Learn Hardcore Hausa: Malami yana makaranta.

yana is a single auxiliary made of ya (“he”) + na (present‐progressive/habitual marker). It acts like English is in he is, so Malami yana makaranta literally means “Teacher he‑is school,” i.e. “The teacher is at school.”

Does malami mean “a teacher” or “the teacher”? Why aren’t there articles?

Hausa has no words for a or the in the same way English does. malami can be interpreted as “a teacher” or “the teacher” from context. If you want to say “a teacher” explicitly, use wani malami; for “the teacher,” you can say malamin.

What is makaranta, and why isn’t there a preposition like in or at before it?

makaranta means “school.” In the structure yana + noun, that noun serves as a locative complement (“where he is”). So yana makaranta simply means “is at school.” No extra preposition is needed.

How do I ask “Where is the teacher?” in Hausa?

For a where‐question use ina + subject + auxiliary:
• Ina malami yake? (“Where is the teacher?”)
For a yes/no question (“Is the teacher at school?”), add ne at the end:
• Malami yana makaranta ne?

How can I say “The teacher is inside the school”?

To stress “inside,” add cikin (inside):
• Malami yana cikin makaranta.
You can also say Malami yana a cikin makaranta, inserting a as the general locative preposition.

How do I make it plural, as in “The teachers are at school”?

Use the plural noun malamai (or definite malaman) and the third‑person plural auxiliary suna:
• Malamai suna makaranta.
• Malaman suna makaranta.

If I mean “The teacher is teaching at school,” how do I say that?

You must add the verb for “teach” (koyar). For example:
• Malami yana koyarwa a makaranta.
• Malami yana koyar da darasi a makaranta.

What if the teacher is female—how does the sentence change?

Switch ya to ta in the auxiliary. For a female teacher you get tana instead of yana:
• Malama tana makaranta.