Lesson 10
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6


Exercise 1  Translate into English
Zarma English
Ay ci a se a ma haamo hina sohon, zama ay ga ba ay ma ŋwa. I told him to cook guinea corn at once, because I wanted to eat.
I ga mowa hina kusu bero ra, zama a si ban kusu kayna ra. They will cook the rice in a large cooking pot, because it doesn't fit into a small cooking pot.
Zanka fo ga kande hari, zama fobu wone sinda hari hanno. A child will bring water, because this clay water pot here hasn't good water.
Boro bobo ga kaa ay kwaara, zama i ma ŋwa. A lot of people will come to my compound so that they may eat.
Ifo n'ay ga te da ŋwari si no? What will I do if there is no food?

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Exercise 2  Translate into English: subjunctives
Zarma English
Da ni koy fu hunkuna, tilas ni ma koy ce ga, zama ay mota si no. If you go home today, you must go afoot, because my car isn't there.
Ifo se ni mana yadda ay ma koy? Why didn't you agree for me to go?
A mana hima ni ma ci a se wodin. You didn't ought to tell him that.
Ni mana hima ka ci a se wodin. You didn't have to tell him that.
Haggoy tassa wo ma si kaŋ. Take care this dish doesn't fall.
Ay muso ga kani ay daro jerga cin kulu. My cat sleeps next to my bed each night.
Iri ga fu meyo fiti hala a ma fatta. We will open the (house) door in order that he may go out.
Hano fo a kaaru tablo boŋ; ay n'a kar mo. One day he climbed on the table and I hit him.
Ay ci a se a ma si te yadin koyne. I told him he didn't ought to do so again.
Boro fo n'ay  nooru zey bi cin. Someone stole my money yesterday night.
May no k'a te? Who did it?
Ay si bay. I don't know.
Ay ga ba ay ma du hansi zama a m'ay fuwo batu cino ra. I want to obtain a dog in order that it guards my house at night.

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Exercise 3  Translate into English: conditional clauses
Zarma English
Irikoy g'iri zunubey kulu yafa nda iri n'a ηwaaray Yesu Almasihu do. God will forgive all our sins when we beg it at Jesus Christ's place.
Nd'ay bay gondi go no, doŋ ay si kaaru tuuri nyaŋo ra. If I knew that there was a snake, then I wouldn't have climbed into this fruit tree
Amma a mana ay nama, ay g'iri Irikoy sabu. But he didn't bite me, I thank our Lord.
Irikoy go no g'iri haggoy han kulu. God is looking out for us every day.
Susubo ay koy Karma zama ay m'ay kayne fo. This morning I went to Karma in order to greet my younger (brother/sister).
Amma nd'ay na tira wo caw, doŋ ay ga koy bi wala bi fo. But if I had read this book, then I would have gone yesterday or before yesterday.

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Exercise 4  Translate to Zarma:
English Zarma
Where is Musa? Man a Musa?
I don't know. Ay si bay.
I have been looking for him since this morning, but I haven't seen him anywhere. Ay n'a ceci za susubo, amma ay mana di a nankulu.
This bread has no salt, it isn't good. Buru wo sinda ciri, a si kaan.
I eat bread everyday, but Zarmas don't even eat much bread. Ay ga buru ŋwa han kulu, amma Zarma borey ba si buru bobo ŋwa.
You ought to add a little onion to the meat. A ga hima ni ma albassan kayna tonton hamo gaa.
Ni ga hima ka albassan kayna tonton hamo gaa.
I want to eat now because they have cooked the food. Ay ga ba ay ma ŋwa sohon, zama i na ŋwaro hina.
What kind of meat is this?
(What meat which kind is this?)		 Ifo ham dumo wofo no?
I don't know; it wasn't I (who) bought it. Ay si bay; a mana ay n'a day.
For how much did they buy it? (the "for" isn't translated). Marge no i n'a day?
I don't know, but they should not have bought it (for) much money. Ay si bay, amma a ga hima i ma s'a day  nooru bobo.
Ay si bay, amma i ga hima si k'a day   nooru bobo.
It isn't at all tasty. A si kaan kulu.

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Exercise 5  Translate to Zarma: conversation
English Zarma
When are you coming to me? Watifo no ni ga kaa ay?
This afternoon, if God wills. Susubo, nda Irikoy ba.
You are bringing me a cooking pot, aren't you? Ni go ga kande kusu ay se, wala?
I want you to bring the water jug too, if you agree? Ay ga ba ni ma kande fobo mo, nda ni yadda?
Who is coming with you? May no ga kaa nda ni?
My little brother; he wants to read. Ay kayne; a ga ba a ma caw.
Did you tell him to bring his book? Ni ci a se a ma kande nga tira, wala?
Yes. I told him, but he said it's lost. Oho. Ay ci a se, amma nga ne a darey.
Well, tell him he should look for it. To, ma ci a se nga ga hima k'a ceci.
We came yesterday, but you weren't home. Bi iri kaa, amma ni si fu.
Will you stay home today? Ni ga gay fu hunkuna, wala?
Yes. When you came yesterday we had gone into town. Oho. Watikan ni kaa bi, iri koy kwaara ra.
We visited at Hayssa's. Iri fakare Hayssa do.
We wanted to go to yonder town, and we begged Monsieur to take us, but he didn't agree. Iri ba iri ma koy kwaara woyongo, iri Monsieur ηwaaray mo nga ma kond'iri, amma nga mana yadda.

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Exercise 6  Translate to Zarma: emphatics
English Zarma
He bought the big bed; you brought it home. Nga na dari bero day; nin kand'a fu.
We and the children ran, it was he who fell. Iri nda zankey zuru, nga no kaŋ.
Did they come? Ngey kaa, wala?
Two men and one woman came, she greets you. Alboro hinka nda wayboro fo kaa, nga ga ni fo.
He saw it, but I didn't. A di a, amma ay wo mana di a.

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Last updated: 11 maart 2012