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 farkay hinka neera. 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 kaaru. 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 farkay. 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 farkay 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 kwaara. Tomorrow three priests will come to our village.
Madam ne Monsieur ga kaa hunkuna. Madam said his lordship will come today.
Saga kwaara wayboro ahaku kaa iri kwaara 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 kwaara 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 farkay hinza day.
You rode the horse. (s) Ni na bariyo kaaru.
 (p) Araŋ na bariyo kaaru
We have sold two horses. Iri na bari hinka neera.
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 kaaru.
 (p) Bi araŋ na bari kaaru.
Today you rode a donkey. (s) Hunkuna ni na farkay kaaru.
(p) Hunkuna araŋ na farkay kaaru.
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 kwaara.
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 farkay hinza. I hen.
We heard the cows yesterday. Iri maa hawey bi.

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Last updated: 07 februari 2012