Learn Hardcore Hausa: Bayan taron, mun yi tunani a gida kan tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako. - After the meeting, we thought at home about the study plan and the weekly agenda.

baya
- As a noun: back, behind (e.g. a baya = at the back / behind).
- As an adverb/time word: later, afterwards in some contexts.
daga baya = later on, afterwards (more like “after that / subsequently”).

So:

Bayan taron, mun yi tunani… = After the meeting, we thought…
Mun yi taro. Daga baya, mun yi tunani… = We had a meeting. Later on, we thought… (more separated actions in time).

Why is it taron and not just taro in Bayan taron?

Taro means “meeting”. When it is linked to another word (here to bayan) and is definite (“the meeting”), Hausa often uses the so‑called linking n:

taro → taron
Bayan taro = after a meeting (can be more general)
Bayan taron = after the meeting (more specific/definite)

In practice, Bayan taro and Bayan taron are both heard, but taron clearly suggests a particular, known meeting (like “the meeting we have been talking about”).

How does mun yi tunani work? Why do we use yi instead of a simple “think” verb?

Hausa very often uses the verb yi (“to do, to make”) together with a verbal noun to express actions.

tunani = thought, thinking (a noun)
yi tunani = to do thinking → to think, to reflect

So:

mun yi tunani
- mu = we
- -n (attached) = past/completive marker
- mun = we (COMPLETIVE) = “we did / we have”
- yi tunani = “did thinking”
  → mun yi tunani = we thought / we reflected

Other common patterns like this:

yi magana = to speak (literally “do speech”)
yi bacci = to sleep (literally “do sleep”)
yi aiki = to work (literally “do work”)

So yi + verbal noun is a very typical way of forming verbs in Hausa.

What is the difference between mun yi tunani and muna yin tunani?

Both involve tunani, but aspect is different:

mun yi tunani
- mun = we (completive)
- Action is finished, viewed as a whole
- Translation: we thought / we reflected (and that’s done)
muna yin tunani
- muna = we (imperfective / progressive)
- yin = yi
  - -n linker before a noun
- Ongoing, repeated or habitual action
- Translation: we are thinking / we usually think

In your sentence, mun yi tunani fits because it refers to something completed after the meeting.

Why do we say a gida and not just gida in this sentence?

gida means home/house. The preposition a indicates location:

a gida = at home / in the house

In many contexts:

Ina gida. = I’m at home. (The preposition can be omitted in some very common expressions.)
Ina zaune a gida. = I am sitting at home. (Here you must use a.)

In your sentence, the full form with the preposition is natural and clear:

mun yi tunani a gida = we thought at home / we reflected at home

What does kan mean in a gida kan tsari na karatu…, and how is it different from game da or akan?

Here, kan is a preposition meaning “about, regarding, concerning”:

mun yi tunani … kan tsari na karatu
= we thought … about the study plan

Comparison:

kan (short form)
- Very common in speech and writing.
- Often used after verbs of speaking, thinking, arguing, etc.
- mu tattauna kan wannan batu = let’s discuss this issue.
game da
- Also “about/regarding”, a bit more explicit.
- mun yi tunani game da tsari na karatu = we thought about the study plan.
akan
- Historically a kan, “on / on top of”, but also used figuratively as “about / regarding”.
- You may see akan in more formal or written contexts.

In everyday use, kan and game da are both very common for “about”.

What does tsari na karatu literally mean, and what is the role of na here?

tsari = structure, arrangement, system, plan
karatu = reading, study, schooling

So tsari na karatu literally is:

tsari = plan/structure
na = of / for
karatu = study

→ tsari na karatu = plan for study → study plan / study structure / course plan

The word na is a linker/possessive marker meaning “of / for”, used to connect two nouns:

motar Ali / mota ta Ali or mota na Ali = Ali’s car
shirin daren or shiri na dare = the night programme

You could also say:

tsarin karatu (using tsarin = tsari
- linking -n)

Both tsari na karatu and tsarin karatu are possible; the na construction is very common and a bit more “analytic” (like using a separate “of” word).

Why is da used between tsari na karatu and ajanda na mako? Is it always used for “and”?

Yes, in this sentence da means “and”:

tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako
= the study plan and the agenda for the week

da is the normal word for “and” in many contexts:

Ali da Musa = Ali and Musa
gida da mota = a house and a car

You will also see:

da kuma = “and also / and furthermore” (a bit more emphatic)
- tsari na karatu da kuma ajanda na mako = the study plan and also the weekly agenda.

Note: da has other meanings too (e.g. “with”, “using”), but here it’s the coordinating conjunction “and”.

What does ajanda na mako mean exactly, and is ajanda really Hausa?

ajanda is a loanword (from English “agenda”) that has been adopted into Hausa.
mako = week
na = of / for

So:

ajanda na mako = agenda of the week → the agenda for the week / weekly agenda

Because ajanda is now well‑established in Hausa, you can treat it like any other noun:

ajandar yau = today’s agenda
ajandar taro = the meeting’s agenda

How is the overall phrase kan tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako structured in Hausa?

Breakdown:

kan = about / regarding
tsari na karatu = the study plan (literally: plan of study)
da = and
ajanda na mako = the weekly agenda (literally: agenda of the week)

So the structure is:

Preposition of topic: kan
First noun phrase: tsari na karatu
Coordinator: da
Second noun phrase: ajanda na mako

→ kan [tsari na karatu] da [ajanda na mako]
= about [the study plan] and [the weekly agenda]

Hausa keeps the same order as English here: preposition → things you are thinking about.

How would I change the sentence to say “After the meeting, we will think at home about the study plan and the agenda for the week”?

You mainly need to change the verb from past to future:

Bayan taron, za mu yi tunani a gida kan tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako.

Explanation:

za mu = we will (future)
yi tunani = think
Everything else stays the same.

So you have:

mun yi tunani = we thought
za mu yi tunani = we will think

What exactly does mun mean, and how is it related to mu and muna?

All three are related to the 1st person plural “we”:

mu
- Independent pronoun: we
- Can stand alone: Mu ne = It is us.
mun
- mu
  - completive marker -n
- Attached before the verb to mark completed action.
- mun yi = we did / we have done
- In your sentence: mun yi tunani = we thought / we reflected.
muna
- Imperfective/progressive form for “we”
- Used for ongoing or habitual actions.
- muna yi = we are doing / we do (regularly)

So:

mun yi tunani = we thought (completed)
muna yin tunani = we are thinking / we think (regularly)

Could I move a gida to another place in the sentence, like “Bayan taron, a gida mun yi tunani kan … ”?

Yes, Hausa word order is flexible, especially for adverbials like a gida. Some possibilities:

Bayan taron, mun yi tunani a gida kan tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako.
- Neutral: After the meeting, we thought at home about…
Bayan taron, a gida mun yi tunani kan tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako.
- Slight emphasis on a gida (it was at home that we did the thinking).
Bayan taron, a gida muka yi tunani kan tsari na karatu da ajanda na mako.
- Using muka (focused past “we”) puts even stronger focus:
  After the meeting, it was at home that we thought about…

For a learner, version (1) is the clearest and most neutral; the others involve focus and emphasis.