Lesson 16
Exercise 1  

Exercise 2  

Exercise 3  

Exercise 4  

Exercise 5  

Exercise 6  


Exercise 1  Translate into English: part 1
Remark: there often is more than one correct translation, the given translation provide the structure.
Zarma English
Ay jin ka Zarma foy ηwa. I have already eaten the Zarma sauce.
A ga kaan, amma i ga tonko daη a ra hal manti mosso. It taste good, but they have put in quite a lot of red hot pepper.
Yadin ga, ay si hin ga ηwa ibobo; ay meyo ga wong' a se. Therefore I cannot eat much: me mouth resists it.
   
Bi zanka fo go no ga kand' iri se wa, butel fo. Yesterday there was one child that brought us one bottle of milk.
A mana haggoy hal a ma bori, kala butel wo kaη ka bagu. He didn't watch out very well and that bottle fell and broke.
Wa kulu mun. All the milk poured out.
A ne: Wi za, ay te bonfutey hunkuna ! He said: ' As a matter of fact, it is not my lucky day'. [1]

[1] Literally: '..., I am unlucky today'  

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Exercise 2  Translate into English: part 2
Zarma English
Ay mana ho hala ni jin ka kaa; wi za ni go ne za bi. I did not expect that you had already arrived; as a matter of fact you were here since yesterday.
Boro kan si ga di d' a moy hinka, i ga ne a
se[1] danaw; ammo boro kan ga di da mo fo, i ga ne a se mo fo koy.
A person that can not see with both his eyes is called a blind person; but a person that sees with one eye, is called 'one-eye-owner'.
   
Wandiyadin maray da kusa; naη i m' a safar sohon, za a mana te hinni. That girl was injured by a large nail; they let her treat it at once so it didn't suppurate.
Ay ne ha: a ma kaa suba susubey nda hiney hal ay m' a safar. I said she should come at an early hour tomorrow morning, so that I treat her.
Zanka kan wayboradin kande, a sinda baani, ba kayna. The child that that girl came with, it was not well, not even it bit.
Ifo ga du a ? What is the matter with it ?
To. A ga koto, a ga yeri, a ga koroŋ, a nina ga luttu mo. Well, it is coughing, it is vomiting, it has fever and its nose is stuffed up. 

[1] Literally i ga ne a se means 'they say to it'.

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Exercise 3  Translate into Zarma: part 1
English Zarma
I told them to close the door of my house; did they do it? Ay ci i se i ma daabu ay fuwo meyo; i te?
No, they haven't done it yet. Haŋ'a, i mana te jina.
I have come to seek medicine Ay kaa ga ceci safari.
What is the matter with you? Ifo ga du nin ?
I didn't sleep last night and this morning I am not well ! Bi cin ay mana jirbi; susubey wo ay sinda baani mo !
   
Have you had a change to read the letter you got this morning ? Ni du ga caw lettre kan ni taa susub'o, wala ?
I have not read it yet, but I will do it now. Ay mana caw jina, amma ay ga te sohon.
What did it say ? Ifo no a ne ?
It said my younger brother fell out of a tree and broke his leg. A ne ay kayna kaη ga fun tuuri boη, a ceri nga ca mo.
How awful ! Jam ! 
Could they fix it ?  I hin g' a hanse, wala ?
Yes, they put it in plaster.  Oho, i n' a daη anasara bogoto ra.

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Exercise 4  Translate into Zarma: part 2
English Zarma
Your father said he would come early, but I haven't seen him yet. Ni baba ne nga ga ba ga kaa nda hiney, amma ay mana di a jina.
Why is it ? Ifo se no ?
Well, he hasn't come because he didn't find his horse until the sun was hot. To, a mana kaa, zama a mana du nga bariyo hala wayna ga koron.
He will come another day, if god wills. A ga kaa hanfo koyne, nda Irikoy ba.

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Exercise 5  Translate into Zarma: part 3
English Zarma
Throw this meat away, because if a person eats it, he will be ill. Ma ham wo furu, zama nda boro g' a ηwa, nga ga jante.
It was cold last night and this morning I am coughing quite a lot. Bi cin yeni go no, susub'o ay ga koto hala manti moso mo.
I saw a blind man who knows all the villagers. Ay di danaw kan ga bay kwaara boro kulu.
Yesterday he showed me the road when I went to Boubon. Bi a na fondo cabe ay se, watokan ay koy Boubon.
He used to live in Tondi Biya, but now you can see him every day in the Niamey market. Doη a doona ga goro Tondi Biya ra, amma sohon ni ga hin ga di a han kulu Niamey habo ra.

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Exercise 6  Translate into Zarma: part 4
English Zarma
This child is not well because he has eaten many doum dates. Zanka wo sinda baani, zama a na kangaw-ize bobo ηwa.
Come drink this medicine. Ma kaa ga safar'o [safari wo] haη.
Go on, drink again. Ma sobay, (ni) ma haη koyne.
Is he not better yet ? A manna te dama jina, wala ?
He must stay here until afternoon. Tilas a ma gay ne kala wiciri.
Do not take him home yet. Ma si kondī a fu jina. 

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Last updated: 06 februari 2012