Lesson 11
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

Exercise 7


Exercise 1  Translate into English
Zarma English
Ay gonda hay fo ay ga ba ay ma no ni se. I have something that I want to give to you.
Ma kaa ne hal'ay ma ni no nd'a. Come here so that I can give it to you (outright).
Ni na haamo day, wala? Did you buy guinea corn?
Oho, ay day. Yes, I bought.
Ma haamodin fay, a ma te kanandi. Divide that guinea corn, make it a heap.
Fati du nga ba za susub'o Fati got her portion since this morning.

Back


Exercise 2  Translate into English
Zarma English
Iri ma koy Niamey suba. Let us go to Niamey tomorrow.
Nda iri di taamu hanney, iri g'i day. If we see beautiful shoes, we will buy them.
Hawa kayne ga ba nga ma koy iri banda zama a ma tafe bi day. Hawa's little sister (brother) wants to go with us so that she (he) may buy a black cloth (blanket).
In da nin ga fula day suba. You and I will buy a hat tomorrow.
Tako fo go Goudel kwaara kan gonda tayla. In Goudel is a tailor that has a sowing machine.
Hassan ne takwa te a se kway da mudun, amma a sinda  nooru kan g'a bana. Hassan said the tailor made him a shirt*1 and trousers, but he had no money to pay for it.
[literally: ... he had no money that will it pay.]
A n'i jisi hal'a ma du  nooru. He [the tailor] put them in a safe place so that he*2 [Hassan] may find money.*3 

*1 in general: sewed upper garment
*2 note that the second "a" is in the short form and not in the long form "nga", therefore it refers to someone else
*3 note that the sentence is in the subjunctive and not in the indicative

       ... hal'a ma du  nooru. = ... so that he may find money.
       ... hal'a ga du  nooru.  = ... until he will find money.

Back


Exercise 3  Translate into English
Zarma English
Ay baba koy naruyan bi fo. My father went on a trip before yesterday.
Man n'a koy? Where did he go?
A ne way, nga koy Gao zama nga ma salan da boŋkoni. He said to a woman, he went to Gao in order to talk with a king.
I ne  noorukoy bobo go yongo. They said many rich people are yonder.
Ay na wayboro fo bay kan koy naruyan. I knew a woman that went on a journey.
A te habu hinza Lamorid, wodin banda a koy Dosso. She made three weeks in Lamorid, after that she went to Dosso.

Back


Exercise 4  Translate to English:
Zarma English
Kwaarakoy hanno si yadda borey ma tali te kwaara ra, zama tali si bori. The good village chief doesn't approve the people to make a fault in the village, because a fault isn't good.
Irikoy si yadda nda tali, hal'abada. God doesn't approve with wrong, forever.
Amma Irikoy Izo ga tali kulu yafa boro se kan g'a naney a ga. But God's son will forgive a person all faults when he trust in him.
Yafayan wo mo, a go no hal'abada. This forgiveness too, it is forever.
May no ka kuso dake tablo boŋ? Who placed the cooking pot on the table?
Hassan no, zama ay ci a se a m'a dake nodin. It was Hassan, because I said to him to place it there in that place.
To, ni m'a kaa nodin. Well, take it away from that place there.
M'a jisi ganda, fu meyo ga. Place it carefully down next to the (house) door.

Back


Exercise 5  Translate to Zarma: There is ...
English Zarma
There is the master of the house at market. Fukoyo go no habu ra.
There is a strong person on the road. Gabikoni go no fonda boŋ.
There are four horsemen by that house. Barikoy taci go no fuwodin ga.
There is a person with long trousers in the field. Boro fo go no fari ra kan gonda mudun kuku.
There are three butchers in my car. Fawako hinza go no ay mota ra.
There are many travellers (travelling owners) who came to our town. Narukoy bobo go no kan kaa iri kwaara.

Back


Exercise 6  Translate to Zarma: Where is ...
English Zarma
Where is the writer who has a red hat? Man no hantumkwa kan gonda fula ciray?
Where is the one-eyed cook (owner of one eye)? Man no mo-fo-koy hinako?
Where is a bread maker who will tell me? Man no buru teko kan ga ci ay se?
Where is an avenger who will come to my rescue? Man no banako kan ga fab' ay se.
Man no banako kan ga kaa ay fabayan.

Back

 
Exercise 7  Translate to Zarma: Imperatives
English Zarma
Put the pants on the chair (use "ga"). Muduno dake karga ga.
Let him save the sheep from the tanner. A ma fejo faba garasa gaa.
You (plural) separate the sheep from the goats. Araŋ ma fejey fay hincino gaa.
Let them travel by night not by day. I ma naru cin ra, i ma si naru zaari ra.
Tell him you will not repay it, forever. A ma ci ni s'a bana, hal'abada. 
If you see the owner of this field, tell him to come. Nda ni di farodin koy, (ni) ma ci a se a ma kaa.
My shirt is torn. Ay kwayo pati.
Take it to the tailor so that he will sew it today. Ma kond'a takwa do, hal'a ma ta r'a hunkuna.
If you go to my house, you will see my black hat. Nda ni koy ay fuwo, ni ga di ay fula biyo.
Let them hear your health. I ma maa ni baano.
Let nobody take it away. Buru kulu si ma kaa r'a.

Back


Last updated: 11 maart 2012