Convenience Store

1. Akwai shago a nan kusa?

   A-kwai sha-go a nan ku-sa?

   Is there a shop near here?

   Usage

   In northern Nigeria a small neighbourhood shop is a "shago"; a roadside booth is a kiosk. Between them they cover drinks, soap, batteries and airtime

   Grammar Note

   "Akwai" states existence and can form a question on its own; its negative counterpart is "babu" (there is no)

2. Akwai lemo mai sanyi?

   A-kwai le-mo mai san-yi?

   Do you have a cold soft drink?

   Usage

   Power cuts are frequent in Nigeria and shop fridges are often off, so a drink on the shelf may well be at room temperature — add "mai sanyi" (cold) to check. "Lemo" covers soft drinks generally

   Grammar Note

   Hausa has few true adjectives; instead "mai + noun" forms an attributive phrase. "Mai sanyi" literally means "the one having coldness"

3. Firij ɗin bai yi sanyi ba, babu wuta.

   Fi-rij ɗin bai yi san-yi ba, ba-bu wu-ta.

   The fridge isn't cold — there's no power.

   Usage

   Said by staff. "Wuta" literally means fire but in everyday speech means electricity — "babu wuta" (no power) is one of the most common sentences you will hear in Nigeria

   Grammar Note

   The negative completive brackets the verb phrase with "bai ... ba". The suffix -ɗin marks definiteness; native nouns normally take -n (masculine) or -r (feminine), while loanwords often take ɗin

4. Zan iya yin transfer ta waya?

   Zan i-ya yin trans-fer ta wa-ya?

   Can I pay by phone transfer?

   Usage

   In Nigeria an instant bank-app transfer is a normal way to pay even at tiny shops. The owner reads out an account number and you show the confirmation screen afterwards — invaluable when cash is short

   Grammar Note

   "Zan" is the first-person future marker. The verb "yi" becomes the verbal noun "yin" when it takes an object. "Ta" is the instrumental preposition "by/through"

5. Ina son katin waya na naira ɗari biyar.

   I-na son ka-tin wa-ya na nai-ra ɗa-ri bi-yar.

   I want five hundred naira of airtime.

   Usage

   "Katin waya" is prepaid mobile airtime, sold at every shago. You either get a scratch card or the seller loads it straight onto your number; mobile data is bought out of the same balance

   Grammar Note

   "Ɗari" (hundred) takes the multiplier after it: "ɗari biyar" = 500. The hooked ɗ is an implosive, a distinct phoneme from plain d — dropping the hook changes the word

6. Babu canji.

   Ba-bu can-ji.

   There's no change.

   Usage

   Said by staff. Small notes are chronically scarce, so this is the standard answer to a large note. You either give up on the purchase, add something to round the total, or take sweets in lieu of change

   Grammar Note

   "Babu" is the negative of "akwai" and takes a bare noun with no verb. "Canji" is a noun derived from the verb "canza" (to change)

7. Babu canjin ɗari. Ka ɗauki alewa?

   Ba-bu can-jin ɗa-ri. Ka ɗau-ki a-le-wa?

   I have no change for a hundred. Will you take sweets instead?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Handing over sweets or chewing gum instead of small change is a widespread West African practice. To decline, say "A'a, ina son kuɗi na" (no, I'd like my money)

   Grammar Note

   The linker -n joins two nouns in a genitive relation ("canjin ɗari" = change of a hundred). The pronoun "ka" addresses a man and "ki" a woman — Hausa marks the addressee's gender

8. Ka ba ni ƙaramin kuɗi.

   Ka ba ni ƙa-ra-min ku-ɗi.

   Give me smaller money, please.

   Usage

   Said by staff. If you only offer big notes the seller will ask for something smaller. The ejective ƙ is a separate sound from plain k — writing "karami" instead of "ƙarami" gives a different word

   Grammar Note

   A prenominal adjective takes the linker -n or -r ("ƙarami" → "ƙaramin kuɗi"). Addressing a woman, the same request begins "Ki ba ni"

9. Ka ba ni ruwan leda guda biyu.

   Ka ba ni ru-wan le-da gu-da bi-yu.

