value, usefulness

• Yi mali bukaata pam gari noonsi! You have much more value than birds!
• O ka bukaali. He is useless.
• machɛli kuriti bidibbini din ni ku di bukaata the blacksmith forges a weapon fit for its work.
• o daa zaɣisila bukaata kam kubu he refused to do anything useful.
• o daa zaɣisila bukaata kam kubu, ka daa naɣi kuli gurila soya n-fari niriba buni n-dira he refused to do anything useful but just ambushed the paths and robbed people of their possessions.
• Abu bi ku bukaali zuŋɔ. Abu has done nothing today.

business, matter, concern

• N dimnim’ maa kul bɔrila soli dabisili kam ni bɛ saɣim m bukaata My enemies are always looking for a way to harm me.
• Tɔha gba tooi maani buɣim mɔɣu ni n-kuri o bukaatanima ka bi kpihiri li A hunter also can make a fire in the bush and be busy with his business and not put it out.