Learn Hausa (Nigerian)
Learn Hausa fast with an app that gets you speaking in minutes. Build the confidence to chat with family and connect with Hausa speakers across Nigeria, Niger and Hausa-speaking communities across West and Central Africa.
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Learn to speak Hausa like a local
Many people want to learn Hausa to explore their heritage or connect with people across West and Central Africa. Hausa is a major language of communication in Nigeria and Niger, and a widely used lingua franca in countries including Ghana, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Togo and Benin. But, although it is spoken by millions in everyday life and commerce, it can still be difficult to find structured, engaging resources that help learners build speaking and listening skills in Hausa.
uTalk is the solution. We’ll help you avoid:
- Relying on scattered learning resources that don't focus on the speaking and listening skills you need.
- Struggling to speak Hausa correctly because you don't have a way of reviewing your pronunciation
- Losing confidence because you can't follow simple Hausa conversations
Learn Hausa online today and start speaking Hausa with confidence in everyday conversations.
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Three steps to learn Hausa fast
No classes to schedule. No confusing jargon. Just a clear path to learning Hausa.
Start in minutes
Subscribe now, download the app or open the web app. Choose Hausa and select your first category.
Get StartedPractise real phrases
Work through short lessons with native speaker audio and memory-boosting games. Reviews focus on the words you find hardest, so you learn faster.
Speak like a local
Try your Hausa in real life. Beginners and more experienced learners can build practical spoken language and start enjoying real conversations across Nigeria, Niger and beyond.
Why uTalk is the best Hausa learning app
uTalk helps you learn how to speak and recognise a wide variety of Hausa words and phrases. It's app-based, online and ready when you are.
Speak first
Practical content covering greetings, travel, family and everyday life. Everything you need to start speaking from day one.
Authentic speakers
Learn from real Hausa speakers, not computer voices. Hear the language exactly as it's spoken across Nigeria and Niger.
Beginner friendly, fun and effective
Game-like practice builds your confidence and helps you learn quickly and easily. Lessons are short, focused and based on real-life situations.
Learn Hausa online — Common phrases and audio
uTalk helps you learn how to speak and recognise key words and phrases. It's app-based, online and ready when you are.
Ina son kofi don Allah.
I’d like a coffee, please.
Barka.
Hello.
Na'am.
Yes.
Na'am, don Allah.
Yes please.
A'a.
No.
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A'a na gode.
No thanks.
Don Allah.
Please.
Na gode.
Thank you.
Na gode ƙwarai.
Thank you very much.
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Barka da zuwa.
You’re welcome.
Giya biyu, don Allah.
Two beers, please.
bas
bus
mota
car
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taksi
taxi
jirgin ƙasa
train
tashar jirgin ƙasa
railway station
filin jirgin sama
airport
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otal
hotel
fasfo
passport
waya
telephone
Don Allah ji mana.
Excuse me.
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Ƙarfe nawa?
What time is it?
Za ka maimaita hakan?
Can you repeat that please?
Yi magana a hankali don Allah.
Please speak more slowly.
Ban fahimta ba.
I don’t understand.
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Yi haƙuri.
Sorry.
Ina bayan gidan suke?
Where are the toilets?
Bayan gida Mata
Ladies’ Toilet
Bayan gida Maza
Gents’ Toilet
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Ina hanyar bakin ruwa?
Where is the beach?
Ina banki yake?
Where is the bank?
Nawa ne kuɗin wannan?
How much does this cost?
katin kuɗi
credit card
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injin ɗaukar kuɗi
cash machine
Sai an jima.
Goodbye.
farasitamol
paracetamol
makullai
keys
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taswira
map
hagu
left
dama
right
ɗaya
one
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biyu
two
uku
three
Where is it spoken?
Nigeria
Niger
Chad
Number of speakers
45,000,000
Language family
Afro-Asiatic
Chadic
West Chadic
Fun facts | Hausa
- There is no word meaning 'to have' so the closest equivalent to 'I have money' is 'I (am) with money'.
- Hausa verbs do not change to show tense but pronouns - I, you, he, she, it etc. - do! 'Shiga' means 'to enter'. 'They entered' is 'sun shiga' but 'they are entering' is 'suna shiga'. The part meaning 'enter' stays the same but 'they' changes form to show when the action is occurring.
- When asking for a person’s name, Hausa speakers ask 'yaya sunanka?' or 'how is your name?'
How our Hausa lessons work
Learning Hausa should feel easy and enjoyable from the start. Begin with greetings and high-frequency words, then move into practical categories covering family, city life and everyday phrases. Native speaker audio and memory-boosting tests reinforce what you learn, and reviews adapt to focus on the words you find trickiest.
Pick a category and the app organises the content so you get quick wins early on. Follow a guided learning path or choose for yourself what to learn and when. The app gets you practising your pronunciation right from the start so you progress quickly.
Work at your own pace, switch categories any time, learn online or offline, on mobile or desktop. If you have questions, check the in-app help, visit our site, or contact support by email. We're a friendly UK-based team and we're here to help.
Hausa vs. Arabic, Igbo and Yoruba
Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are three major languages of Nigeria, but they belong to different language families. Hausa is related to Arabic, while Igbo and Yoruba belong to the Niger-Congo family.
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Key points
- Hausa belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family, the same broad family as Arabic, from which it has adopted some vocabulary, especially religious terms.
- Hausa has historically been written in Arabic script (Ajami), while the Latin-based Boko script is now widely used.
