Hausa
Afro-Asiatic (Chadic)
Hausa is the most widely spoken Chadic language and a major Sahel-region lingua franca, with ~40M L1 + ~40M L2 across northern Nigeria, Niger, and a wide trade/Islamic diaspora reaching Ghana, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, and beyond. It uses two writing systems: Boko (Latin, standardized 1930s) for state/secular use and Ajami (Arabic-derived) for centuries-old Islamic literary tradition. Linguistically Hausa has 2 phonemic tones (high/low), vowel length distinction, and an SVO order with rich verbal aspect — including the unusual Chadic intransitive-copy-pronoun construction. The 19th-century Sokoto Caliphate established Hausa as the imperial-administrative lingua franca of much of the West African Sahel.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Hausa
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Afro-Asiatic (Chadic)
| Meaning | Hausa | Oromo | Aramaic | Wolaytta | Pashai | Irula | Sidamo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ruwa /ɾuwaː/ | bishaan /biʃaːn/ | ܡܝܐ /majjaː/ | haatta /haːtːa/ | واری /waːri/ | nīr /niːɾ/ | waa /waː/ |
| Fire | wuta /wuta/ | ibidda /ibidːa/ | ܢܘܪܐ /nuːraː/ | tama /tama/ | انگاری /aŋɡaːri/ | tī /tiː/ | giira /ɡiːra/ |
| Sun | rana /ɾaːnaː/ | aduu /aduː/ | ܫܡܫܐ /ʃemʃaː/ | awa /awa/ | سور /sur/ | čūriyen /tʃuːɾijen/ | arrishsho /arːiʃːo/ |
| Moon | wata /wata/ | jiʼa /dʒiʔa/ | ܣܗܪܐ /sahraː/ | aginaa /aɡinaː/ | مس /mas/ | niḷā /niɭaː/ | agana /aɡana/ |
| Star | tauraro /tauraːro/ | urjii /urdʒiː/ | ܟܘܟܒܐ /koːχβaː/ | xoolinttee /tʼoːlintːeː/ | تارا /taːraː/ | naṭčattiram /naʈtʃatːiɾam/ | beeddakko /beːdːakko/ |
| Night | dare /dare/ | halkan /halkan/ | ܠܠܝܐ /leljaː/ | qamma /kʼamːa/ | رات /rat/ | ravu /ravu/ | hashsha /haʃːa/ |
| Rain | ruwan sama /ɾuwan sama/ | bokkaa /ˈbokːaː/ | ܡܛܪܐ /miˈtˤraː/ | iraa /iraː/ | واښ /waːʂ/ | — | xeena /tʼeːna/ |
| Snow | dusar ƙanƙara /dusaɾ kʼankʼara/ | cabbii /tʃabːiː/ | ܬܠܓܐ /talɡaː/ | suuppa shachcha /suːpːa ʃatʃːa/ | ہیم /hiːm/ | — | bullaame kaade /bulːaːme kaːde/ |
| Wind | iska /ˈiska/ | bubbee /ˈbubːeː/ | ܪܘܚܐ /ˈruħaː/ | carkko /tsʼarkːo/ | واغن /waːʁan/ | — | bubbe /bubːe/ |
| Earth | ƙasa /kʼasaː/ | lafa /lafa/ | ܐܪܥܐ /ʔarʕaː/ | saʼaa /saʔaː/ | — | — | uulla /uːlla/ |
| Stone | dutse /ˈdutse/ | dhagaa /ɖaˈɡaː/ | ܐܒܢܐ /ʔaβnaː/ | shuchcha /ʃutʃːa/ | — | kal /kal/ | kincho /kintʃo/ |
| Mountain | tsauni /tsauniː/ | tulluu /tulːuː/ | ܛܘܪܐ /tˤuːraː/ | deriya /derija/ | — | — | gaara /ɡaːra/ |
| Sea | teku /teːku/ | galaana /ɡalaːna/ | ܝܡܐ /jammaː/ | abbaa /abːaː/ | — | — | baare /baːre/ |
