A cikin adabin Hausa, akwai manyan siffofi uku na adabi: waka (poetry/verse), zube (prose), da wasan kwaikwayo (drama). "Zube" na nufin rubutu cikin yaren yau da kullum ba tare da waƙa ko amsa-amo (rhyme and rhythm) ba. Shi ne salon rubuta labari ko rubutu cikin jumla masu gudana kai tsaye, ba a daure shi da ƙa'idojin kari ko amsa-amo irin na waka ba.
Labari rubutacce (written story/narrative) shine mafi kusancin ma'anar "zube" a cikin zaɓuɓɓukan da aka bayar. "Zube" a zahiri yana nufin "zuba" ko "kwararowa," kuma a cikin nazarin adabi yana nuna salon rubutu da ke gudana cikin jumla na yau da kullum - wato rubutu na kowa, ba waka ba.
"Waka" (poetry) ya sha bamban da zube domin waka tana da kari, amsa-amo, da tsari na musamman. "Bako" yana nufin "stranger" ko "guest" a Hausa kuma ba nau'in adabi ba ne. "Wasan kwaikwayo" (drama) nau'i ne daban na adabi da ke nuna labari ta hanyar tattaunawa da ayyukan mutane a kan dandali.