- Igbo and Yoruba, Nigeria's other two major languages, belong to a completely different family, Niger-Congo, and aren't related to Hausa in any closer way.
- But both Yoruba and, to a much lesser extent, Igbo include some Arabic influences mainly due to trade with Hausa speakers.
- In uTalk, Hausa is taught as its own language, separate from Arabic (Modern Standard), Igbo and Yoruba, so you can focus on the language your family or community actually speaks.
Hausa and its West African neighbours
- Hausa is spoken across Nigeria and Niger, but West Africa is home to a remarkable variety of other major languages.
- Whether you have connections elsewhere in the region or simply want to explore further, uTalk also offers Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, Igbo and Wolof.
“We help make learning Hausa easy.”
“We understand it can feel frustrating to search for Hausa resources and find only generic translation tools instead of structured lessons. At uTalk, we believe every language matters, which is why we recorded native Hausa speakers, so you can learn the language exactly as it's spoken at home.”
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Richard Howeson
uTalk Founder
Why learners trust uTalk for Hausa
At uTalk, we are passionate about supporting languages that other apps often overlook. Our Hausa content is recorded by native speakers, so every lesson gives you audio you can trust. The app works for English speakers and for speakers of more than 140 other languages. Check our reviews and see how learners are turning daily practice into real progress.
Your Hausa language learning journey
Maybe you want to chat with Hausa-speaking family members, connect with businesses in Nigeria and Niger, or learn a language that serves as a lingua franca across parts of West Africa. Finding lessons that focus on real spoken Hausa can feel like a challenge.
Get StarteduTalk can help. Get started in Hausa with First Words like barka (hello), then build everyday phrases you can use in real situations. You'll listen to native Hausa speakers, record yourself copying them and compare the two. Game-like practice makes it fun for beginners, while practical content helps more experienced learners fill gaps. Learn online or offline, follow a guided path or choose what to work on and when.
The outcome is simple. You'll speak Hausa with confidence and understand more of what people say around you. You'll use your new skills with family, friends and colleagues across Nigeria, Niger and beyond. uTalk fits your life.
Learn real-life categories in Hausa
Explore the Afro-Asiatic language family
Hausa belongs to the Afro-Asiatic family, sharing distant roots with several languages spoken across Africa and the Middle East. If you're curious to compare words, sounds or everyday phrases across the family, check out: Amharic, Hebrew, Maltese, Oromo, Somali and Tigrinya
These languages share deep historical roots, so learning Hausa can give you a useful head start exploring the wider Afro-Asiatic family.
Get StartedYour Hausa questions, answered
Do you offer live online classes or is it just an app?
uTalk is an app and online language learning software. Lessons are digital, short and practical. If you want a tutor, the app still helps you prepare for class and review between sessions.
Can I start as a beginner?
Yes. The course begins with basic greetings and everyday words and phrases and takes you to an A1–A2 level on the CEFR scale. Some of our topics even cover material you’d learn as you grow your skills to B1 or B2.
What application languages do you support? Can I learn without English?
Yes. uTalk works for speakers of more than 140 languages. Choose the one that suits you in Settings.
How is content selected and ordered?
Topics are based on real-life situations. You can select any category and the app suggests a smart learning order for beginners. You can change it at any time.
How does uTalk compare with YouTube lessons?
YouTube can be useful, but it’s hard to check pronunciation or get structured reviews. uTalk gives you native speaker audio, games that test tricky words more often and a clear path from basic to practical use.
Is Hausa related to Arabic?
They're distantly related because both belong to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Hausa has also borrowed vocabulary from Arabic, particularly in religious and scholarly contexts, and was historically written in Arabic script. But the two aren't mutually understandable.
Is Hausa the same as Yoruba or Igbo?
No. Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo are three of Nigeria's major languages, but Hausa is in a different language family to Yoruba and Igbo. The three are distinct languages and are not mutually intelligible.
How fast can I learn to speak Hausa?
Short, regular sessions work best. Many learners can handle simple conversations after a few weeks of steady practice. Your progress depends on how often you use the app and how much you review.
Can I learn Hausa for free with uTalk?
Yes. Getting started with uTalk is easy, and you can cancel whenever you want. We want you to love uTalk, so we even offer a 28-Day Money Back Guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Where can I learn Hausa with uTalk?
We’re available on iOS, Android, web, Mac and PC. Get started now and you’ll be directed to download uTalk for your device.
Topics
- First Words
- Transport
- Restaurant
- Food and Drink
- Cooking
- Places
- Directions
- Illness
- Doctor
- Body
- Emergencies
- Social Phrases
- Leisure
- Likes and Dislikes
- Football Match Abroad
- Football Commentary
- Sports
- Shopping Words
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Clothes
- Ingredients
- Home
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Tools
- Family
- Occupations
- Animals
- Animals' Bodies
- Farming
- Technology
- School
- Business
- Numbers up to Twenty
- Numbers up to Ten Million
- Essential Phrases
- Adjectives
- Prepositions
- Colours
- Countries
- Calendar
- Time
- Timetable
- Outdoors
- Holiday
- Skiing
- Camping
- Golf
- Sailing
- Driving
- Olympics
- Summer Olympics
- Winter Olympics
- Military Commands
- Military Peace Keeping
- Military Intelligence
- Accommodation
- Shopping Phrases
- Travelling
- Free Starter Words
- Disaster Relief - Volunteers
- Natural Disasters
Get by with basic greetings, words and phrases including 'hello', 'thank you' and 'I'd like a coffee please'.