   Give me two sachets of water.

   Usage

   The most common drinking water in Nigeria is sachet water, sold as "pure water" — a few dozen naira a bag, drunk by biting off a corner. It far outsells bottled water on price

   Grammar Note

   "Ruwa" (water) plus the linker -n plus "leda" (polythene) gives "polythene water". "Guda" is the counter used with numerals: "guda biyu" = two of them

10. Ka auna mini shinkafa mudu ɗaya.

    Ka au-na mi-ni shin-ka-fa mu-du ɗa-ya.

    Measure me one mudu of rice.

    Usage

    In northern Nigeria rice, beans and maize are measured out rather than pre-packed. A "mudu" is the traditional measuring bowl, roughly 2–2.5 kg depending on the seller. For half, say "rabin mudu"

    Grammar Note

    "Mini" is the indirect-object clitic "to/for me" and attaches straight after the verb. The numeral "ɗaya" (one) follows its noun

11. Zan iya ɗauka a bashi?

    Zan i-ya ɗau-ka a ba-shi?

    Can I take it on credit?

    Usage

    "Bashi" means debt or credit. Neighbourhood shagos routinely let regulars buy on a running tab recorded in a notebook. A traveller will not normally be offered this, but the phrase helps you follow local exchanges

    Grammar Note

    The preposition "a" (at/in) forms an adverbial of manner: "a bashi" = in a state of debt. "Bashi" is native Hausa vocabulary, not an Arabic loan

12. Nawa kake so?

    Na-wa ka-ke so?

    How much do you want?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Where goods are measured out you will always be asked for a quantity; answer with a number of units or with an amount of money ("naira ɗari biyar"). A woman would say "kike so"

    Grammar Note

    "Kake" is the continuous-aspect pronoun for a male addressee ("kike" for a female). The stative verb "so" (to want) pairs with this aspect

13. Wani abu kuma?

    Wa-ni a-bu ku-ma?

    Anything else?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Shagos usually hand goods over a counter, and this prompt invites your next item. If you are finished, say "A'a, na gode" (no, thank you)

    Grammar Note

    "Wani" is the indefinite determiner for masculine nouns ("wata" for feminine). This is a verbless elliptical question, marked by rising intonation

14. Ya ƙare.

    Ya ƙa-re.

    It's finished.

    Usage

    Said by staff. Small shops hold little stock and restock irregularly. To ask when more will arrive: "Yaushe za a kawo?"

    Grammar Note

    The completive aspect uses "ya" (masculine) or "ta" (feminine), so a feminine subject gives "Ta ƙare". The ejective ƙ distinguishes this from "kare" (dog)

15. Akwai burodi sabo?

    A-kwai bu-ro-di sa-bo?

    Do you have fresh bread?

    Usage

    Bread is usually delivered morning and evening, so at other times only yesterday's may be left. Soft, slightly sweet loaves are the northern standard and a shago staple

    Grammar Note

    When the adjective follows its noun it stands in its plain form with no linker. "Burodi" is a loan from English "bread"

16. Ka ba ni leda, don Allah.

    Ka ba ni le-da, don Al-lah.

    Please give me a bag.

    Usage

    "Leda" is a polythene bag; for small purchases you often have to ask. "Don Allah" literally means "for God's sake" but functions as an everyday "please"

    Grammar Note

    Islamic vocabulary is thoroughly integrated into everyday Hausa, and "don Allah" is one example — it carries no religious weight, just politeness

17. Yaushe kake rufe shago?

    Yau-she ka-ke ru-fe sha-go?

    What time do you close the shop?

    Usage

    Shago hours are informal — the owner opens and closes around personal schedules and prayer times. Many shut for a while around Friday midday prayers

    Grammar Note

    The question word "yaushe" comes first. Using the continuous "kake" (m.) / "kike" (f.) gives the sense of habitual practice rather than a single occasion

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