Sannu da zuwa
The English phrase "welcome" is translated into Hausa as Sannu da zuwa.
Sannu da zuwa is used specifically to welcome someone to a place or an event upon their arrival.
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sannu (greetings/hello), da (with/on) and zuwa (coming/arrival), which literally means "Greetings on coming".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase Sannu da zuwa is invariant and does not change based on the gender or number of the person being welcomed.
When do people say it?
When you say Sannu da zuwa to someone, a common response is Mun gode, which means "We thank you".
Did you know?
- In many Hausa communities, the verbal welcome Sannu da zuwa is traditionally accompanied by the offering of water or kola nuts to the guest.
- The term sannu is highly versatile and can also be used to express sympathy or to say 'sorry' in certain contexts, moving far beyond a simple 'hello'.
- The word zuwa shares a potential linguistic ancestor with the Tamazight word ⵙ (s), which denotes direction or movement 'towards' something.
Examples in context
- Sannu da zuwaWelcome to you
- Sannu da zuwa gidanmu.Welcome to our house.
- Sannu da zuwa wurin aiki.Welcome to the workplace.
Example conversation
Umar arrives at Zainab's house for a visit.
- ZainabSannu da zuwa, Umar!Welcome, Umar!
- UmarNa gode, Zainab.Thank you, Zainab.
- ZainabShigo ciki, don Allah.Please, come inside.
- UmarNa gode sosai.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zuwa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