| Mother | uwa /uwaː/ | haadha /haːɗa/ | ܐܡܐ /ʔemmaː/ | aayyiyo /aːjːijo/ | نا /naː/ | ammā /amːaː/ | ama /ama/ |
| Father | uba /ubaː/ | abbaa /abːaː/ | ܐܒܐ /ʔabbaː/ | aawa /aːwa/ | تاتا /taːtaː/ | ayyā /ajːaː/ | anna /anːa/ |
| Daughter | ʼya /ʔja/ | intala /intala/ | ܒܪܬܐ /bartaː/ | naʼiyo /naʔijo/ | اوی /oːj/ | — | beetto /beːtːo/ |
| I | ni /niː/ | ani /ani/ | ܐܢܐ /ʔanaː/ | taani /taːni/ | آ /aː/ | nānu /naːnu/ | ani /ani/ |
| You | kai /kai/ | ati /ati/ | ܐܢܬ /ʔatt/ | neeni /neːni/ | تو /tu/ | nī /niː/ | ati /ati/ |
| We | mu /muː/ | nuti /nuti/ | ܐܢܚܢܢ /ʔanaħnan/ | nuuni /nuːni/ | اما /amaː/ | nāvu /naːvu/ | ninke /ninke/ |
| Name | suna /suːnaː/ | maqaa /makʼaː/ | ܫܡܐ /ʃmaː/ | sunttaa /suntːaː/ | نام /naːm/ | pēru /peːɾu/ | suʼma /suʔma/ |
| Person | mutum /mutum/ | nama /nama/ | ܐܢܫܐ /ʔnaːʃaː/ | asaa /asaː/ | — | — | mancho /mantʃo/ |
| Eye | ido /idoː/ | ija /idʒa/ | ܥܝܢܐ /ʕajnaː/ | ayfee /ajfeː/ | اچی /atʃiː/ | kaṇṇ /kaɳː/ | ille /ilːe/ |
| Ear | kunne /kunːe/ | gurra /ɡurra/ | ܐܕܢܐ /ʔedˈnaː/ | hayttaa /hajtːaː/ | کن /kan/ | kādu /kaːdu/ | macca /matʃʼːa/ |
| Nose | hanci /hantʃi/ | funyaan /fuɲaːn/ | ܢܚܝܪܐ /nħiːraː/ | siiriya /siːrija/ | — | mūku /muːku/ | sano /sano/ |
| Mouth | baki /baːkiː/ | afaan /afaːn/ | ܦܘܡܐ /pumːaː/ | doonaa /doːnaː/ | گلان /ɡilaːn/ | vāyi /vaːji/ | afo /afo/ |
| Tooth | haƙori /hakʼoːriː/ | ilkaan /ilkaːn/ | ܫܢܐ /ʃenːaː/ | achcha /atʃːa/ | دند /dand/ | pallu /palːu/ | hinko /hinko/ |
| Tongue | harshe /harʃeː/ | arraba /arːaba/ | ܠܫܢܐ /liʃːaːnaː/ | inxxarssa /intʼarsːa/ | ژیب /ʒib/ | nāku /naːku/ | arrawo /arːawo/ |
| Hand | hannu /hanːu/ | harka /haɾka/ | ܐܝܕܐ /ʔiːðaː/ | kushiyaa /kuʃijaː/ | دست /dast/ | kayyu /kajːu/ | anga /anɡa/ |
| Foot | ƙafa /kʼáfàː/ | miilla /miːlːa/ | ܪܓܠܐ /reɡlaː/ | tohuwa /tohuwa/ | پا /paː/ | kālu /kaːlu/ | lekka /ˈlekːa/ |
| Heart | zuciya /zutʃija/ | onnee /onːeː/ | ܠܒܐ /lebbaː/ | wozanaa /wozanaː/ | دل /dil/ | idayam /idajam/ | wodana /wodana/ |
| Bone | ƙashi /kʼaʃiː/ | lafee /lafeː/ | ܓܪܡܐ /ɡarmaː/ | meqetta /mekʼetːa/ | اټھی /aʈʰiː/ | elumbu /elumbu/ | miqicho /mikʼitʃo/ |
| Blood | jini /dʒìníː/ | dhiiga /ɖiːɡa/ | ܕܡܐ /dmaː/ | suutta /suːtːa/ | رت /ratː/ | netaru /netaru/ | munde /munde/ |
| Poop | kashi /kaʃi/ | udaan /udaːn/ | ܚܪܝܐ /ħerjaː/ | shiyaa /ʃijaː/ | گوی /ɡuːi/ | — | ciilo /tʃʼiːlo/ |
| Love | ƙauna /kʼauna/ | jaalala /dʒaːlala/ | ܚܘܒܐ /ħubbaː/ | siiqaa /siːqaː/ | پیار /pjaːr/ | kāhal /kaːhal/ | baxa /batʼa/ |
| Tree | bishiya /biʃija/ | muka /muka/ | ܐܝܠܢܐ /ʔiːlaːnaː/ | mittaa /mitːaː/ | درغ /darʁ/ | maram /maɾam/ | haqqe /hakʼːe/ |
| Dog | kare /kaɾe/ | saree /saɾeː/ | ܟܠܒܐ /kalbaː/ | kanaa /kanaː/ | کوتا /kotaː/ | nāyi /naːji/ | woshichcho /woʃitʃːo/ |
