| ⇐ Back to Previous Chapter | Back to Contents | Continue to Next Chapter ⇒ |
 |
This book includes inline links to audio files. If you have trouble playing the files, see media help. |
Greeting Conversation
| To play audio files, click the word, not the speaker icon. All audio files are OGG format, which are handled differently by different browsers. |
| See help page for help playing these files. |
Girma: Tariku, akkam bulte?
Tariku: Akkam bulte? Fayyaa dha?
Girma: Fayyaa, galata Waaqaa. Akkam jirta?
Tariku: Nagaa, galata Waaqaa. Eessa deemta?
Girma: Amma gara mana barumsaan deema.
Tariku: Har'a galgala maal goota?
Girma: Edana qo'achuun qaba.
Tariku: Tole. Wal agarra.
[For translation see here]
Basic Sentence Structure
Afaan Oromo follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) format. But because it is a declined language (nouns change depending on their role in the sentence), word order can be flexible, though verbs always come after their subjects and objects. Typically, indirect objects follow direct objects. Oromo has both prepositions and postpositions, though postpositions are more common.
Examples:
“I threw the ball to you” → “I ball to you threw” → “Ani kubbaa siif nan ha'e”
“She came from America” → “She America from came” → “Isheen Ameerikaa irraa dhufte”
Modifiers
Adjectives come after the nouns they modify. Adverbs that modify adjectives go before the adjective. Adverbs that modify verbs, adverbial clauses, and relative clauses tend to go at the beginning of the sentence before the subject.
Examples:
“your blue pen is in my room” → “pen blue your room my in is” → “biirii dooqee kee kutaa koo keessa jira”
“I don't know where it is” → “Where that it is I don't know” → “Eessa akka ta'e ani hin beeku”
“How far is the post office” → “How post office is far?” → “Hagam manni postaa fagaata?”
“What are you doing tonight?” → “Tonight what will you do?” → “Edana maal gotta?”
Chapter Vocabulary
|
“Akkam bulte?” / “Akkam bultani?” |
“Good morning” [lit. “How did you spend the night?”] |
|
“Fayyaa dha?” |
“Are you well?” |
|
“Galata Waaqa” |
“Thank God” |
|
nagaa |
fine |
|
“Akkam jirta?” / “Akkam jirtu?” |
“How are you?” |
|
“Eessa deemta?” |
“Where are you going?” |
|
amma |
now |
|
godhuu |
to do, make |
|
“Maal goochaa jirta?” |
“What are you doing?” |
|
hojii |
work |
|
hojjachuu |
to work |
|
“Maal hojjatta?” |
“What are you working on?” |
|
gara |
to, toward |
|
mana barumsaa |
school |
|
har'a |
today |
|
har'a galgala, edana |
tonight |
|
qo'achuu |
to study |
|
“Qo'achuun qaba” |
“I have to study” |
|
hojii manaa |
homework |
|
“Wal agarra” |
“See you” |
| ⇐ Back to Previous Chapter | Back to Contents | Continue to Next Chapter ⇒ |