Learn Hardcore Hausa: Bayan na karanta labarin sau ɗaya, na sake karantawa a hankali don in fi fahimta. - After I read the story once, I read it again slowly so that I understand it better.

bayan
- a completed action = after doing X
It normally comes at the beginning of the clause it introduces, just like English after:
- Bayan na tashi, na wanke fuska. – After I got up, I washed my face.

You could also say:

Na sake karantawa a hankali bayan na karanta labarin sau ɗaya.
The meaning is the same; the order just shifts slightly.

Why is na used twice: na karanta and na sake karantawa?

The na here is a subject + tense marker for 1st person singular, perfective/completed action. It is used with each main verb:

na karanta labarin sau ɗaya – I read the story once (completed action)
na sake karantawa a hankali – I read it again carefully (another completed action)

In Hausa, each separate main verb typically gets its own subject/tense marker:

Na tashi, na yi wanka, na ci abinci.
I got up, I bathed, I ate.

So repeating na is normal and required.

What is the difference between labari and labarin?

labari = story, news, report (basic form)
labarin = the story / the news in this context

The -n at the end is a linking/possessive suffix (called a ɓangaren suna or linker):

labarin nan – this story
labarin da na karanta – the story that I read

In your sentence, labarin is like saying the story (a specific one already known from context).

What does sau ɗaya mean, and how does sau work with numbers?

sau ɗaya means one time / once.

sau literally means time(s)/occurrence(s) in counting actions.
You combine sau with a number:
- sau ɗaya – once
- sau biyu – twice
- sau uku – three times
- sau da yawa – many times

So na karanta labarin sau ɗaya = I read the story once.

Why is it na sake karantawa, not na sake karanta?

Both patterns can exist, but they are slightly different:

karanta – finite verb to read
karantawa – verbal noun / gerund-like form reading

After sake (again), Hausa often uses the verbal noun:

na sake karantawa – I did the reading again / I re-read

You could also say:

Na sake karanta labarin. – I read the story again.
Na sake karantawa a hankali. – I did another round of reading, carefully.

Using karantawa emphasizes the activity of reading again, almost like “I repeated the reading”.

What does a hankali mean exactly?

a hankali literally means in quietness / in slowness, but idiomatically it means:

slowly
carefully
gently

In your sentence:

na sake karantawa a hankali – I read it again slowly/carefully.

Common uses:

Yi a hankali. – Do it slowly / Take it easy / Be careful.
Ka tuƙa mota a hankali. – Drive the car carefully.

What does don mean in don in fi fahimta?

don here means so that / in order that (introducing purpose).

So don in fi fahimta is:

so that I may understand more / better.

Patterns:

don
- subjunctive verb form = so that / in order to
  - Na koma makaranta don in koyi Hausa.
    I returned to school so that I can learn Hausa.
  - Na yi hakan don in taimake shi.
    I did that in order to help him.

don can also mean because of or for in other contexts, but here it clearly shows purpose.

What is the function of in in don in fi fahimta?

in here is a subjunctive subject marker for 1st person singular (I), used in subordinate clauses of purpose, condition, etc.

Compare:

Na fi fahimta. – I understand more/better. (main clause: na)
don in fi fahimta. – so that I may understand more/better. (subordinate/purpose: in)

Roughly:

na = I (completed action / perfective)
ina = I am (ongoing action / progressive)
in = I should / I may (subjunctive/hypothetical/purpose)

Examples:

In na isa da wuri, zan kira ka. – If I arrive early, I will call you.
Na karanta sosai don in ci jarabawa. – I studied hard so that I may pass the exam.

How does fi work in in fi fahimta?

fi is a verb meaning to exceed / to be more than, used for comparatives like more, better, greater.

In in fi fahimta, the idea is:

for me to exceed (in) understanding → for me to understand more / better

Common pattern:

X ya fi Y kyau. – X is better/more beautiful than Y.
Na fi fahimta yanzu. – I understand more now / I understand better now.

Here the comparison is implicit (compared to before), so fi fahimta naturally reads as “have more understanding” or “understand better.”

Could the sentence use dõmin instead of don, and would the meaning change?

Yes, you could say:

Bayan na karanta labarin sau ɗaya, na sake karantawa a hankali dõmin in fi fahimta.

don and dõmin are very close:

don – very common in speech and writing.
dõmin – slightly more formal or emphatic, often in writing or careful speech.

In everyday conversation, don is more typical. The meaning here stays essentially the same: “so that I can understand better.”

Can a hankali appear in a different position in the sentence?

Yes. It is an adverbial phrase and can move a bit, as long as the sentence stays clear:

Na sake karantawa a hankali don in fi fahimta. (original)
Na sake karantawa don in fi fahimta a hankali. (less natural: sounds like understand carefully)
A hankali na sake karantawa don in fi fahimta. (fronted for emphasis: Slowly, I read it again…)

The most natural place, especially for learners, is right after the verb it modifies:

na sake karantawa a hankali – I read again slowly/carefully.

Is na karanta present perfect (“I have read”) or simple past (“I read”)?

na karanta is perfective: a completed action in the past. Depending on context, it can translate as either English simple past or present perfect:

Na karanta labarin jiya. – I read the story yesterday. (simple past)
Na karanta wannan littafi. – I have read this book. (present perfect)

In your sentence:

Bayan na karanta labarin sau ɗaya…
After I read / had read the story once…

English tense choice depends on style and context, but Hausa na karanta just says “I completed the reading.”

Could you say this idea in a slightly simpler Hausa sentence?

Yes, here are a couple of simpler variants that keep the same idea:

Na karanta labarin sau ɗaya, sai na karanta shi a hankali don in fi fahimta.
- I read the story once, then I read it slowly so that I understand better.
Na karanta labarin sau ɗaya, daga baya na karanta shi a hankali don in fahimta sosai.
- I read the story once, later I read it slowly so that I understand it well.

These avoid the verbal noun karantawa and use karanta shi instead, which some learners find easier at first.