Learn Hardcore Hausa: Akwati guda ɗaya yana a ƙarƙashin gadon.

akwati – box (a masculine singular noun)
guda – a counting/classifier word, roughly one piece / one item
ɗaya – the number one
yana – he/it is (3rd person masculine singular form of the verb na “to be (in a place / in a state)” in the continuous/locative pattern)
a – preposition meaning in / at / on (here: at / in the location of)
ƙarƙashin – under / beneath (literally “the underside of …”; from ƙarƙashi
- a linker -n)
gado – bed
-n (in gadon) – a suffix that often marks “of / the” or connects nouns; here it helps give gadon the sense of the bed in this phrase.

So a very literal structure is something like:
Box one‑piece one it‑is at underside‑of the‑bed.

Is there any word in this sentence that corresponds to English there in “There is one box under the bed”?

No. Hausa does not normally use a dummy subject like English there.

Instead, Hausa simply uses:

[subject] + [appropriate “be” form] + [place]

So:

Akwati guda ɗaya yana a ƙarƙashin gadon.
= One box is under the bed.

There is no separate word meaning there here; akwati guda ɗaya (one box) is the real subject of the verb yana.

What exactly is yana? Is it just the verb “is”?

Yana is the 3rd person masculine singular continuous/locative form of the verb na (“to be / to exist / to be located / to be doing”).

The pattern is:

ina – I am
kana – you (sg. masc.) are
kina – you (sg. fem.) are
yana – he/it (masc.) is
tana – she/it (fem.) is
muna – we are
kuna – you (pl.) are
suna – they are

In location sentences, these forms are used a lot:

Littafi yana a tebur. – The book is on the table.
Mota tana a waje. – The car is outside.

So in your sentence, yana is best thought of as “it is (located)” rather than a neutral is.

Why is it yana and not tana or suna?

Because akwati is a masculine singular noun in Hausa, and the verb form must agree with the noun in gender and number.

Masculine singular noun → yana
Feminine singular noun → tana
Plural noun → suna

Compare:

Akwati guda ɗaya yana a ƙarƙashin gadon.
One (masc.) box is under the bed.
Mota guda ɗaya tana a ƙarƙashin gadon.
One (fem.) car is under the bed.
Akwatuna biyu suna a ƙarƙashin gadon.
Two boxes are under the bed.

What does guda ɗaya mean, and do I really need to use both of those words?

Both guda and ɗaya relate to the idea of “one”, but they have slightly different roles:

ɗaya – the number one
guda – a classifier / counting word, like one piece / one unit

Together:

guda ɗaya ≈ one single (piece), exactly one, one and only one.

Common options with akwati are:

akwati ɗaya – one box
akwati guda – one box (one piece)
akwati guda ɗaya – one single box / exactly one box

All are possible. Using guda ɗaya often emphasizes that it is just one item, not several. For everyday speech you will hear all of them; as a learner, akwati ɗaya or akwati guda ɗaya are both perfectly fine.

Where do numbers usually go in Hausa: before the noun or after it?

In Hausa, cardinal numbers normally come after the noun they modify.

So you say:

akwati ɗaya – one box
akwatuna biyu – two boxes
mutane uku – three people
gidaje huɗu – four houses

Optional guda often appears between the noun and a small number:

akwati guda ɗaya – one single box
mutum guda biyu – two people (two individuals)

But the core rule is: NOUN + NUMBER.

What is the role of a in a ƙarƙashin gadon? Is it always required?

a is a very common locative preposition in Hausa. It can mean in, at, on, to (in the sense of at a place).

In this sentence:

a ƙarƙashin gadon ≈ at/under the bed
literally: at the underside of the bed

With location sentences using yana / tana / suna, you will very often see:

… yana a [place] – … is at/in/on [place]

For example:

Littafi yana a tebur. – The book is on the table.
Yara suna a makaranta. – The children are at school.

With certain “complex” place words like ƙarƙashin, saman, bayan, cikin, speakers often drop the a in normal speech:

yana ƙarƙashin gadon
yana a ƙarƙashin gadon

Both are heard. As a learner, using a here is correct and safe; just be aware you may also hear it omitted.

How is ƙarƙashin gadon formed, and why do we get gadon instead of gado?

This is a typical Hausa “of / under / part‑of” construction built from two nouns.

ƙarƙashi – underside / bottom / underneath
Add the linker -n to form ƙarƙashi-n → ƙarƙashin
- This linker connects the first noun to another noun: “underside of …”
gado – bed
Add -n to gado → gadon, which here has a definite sense: “the bed”

So:

ƙarƙashin gado – the underside of a bed / under a bed
ƙarƙashin gadon – the underside of the bed / under the bed (specific)

In your sentence, ƙarƙashin gadon is understood as “under the bed” (a particular bed, usually known in the context).

Does gadon here really mean “the bed”? How would I say just “a bed”?

Yes. In many contexts, adding -n/-r to a noun tends to give it a definite feel, like “the …”.

gado – bed (can be a bed in English)
gadon – often the bed in a specific context

So:

akwati ɗaya yana a ƙarƙashin gado.
→ One box is under a bed / under some bed (not specific).
akwati ɗaya yana a ƙarƙashin gadon.
→ One box is under the bed (a particular bed that we are thinking about).

Hausa does not always mark the difference between a and the as strictly as English, but gadon usually implies a more specific, definite bed.

Are there other common ways to say “under the bed” in Hausa, or is ƙarƙashin gadon the only one?

ƙarƙashin gadon is the most standard and natural way to say “under the bed”.

You might also hear:

ƙasa da gado – literally on the ground by the bed / below the bed, also used for under the bed in some contexts.
a ƙarƙashin gado / a ƙarƙashin gadon – same structure, with the preposition a explicitly added.

But for a learner, ƙarƙashin gadon (or a ƙarƙashin gadon) is the main, safe expression for “under the bed.”

How would I change this sentence to say “Two boxes are under the bed”?

First, make akwati plural, and then change the number and the verb agreement.

Singular: akwati – box
Plural: akwatuna – boxes

Then use biyu (two) and the plural verb suna:

Akwatuna biyu suna a ƙarƙashin gadon.
→ Two boxes are under the bed.

You could also say akwatuna guda biyu to emphasize “two units/individual boxes”:

Akwatuna guda biyu suna a ƙarƙashin gadon.

What would change if the noun were feminine, like mota (car), instead of akwati?

The main change is in the verb form, because the verb must agree with a feminine noun.

mota – car (feminine)
akwati – box (masculine)

So:

Mota guda ɗaya tana a ƙarƙashin gadon.
→ One car is under the bed.

Differences:

akwati … yana … (masc. singular → yana)
mota … tana … (fem. singular → tana)

The rest of the structure stays the same.

What is the difference between the letters ƙ and k, and between ɗ and d, in pronunciation?

They represent different consonant sounds, and the distinction is important for meaning.

k – an ordinary voiceless k sound (as in English skate).
ƙ – an ejective k; it is produced with a little “pop” of air from the glottis. It feels tighter and more forceful than k.
d – an ordinary voiced d sound.
ɗ – a voiced implosive d; you slightly draw air inward as you pronounce it. It sounds “heavier,” and the tongue is often a bit farther back.

Minimal pairs exist, so mixing them up can change meanings. In your sentence:

ƙarƙashi with ƙ (not ordinary k)
ɗaya with ɗ (not ordinary d)

As a learner, it helps to listen closely and try to imitate the difference, even if at first your ƙ sounds a bit like k and ɗ like d. Over time, your ear and pronunciation will improve.