Mun hau lif.

We took the lift.

Breakdown of Mun hau lif.

• mu: we
• hau: to get on
• lif: the lift; elevator

Questions & Answers about Mun hau lif.

What does mun mean here?

Mun is the 1st person plural completive/perfective subject marker. In simpler terms, it means we in a sentence where the action is viewed as completed.

So mun hau lif means something like we got on / we took / we rode the lift, with the action understood as finished.

Depending on context, English might translate mun as:

• we
• we did
• we have

Why is it mun and not just mu?

Because mun is used for a completed statement, while mu is used in other constructions, especially the subjunctive/let’s type.

Compare:

• Mun hau lif = we got on the lift / we took the lift
• Mu hau lif = let’s get on the lift / that we get on the lift

So if you are simply stating what happened, mun is the right form.

What does hau literally mean?

The basic meaning of hau is to climb, to mount, to get on, or to ride/board.

In Hausa, this verb is used not only for literal climbing, but also for getting onto things such as:

• mota = car
• keke = bicycle