Lesson 3
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5


Exercise 1 Translate to English: regular verbs
Zarma English
Iri na bari fo day. We bought a horse.
Ay na farka hinka nera. I sold two donkeys.
Hawo na hanso kar; a bu. The cow struck the dog; it died.
I na musu beri wi. They killed a lion.
A ga araŋ fo. (S)he will greet you. (p)
Iri na bariyo karu. We rode the horse.
I na yeyi gu guna. They watched five bulls.
Ay na Hamma donton Posti (Fr). I sent Hamma to a post office.
I na gomni fo samba. They sent a free gift.
Zanka ga hawey guna. The child will watch the cows.

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Exercise 2 Translate to English: special verb, direct object follows verb.
Zarma English
Ay di hansi fo. I saw a dog.
Ni maa musu beri, wala? Did you hear a lion? (s)
Ay maa r'a. I heard him (her, it).
A di curo fo. (S)he saw a bird.
Iri di hansi fo. We saw a dog.
Hunkuna ay di curo beri iyye. Today I saw seven big birds.
Iri maa zanka fo bu bi. We heard a child died yesterday.
Ni di a, walla? Did you see him (her, it)? (s)
Iri ga di ey hunkuna. We shall see them today.
Iri ga di hansi da musu da farka. We shall see a dog, a cat, and a donkey.

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Exercise 3 Translate to English: verbs of motion or otherwise intransitive
Zarma English
Ay zuru. I ran.
Haw fo hen. A cow mowed.
Wayboro fo da zanka fo kaa. A woman and a child came.
Yeji da farka zuru. Yejo kaŋ. A bull and a donkey ran. The bull fell.

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Exercise 4 Translate to English:
intransitive verbs, taking adverbial modifier of place.
Zarma English
Ay koy Niamey. I went to Niamey.
Iri koy Yantala. We went to Yantala.
Suba (= tomorrow) alfaga hinza ga kaa iri kwara. Tomorrow three priests will come to our village.
Madam ne Monsieur ga kaa hunkuna. Madam said his lordship will come today.
Saga kwara wayboro ahaku kaa iri kwara bi. Eight women from Saga village came to our village yesterday.
Musa ne, Midu koy fu yo boŋ. Musa said, Midu went home on a camel.

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Exercise 5 Translate into Zarma.
English Zarma
I went to Goudel yesterday. Ay koy Goudel bi.
They went to Yantala the day before yesterday. I koy Yantala bi fo.
We came to Niamey. Iri kaa Niamey.
He will go to town today. A ga koy kwara hunkuna.
They said Saley will come today. I ne Saley ga kaa hunkuna.
Some day (One day) I will go to Cotonou. Han fo ay ga koy Cotonou.
They said she went home. I ne a koy fu.
She bought three donkeys. A na farka hinza day.
You rode the horse. (s) Ni na bariyo karu.
 (p) Araŋ na bariyo karu
We have sold two horses. Iri na bari hinka nera.
Today I killed a dog and two birds. Hunkuna ay na hansi fo da curo hinka wi.
Yesterday you rode a horse. (s) Bi ni na bari karu.
 (p) Bi araŋ na bari karu.
Today you rode a donkey. (s) Hunkuna ni na farka karu.
(p) Hunkuna araŋ na farka karu.
We watch the children today. Iri na zankey guna hunkuna.
Ten lion roared. Musu beri way hen.
Will Haw come today? Haw ga kaa hunkuna, wala?
No they said she went to town. Haŋ'a i ne a koy kwara.
The child fell. He cried. Zanka kaŋ. A hen
The woman died today. Waybora bu hunkuna.
I saw a lion and four birds. Ay di musu beri fo da curo taci.
Did you see the woman? (s) Ni di waybora, wala?
(p) Araŋ di waybora, wala?
Do you understand? (s) Ni maa r'a, wala?
(p) Araŋ maa r'a, wala?
Yes, I saw them day before yesterday. Oho, ay di ey bi fo.
We saw three donkeys. They brayed. Iri di farka hinza. I hen.
We heard the cows yesterday. Iri maa hawey bi.

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Last updated: 15 november 2009