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Build your Hausa vocabulary with smart flashcards and make friends across the globe to practice with.
Hausa for free
Why learn Hausa?
Hausa is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Hausa is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Hausa is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Hausa forms its own branch - learners commonly study it alongside Yoruba or Igbo.
50 essential Hausa words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Hausa sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ni | nee | I |
| 2 | kai | kahy | you |
| 3 | shi | shee | he |
| 4 | ita | EE-tah | she |
| 5 | mu | moo | we |
| 6 | su | soo | they |
| 7 | wannan | WAHN-nahn | this |
| 8 | wancan | WAHN-chahn | that |
| 9 | me | meh | what |
| 10 | wanene | wah-NEH-neh | who |
| 11 | ba | bah | not (negation) |
| 12 | da | dah | and |
| 13 | ko | koh | or |
| 14 | amma | AHM-mah | but |
| 15 | cikin | CHEE-kin | in |
| 16 | ɗaya | DAH-yah | one |
| 17 | biyu | BEE-yoo | two |
| 18 | babba | BAHB-bah | big |
| 19 | ƙarami | KAH-rah-mee | small |
| 20 | kyau | kyow | good |
| 21 | sabo | SAH-boh | new |
| 22 | mutum | MOO-toom | person |
| 23 | ruwa | ROO-wah | water |
| 24 | rana | RAH-nah | day |
| 25 | shekara | sheh-KAH-rah | year |
| 26 | lokaci | loh-KAH-chee | time |
| 27 | gida | GEE-dah | house |
| 28 | aiki | AHY-kee | work |
| 29 | rayuwa | rah-YOO-wah | life |
| 30 | kalma | KAHL-mah | word |
| 31 | zama | ZAH-mah | to become |
| 32 | yi | yee | do |
| 33 | ce | cheh | say |
| 34 | sani | SAH-nee | know |
| 35 | gani | GAH-nee | see |
| 36 | tafi | TAH-fee | go |
| 37 | zo | zoh | come |
| 38 | bayar | BAH-yar | give |
| 39 | ɗauka | DOW-kah | take |
| 40 | so | soh | want |
| 41 | ci | chee | eat |
| 42 | sha | shah | to drink |
| 43 | yanzu | YAHN-zoo | now |
| 44 | nan | nahn | here |
| 45 | can | chahn | there |
| 46 | ina | EE-nah | where |
| 47 | dalili | dah-LEE-lee | cause |
| 48 | duk | dook | all |
| 49 | yawa | YAH-wah | many |
| 50 | yau | yow | today |
Useful phrases in Hausa
- Sannu · SAN-noo · Hello / Good day
- Yaya kake? · YAH-yah KAH-keh · How are you?
- Na gode · nah GO-deh · Thank you
- Don Allah · don AL-lah · Please
- Sunana... · soo-NAH-nah · My name is...
- Ina...? · EE-nah · Where is...?
- Sai an jima · sigh ahn JEE-mah · Goodbye
- Yi hakuri · yee hah-KOO-ree · Excuse me
- Ban gane ba · bahn GAH-neh bah · I don't understand
- Za ka iya taimaka min? · zah kah EE-yah tie-MAH-kah meen · Can you help me?
- Nawa ne? · NAH-wah neh · How much is it?
- Sai gobe! · sigh GOH-beh · See you tomorrow!
Learn Hausa with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Hausa, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Hausa learning community
Collaborate with native Hausa speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Hausa online · Create an online Hausa school · Build a Hausa curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Hausa
How difficult is it to learn Hausa?
How difficult Hausa is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Hausa is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Hausa?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Hausa?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Hausa within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 80 million people across 1 countries speak Hausa, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Hausa vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Hausa pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Hausa pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Hausa speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Hausa alphabet first?
If Hausa uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.