usually means:

• if
• sometimes when / whenever, depending on context.

In this sentence, Idan ba mu kula da tsabta ba = If we do not pay attention to cleanliness.

Notes:

• In conditional sentences like this, idan is very typical.
• You may also see in used for if, but idan is more common in everyday speech and is often slightly less formal/archaic than in in modern usage.
• Idan can also mean when in some contexts:
  
  • Idan rana ta fito, zafi yana ƙaruwa. = When the sun rises, the heat increases.

Why are there two ba’s in ba mu kula da tsabta ba? Is that always necessary?