Internet & WiFi

1. Akwai WiFi a nan?

   A-kwai WiFi a nan?

   Is there WiFi here?

   Usage

   Asking if WiFi is available at a café or hotel

   Grammar Note

   "Akwai" is Hausa's existential "there is/are". Its negative counterpart is "babu" (there is not).

2. Menene kalmar sirrin WiFi?

   Me-ne-ne kal-mar sir-rin WiFi?

   What is the WiFi password?

   Usage

   Asking for the WiFi password

   Grammar Note

   "Kalma" (word) comes from Arabic kalima and "sirri" (secret) from Arabic sirr. Asking "what is X?" about a noun phrase takes Menene, which carries the copula; a bare Me leaves the sentence without one.

3. Ina son cajin wayata

   I-na son ca-jin wa-ya-ta

   I want to charge my phone

   Usage

   Looking for a place to charge your phone

   Grammar Note

   "Waya" (phone/wire) is a loanword. "-ta" is the first-person possessive suffix for feminine nouns.

4. Ina zan iya sayen katin SIM?

   I-na zan i-ya sa-yen ka-tin SIM?

   Where can I buy a SIM card?

   Usage

   Asking where to buy a local SIM card for data access

   Grammar Note

   Nigeria's major carriers are MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile. SIM cards are sold at airports and shops with passport required.

5. Intanet yana da sauri?

   In-ta-net ya-na da sau-ri?

   Is the internet fast?

   Usage

   Checking the internet speed at a hotel or café before deciding to use it

   Grammar Note

   "Yana da" (has) + noun = "it has X". "Yana da sauri" = "it has speed" = it is fast. "Sauri" = speed, quickness.

6. Ina iya aikawa saƙon imel?

   I-na i-ya ai-ka-wa sa-ƙon i-mel?

   Can I send an email?

   Usage

   Asking whether you can send an email using the available connection

   Grammar Note

   "Saƙo" means message. "Imel" is borrowed from English "email".

7. Ba ni lambar wayarka

   Ba ni lam-bar wa-yar-ka

   Give me your phone number

   Usage

   Casually asking a male person for their phone number

   Grammar Note

   Hausa possessive suffixes vary by gender: male "-rka/-ka", female "-rki/-ki". "Lamba" (number) is borrowed from English "number".

8. Waya ta ƙare batir

   Wa-ya ta ƙa-re ba-tir

   The phone battery has run out

   Usage

   Telling someone your phone battery is dead

   Grammar Note

   "Ta ƙare" is the feminine completive (waya is a feminine noun). "Ya ƙare" would be used for masculine subjects.

9. Ina cafan intanet kusa?

   I-na ca-fan in-ta-net ku-sa?

   Where is there a nearby internet café?

   Usage

   Asking for the location of a nearby internet café

   Grammar Note

   "Cafe" is borrowed from English. Internet cafés are common in major Nigerian cities like Lagos and Abuja.

10. An canza katin SIM ɗin

    An can-za ka-tin SIM ɗin

    The SIM has been changed

    Usage

    Telling someone you have changed your SIM card to a local one

    Grammar Note

    "An" is the impersonal/passive completive marker and needs no explicit subject. A SIM card is katin SIM.

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