Learn Hardcore Hausa: Taron makaranta zai fara da safe. - The school meeting will start in the morning.

When you see taron, that final -n is a linking consonant (often called a genitive linker). It is used when one noun directly modifies another, similar to “X of Y” in English.

taro = a meeting, an assembly
taron makaranta = the school assembly (literally: assembly-of school)

That -n only appears at the end of certain nouns when another noun follows them. It does not change the basic meaning; it just shows the link: assembly-of school.

What does makaranta mean here? Does it mean “school building” or “school as an institution”?

Makaranta is the general word for school and can mean either:

the institution (school as an organization), or
the place/building (school as a location).

In taron makaranta, the most natural reading is “school assembly”, i.e., the assembly that belongs to / is associated with the school. It doesn’t focus on the building; it’s more like the event held by the school community.

Why is the order taron makaranta and not something like “makarantar taro”?