máa

Habitual or Continuing Actions

Level 2

Máa ń often describes routines; máa also occurs in future clauses and instructions.

How It Works

In a statement, put máa after the subject and before the verb phrase. Its form stays the same across subjects. With ń and a recurring time setting, it commonly describes a routine. A future setting can instead support a prospective reading.

Compare Adé ń ra ẹran. ‘Adé is buying meat’ with Adé máa ń ra ẹran ní gbogbo ọ̀sẹ̀. ‘Adé usually buys meat every week.’ The second presents a repeated pattern. In an instruction, máa can encourage an action to begin or continue; an existing activity supports ‘keep doing.’

Preserve both vowels. Single-vowel má gives a prohibition in Standard Nigerian Yoruba. Habitual denial commonly uses kìí. Future denial uses constructions such as kò níí, also written kò nì í in the textbook; do not mechanically add kò before affirmative máa.

Examples (3)

  1. Adé máa ń ra ẹran ní gbogbo ọ̀sẹ̀.

    Adé usually buys meat every week.

    Máa ń and the weekly setting establish a routine.

  2. A máa ra ìwé lọ́la.

    We will buy a book tomorrow.

    Tomorrow supplies a prospective setting.

  3. Máa kọ lẹ́tà náà.

    Keep writing the letter.

    Said to someone already writing, this encourages continuation.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

máaLevel 2Habitual or Continuing Actions

Learn This First

Read máa with its context: habit, future action or continuation.