Audu yana da tambaya kan makaranta.

Audu

Breakdown of Audu yana da tambaya kan makaranta.

• da: to have
• makaranta: the school
• tambaya: the question

Questions & Answers about Audu yana da tambaya kan makaranta.

What does “yàna dà” mean here? Is it the same as the English verb “to have”?

In this sentence, “yana da” functions like English “has / have”.

• Literally, yana = “he is” (3rd person masculine singular, progressive/aspect marker)
• da = “with”

So “yana da tambaya” is literally “he is with a question,” but idiomatically it means “he has a question.”
This yana da construction is the usual way to express possession of something at the moment.

Could I say “Audu yana tambaya kan makaranta” instead of “Audu yana da tambaya kan makaranta”?

You can, but the meaning changes:

• “Audu yana da tambaya kan makaranta.”
  = “Audu has a question about school.” (he possesses one question)

• “Audu yana tambaya kan makaranta.”
  = “Audu is asking (a) question(s) about school.” (he is in the act of asking)

So:

• “yàna dà + noun” = having/possessing something
• “yàna + verb” = doing the action right now

In “yana tambaya”, tambaya is functioning more like a verbal noun: “(is) doing questioning / asking.”

What exactly does “kan” mean in “tambaya kan makaranta”?