ba kudi
The English phrase "no money" is translated into Hausa as ba kudi.
ba kudi is used to describe a state of having no financial resources or currency.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I have no money", use the construction ba ni da kudi, where ni is the pronoun for "I". To say "He has no money", use the construction ba shi da kudi, where shi is the pronoun for "he".
Did you know?
- In Hausa, the word kudi originally referred to cowries, which were used as currency for centuries before paper money was introduced.
- In traditional Hausa culture, admitting ba kudi openly is sometimes avoided to maintain 'mutunci', or personal dignity and honor.
- In many Hausa-speaking markets, instead of saying ba kudi, a person might say ba ni da ko sisi, meaning 'I do not even have a sous' to emphasize their emptiness.
Examples in context
- Ba ni da kudi yanzu.I have no money now.
- Ba kudi kake da shi ba?Do you have no money?
Example conversation
Aisha and Abdullahi are at a market.
- AishaAbdullahi, za ka sayi wannan rigar?Abdullahi, will you buy this shirt?
- AbdullahiA'a, ba kudi nake da shi ba yau.No, I have no money today.
- AishaZa ka iya biya daga banki?Can you pay from the bank?
- AbdullahiBa zai yiwu ba, ba kudi nake da shi ba.It is not possible, I have no money.