| Cat | kyanwa /kʲanwa/ | adurree /adurːeː/ | ܫܘܢܪܐ /ʃunnaːraː/ | gaaduwaa /ɡaːduwaː/ | بلور /baloːr/ | pūne /puːne/ | adurree /adurːeː/ |
| Fish | kifi /kiːfiː/ | qurxummii /qurxummiː/ | ܢܘܢܐ /nuːnaː/ | moliya /molija/ | مچی /matʃiː/ | mīn /miːn/ | qulxuʼme /kʼultʼuʔme/ |
| Bird | tsuntsu /tsúntsúː/ | simbirroo /simbirroː/ | ܨܦܪܐ /sˤefraː/ | kafo /kafo/ | — | — | ceʼa /tʃʼeʔa/ |
| Butterfly | malam-buɗa-littafi /maːlam buɗa litːaːfiː/ | billaacha /bilːaːtʃa/ | — | muqo /mukʼo/ | — | — | billaachcha /bilːaːtʃːa/ |
| Egg | ƙwai /kʼʷai/ | hanqaaquu /hanqaːquː/ | ܒܝܥܬܐ /beːʕtaː/ | phuuphulliya /pʼuːpʼulːija/ | اڼا /aɳaː/ | muṭṭe /muʈːe/ | quuphichcho /kʼuːpʼitʃːo/ |
| Bear | beyar /bejar/ | — | ܕܒܐ /debbaː/ | beere /beːre/ | — | — | dibi /dibi/ |
| Horse | doki /ˈdoːki/ | farda /farda/ | ܣܘܣܝܐ /suːsjaː/ | paraa /paraː/ | گوړا /ɡoːɽaː/ | — | farashsho /faraʃːo/ |
| House | gida /ɡida/ | mana /mana/ | ܒܝܬܐ /bajtaː/ | keettaa /keːtːaː/ | جوغ /dʒoʁ/ | vīḍu /viːɖu/ | mine /mine/ |
| Milk | madara /madara/ | aannan /aːnːan/ | ܚܠܒܐ /ħalbaː/ | maatta /maːtːa/ | — | pāl /paːl/ | ado /ado/ |
| Honey | zuma /zuma/ | damma /damːa/ | ܕܒܫܐ /deβʃaː/ | eessaa /eːsːaː/ | بین /beːn/ | tēnu /teːnu/ | malawo /malawo/ |
| Salt | gishiri /ɡiʃiri/ | soogidda /soːɡidːa/ | ܡܠܚܐ /melħaː/ | maxiniyaa /matʼinijaː/ | لوڼ /loːɳ/ | — | maxine /matʼine/ |
| Wine | ruwan inabi /ɾuwan inabi/ | daadhii wayinii /daːɗiː wajiniː/ | ܚܡܪܐ /ħamraː/ | woine eessa /woine eːsːa/ | — | — | woyinete xajje /wojinete tʼadʒːe/ |
| Rice | shinkafa /ʃinˈkafa/ | ruuzii /ruːziː/ | ܪܘܙܐ /ruzzaː/ | ruuziya /ruːzija/ | — | — | ruuze /ruːze/ |
| Chocolate | cakulan /tʃakulan/ | — | — | — | — | — | chokkoleete /tʃokːoleːte/ |
| Iron | ƙarfe /kʼarfe/ | sibiila /sibiːla/ | ܦܪܙܠܐ /parzlaː/ | birataa /birataː/ | — | — | siwiila /siwiːla/ |
| Wheel | wili /wiːliː/ | geengoo /ɡeːnɡoː/ | ܓܝܓܠܐ /ɡiɡlaː/ | irzzuwaa /irzːuwaː/ | — | — | qale /kʼale/ |
| Silk | alharini /alhaˈriːni/ | arrii /arːiː/ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Book | littafi /ˈlitːafi/ | kitaaba /kitaːba/ | ܟܬܒܐ /ktaːβaː/ | maxaafaa /matʼaːfaː/ | — | — | maxaafa /matʼaːfa/ |
| Eat | ci /tʃiː/ | nyaachuu /ɲaːtʃuː/ | ܐܟܠ /ʔaːχel/ | miya /miːja/ | کخن- /kxn/ | činnu /tʃinːu/ | ita /ita/ |
| Drink | sha /ʃaː/ | dhuguu /ɗuɡuː/ | ܫܬܐ /ʃtaː/ | uyiya /ujija/ | پی- /piː/ | kuḍi /kuɖi/ | aga /aɡa/ |
| Sleep | yi barci /ji bartʃiː/ | rafuu /rafuː/ | ܕܡܟ /dmeχ/ | xiskkiya /tʼiskːija/ | — | rongu /roŋɡu/ | goxa /ɡotʼa/ |
| One | ɗaya /ɗaja/ | tokko /tokːo/ | ܚܕ /ħað/ | issuwa /isːuwa/ | ایک /eːk/ | onnu /onːu/ | mitto /mitːo/ |
