Learn Hardcore Hausa: A makaranta za a tara dubu ɗaya don taimako. - At school a thousand will be collected for help.

a makaranta ≈ “at (the) school / in school”
Hausa doesn’t use articles like a/the the way English does; definiteness is usually understood from context, or shown with endings like -r/-n (e.g. makarantar nan “this school”).

Why is it a makaranta za a… and not za a… a makaranta? Is the order fixed?

Both word orders are possible; it’s mostly about emphasis and style.

A makaranta za a tara dubu ɗaya…
Puts more focus first on the location: “At school, (they) will collect one thousand…”
Za a tara dubu ɗaya a makaranta…
Gives the action first, then adds the place: “One thousand will be collected at school…”

Grammatically, both are fine; Hausa often puts time/place expressions at the beginning of the sentence.

What does za a mean, and why is there no subject like “they” or “we”?

za marks future, and a here is an “impersonal” subject marker, often translated as “one / people / they” or as a passive.

So za a tara dubu ɗaya can be understood as:

“They will collect one thousand,” or
“One thousand will be collected.”

Hausa often uses za a + verb when the doer is not specified or not important. If you want a clear subject, you’d say:

za mu tara… = “we will collect…”
za su tara… = “they will collect…”

What does tara mean here? Is it the same word as tara “nine”?

Yes, it’s the same spelling, but different meanings (and different tones in spoken Hausa):

tara (verb) = to gather / to collect
- za a tara dubu ɗaya = “one thousand will be collected”
tara (number) = nine
- lamba tara = “number nine”

In writing they look the same; the meaning is made clear by context. In this sentence, the verb “to collect” is the only one that makes sense.

What exactly does dubu ɗaya mean?

dubu = thousand
ɗaya = one / first / a single

Together, dubu ɗaya literally means “one thousand”.
Hausa number order here is just like English: [base number] + [smaller number]:

dubu biyu = two thousand
dubu ɗari = one hundred thousand (literally “thousand hundred”)

There’s no word like “money” or “naira” in the sentence. How do we know it’s about money?

Hausa very often omits the word for “money” when the meaning is obvious from the context.

In speech you’ll often hear:

za a tara dubu ɗaya
with the understood meaning “one thousand (naira / currency units) will be collected.”

You can say it explicitly if you want:

A makaranta za a tara dubu ɗaya naira don taimako.
But in everyday talk, people normally leave naira or kuɗi (“money”) out.

What does don in don taimako mean? Is it the same as domin?

don is a preposition meaning roughly “for / for the sake of / in order to / because of.”
So don taimako = “for help / as assistance” (i.e. “as a contribution”).

don is a shorter, very common form of domin; in most everyday contexts they can be used interchangeably:

don taimako ≈ domin taimako = “for help / for assistance.”

What does taimako mean, and how is it related to the verb “to help”?

taimako is a noun meaning “help, assistance, support, aid.”

It comes from the verb taimaka = “to help.”

Sun taimaka mana. = “They helped us.”
Sun ba mu taimako. = “They gave us help / They gave us assistance.”

So don taimako literally: “for (the sake of) help/assistance.”

Is this sentence in a formal or informal style?

It’s neutral and natural—fine for both everyday speech and semi-formal announcements.
You could imagine it being said by:

a teacher talking to students, or
someone reading a school announcement: “At school, one thousand will be collected as a contribution.”

To make it sound slightly more formal, someone might add extra detail, but the core wording is already normal and acceptable.

How would I say the same idea in the past or present instead of the future?

The pattern with a (impersonal/passive) changes with tense:

Future (original sentence):
- Za a tara dubu ɗaya… = “One thousand will be collected…”
Past (completed):
- An tara dubu ɗaya… = “One thousand was collected / has been collected…”
Present / habitual (ongoing / repeated):
- Ana tara dubu ɗaya… = “One thousand is (being) collected / is usually collected…”

You can keep a makaranta and don taimako the same and just change za a / an / ana.

Could I replace tara with another verb, like tattara, and what would change?

Yes, you can say tattara (“to gather together, to collect up”), which can feel a bit more explicit or formal.

A makaranta za a tattara dubu ɗaya don taimako.

The basic meaning is the same (“collect one thousand”), but:

tara is shorter and very common.
tattara can sound a bit more like “gather up / collect from various people/places.”

Both are correct in this context.