Learn Hardcore Hausa: Yara biyu suna yi kuka saboda suna jin yunwa. - Two children are crying because they feel hungry.

yara biyu = two children (indefinite; any two children, not specified)
yaran biyu = the two children (definite; two particular children both the speaker and listener have in mind)

The -n on yaran is the definite marker attaching to the plural yara.
So adding that -n (or -r/-n in other words) often corresponds to English “the”.

What exactly does suna mean here?

Suna is a combination of:

su = they (3rd person plural subject pronoun)
na = a marker for continuous / ongoing aspect

Together su + na → suna, which you can think of as roughly “they are …-ing”.

So:

suna yi kuka ≈ they are crying
suna jin yunwa ≈ they are feeling hunger / they are hungry

Is suna always “they are”? What about other people (I, you, he/she, we)?

The pattern is similar for other persons, but the forms change:

Ina = I am (continuous)
- Ina jin yunwa = I am hungry.
Kana / Kina = you (m.) are / you (f.) are
- Kana jin yunwa? = Are you (m.) hungry?
Yana / Tana = he is / she is
- Yana yi kuka. = He is crying.
Muna = we are
- Muna karatu. = We are studying.
Suna = they are
- Suna wasa. = They are playing.

So suna specifically marks 3rd person plural in the continuous aspect.

Why do we say suna yi kuka instead of just something like “suna kuka”?

In Hausa, many actions are expressed using the verb yi (“to do, to make”) plus a noun that names the activity.
Kuka is a noun meaning “crying; weeping”.

yi kuka literally = do crying → to cry

So:

suna yi kuka = they are doing crying → they are crying

You can also hear suna kuka in everyday speech, and it is understood as “they are crying”, but suna yi kuka (or suna yin kuka) shows the common “yi + activity-noun” structure very clearly.

I’ve also seen suna yin kuka. Is there any difference from suna yi kuka?

Both are understood as “they are crying”.

suna yi kuka – uses yi as the verb “do” + the noun kuka.
suna yin kuka – here yin is the verbal noun (“doing”) of yi, linked to kuka:
- literally: they are in the doing of crying.

In everyday usage, learners can treat them as equivalent in meaning. Many textbooks prefer suna yin kuka because it shows the verbal-noun pattern (yin X) more transparently, but suna yi kuka is very common in speech and writing.

Could I replace yi kuka with a single verb meaning “to cry”?

Hausa doesn’t typically use a simple one-word verb for “cry” in the way English does.
The normal expression is exactly this type:

yi kuka / yin kuka = to cry, to weep

So instead of inventing a separate verb, Hausa uses the light verb yi (“do”) plus the action noun kuka.
You’ll see the same pattern with many other activities:

yi magana = to speak / talk
yi wasa = to play
yi dariya = to laugh

What does saboda do in this sentence?

Saboda is a conjunction/preposition meaning “because” / “because of”.

In the sentence:

Yara biyu suna yi kuka = Two children are crying
saboda = because
suna jin yunwa = they are hungry / they are feeling hunger

So saboda introduces the reason for the action.
You can also put the saboda-clause first:

Saboda suna jin yunwa, yara biyu suna yi kuka.
= Because they are hungry, two children are crying.

Can saboda also be used with just a noun, not a full clause?

Yes. Saboda can be followed by:

A clause:
- Suna gudu saboda ruwan sama. = They are running because it is raining / because of the rain.
- Yara biyu suna yi kuka saboda suna jin yunwa. = … because they are hungry.
A noun (or noun phrase):
- Suna gudu saboda ruwan sama. = They run because of the rain.
- Yara biyu suna yi kuka saboda yunwa. = Two children are crying because of hunger.

So you can say either saboda suna jin yunwa (because they feel hunger) or saboda yunwa (because of hunger).

Why is it suna jin yunwa and not something like “suna yunwa” or a special adjective for “hungry”?

Hausa usually expresses “to be hungry” with the verb ji (“to feel, sense, experience”) plus the noun yunwa (“hunger”):

jin yunwa = feeling hunger → to be hungry

So:

Ina jin yunwa. = I am hungry.
Suna jin yunwa. = They are hungry.

There isn’t a simple adjective like English “hungry” used in the same way; instead, Hausa uses this “feel + hunger” expression.

Where does the -n in jin come from? I thought the verb is ji.

You’re right that the basic verb is ji (“to feel, hear, sense”).
When ji is used in a verbal-noun or “feeling-of-X” construction before a following noun, it often appears as jin:

jin yunwa = feeling of hunger
jin zafi = feeling pain / heat
jin daɗi = feeling pleasure / enjoyment

The -n is a kind of linking consonant that connects the verb’s verbal-noun form to the following noun. You’ll see the same pattern with other verbal nouns, like yin aiki (doing work), shan ruwa (drinking water), etc.

Does suna here mean specifically “right now” (present continuous), or can it also mean a general habit?

The na / ina / suna type forms mainly mark an ongoing or continuous situation, and they can cover:

Right now / currently:
- Yara biyu suna yi kuka. = Two children are (right now) crying.
A more general or temporary state:
- Suna jin yunwa. = They are hungry (at this time / these days).

For a completed past action, Hausa would normally change to a different form, e.g.:

Sun yi kuka. = They cried (they have cried / they did cry).

So suna … does not by itself mean past; it focuses on an ongoing or current state/action.

Do I need to repeat suna in the second clause, or can I shorten it?

You do not have to repeat suna if the subject is clearly the same; Hausa often allows you to drop it in the second clause:

Yara biyu suna yi kuka saboda jin yunwa.
≈ Two children are crying because (they are) hungry.

This is still understood to mean that the same children are the ones who are hungry.
However, repeating suna as in your original sentence:

Yara biyu suna yi kuka saboda suna jin yunwa.

is very clear and fully natural, especially for learners.