| Two | biyu /biju/ | lama /lama/ | ܬܪܝܢ /treːn/ | naaʼʼa /naːʔːa/ | دو /duː/ | reṇḍu /reɳɖu/ | lame /lame/ |
| Three | uku /ʔúkù/ | sadii /sadiː/ | ܬܠܬ /tlaːθ/ | heezza /heːzːa/ | لهی /ɬe/ | mūnru /muːnɾu/ | sase /sase/ |
| Four | huɗu /huɗu/ | afur /afur/ | ܐܪܒܥ /ʔarbaʕ/ | oydda /ʔoidːa/ | چار /tʃaːr/ | nālu /naːlu/ | shoole /ʃoːle/ |
| Five | biyar /bijar/ | shan /ʃan/ | ܚܡܫ /ħamːeʃ/ | ichchasha /itʃːaʃa/ | پنج /pandʒ/ | anju /aɲdʒu/ | onte /onte/ |
| Hundred | ɗari /ɗari/ | dhibba /ɗibba/ | ܡܐܐ /maː/ | xeeta /tʼeːta/ | شای /ʃaːi/ | nūru /nuːɾu/ | xibbe /tʼibːe/ |
| Hello | sannu /sanːu/ | akkam /akːam/ | ܫܠܡܐ /ʃlaːmaː/ | saro /saro/ | سلام /salaːm/ | vannakkam /vanːakːam/ | nagaa yiʼne /naɡaː jiʔne/ |
| Thank you | na gode /na ɡode/ | galatoomi /ɡalatoːmi/ | ܬܘܕܝ /tawdiː/ | galatay /ɡalataj/ | شکریه /ʃukrija/ | nanri /nanɾi/ | galiʼne /ɡaliʔne/ |
| Good | nagari /naɡaɾi/ | gaarii /ɡaːriː/ | ܛܒܐ /tˤaːβaː/ | loʼo /loʔo/ | شو /ʃoː/ | nalla /nalːa/ | danchu /dantʃu/ |
| New | sabo /saːboː/ | haaraa /haːraː/ | ܚܕܬܐ /ħaðtaː/ | ooratta /oːratːa/ | نوآ /nõaː/ | — | haaro /haːro/ |
| Red | ja /dʒaː/ | diimaa /diːmaː/ | ܣܘܡܩܐ /sumqaː/ | zoʼo /zoʔo/ | لال /laːl/ | sikappu /sikappu/ | duuma /duːma/ |
| White | fari /faːriː/ | adii /adiː/ | ܚܘܪܐ /ħewwaːraː/ | bootta /boːtːa/ | — | — | waajjo /waːdʒːo/ |
| Black | baƙi /bakʼiː/ | gurraacha /ɡurːaːtʃaː/ | ܐܘܟܡܐ /ʔukkaːmaː/ | karetta /karetːa/ | — | — | kolishsho /koliʃːo/ |
| Green | kore /ˈkoːre/ | magariisa /maɡariːsa/ | ܝܘܪܩܐ /jaroːqaː/ | — | — | — | hanja /handʒa/ |
| Blue | shuɗi /ʃuːɗiː/ | cuquliisa /tʃukʼuliːsa/ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cock-a-doodle-doo | kukuruku /kúkùrúːkù/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Computer | kwamfuta /kʷamfuta/ | koompitara /koːmpitara/ | — | komppiiteriya /kompːiːterija/ | — | — | — |
| Sushi | sushi /suʃi/ | sushi /suʃi/ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tea | shayi /ʃai/ | shaayii /ʃaːjiː/ | — | shayiya /ʃajija/ | — | — | shae /ʃae/ |
| Coffee | kofi /koːfiː/ | buna /buna/ | — | tukkiya /tukːija/ | — | — | buna /buna/ |
| Sugar | sukari /sukariː/ | sukkaara /sukːaːra/ | — | — | — | — | sukkaare /sukːaːre/ |
| Orange | lemu /leːmuː/ | birtukaanii /birtukaːniː/ | — | — | — | — | burtukaane /burtukaːne/ |
| Ninety-nine | casaʼin da tara /tʃasaʔin da tara/ | sagaltamii sagal /saɡaltamiː saɡal/ | — | uddufun tammanne uddufuna /udːufun tamːanːe udːufuna/ | — | — | honsayina honse /honsajina honse/ |
| Dopamine | Dopamine /dopamine/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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