Tuesday 19 April 2011

Immisa jir baad tahay? (How old are you?)

Jaamac: Wiilkayga maad aragtey? 
            - Have you seen my son?
Liban:   Mey, magaciisa waa maxay? 
            - No, what's his name?
Jaamac: Waa Cabdi. Cabdiyow! Kaaley!
             - It's Abdi. Hey Abdi, come here!
Liban : Assalamu alaikum.
            - Peace be upon you.
Cabdi: Assalamu alaikum.
           - Peace be upon you.
Liban: Immisa jir baad tahay?
          - How old are you?
Cabdi: Lix jir.
          - Six years old.

'Immisa' is a useful word that means 'how many/how much'. The phrase 'Immisa jir baad tahay' means roughly 'How many years are you?'. The usual word for year is 'sano'. But you reply to this question by using 'jir'. So,

Immisa jir baad tahay?

Lix iyo toban jir - Sixteen years old (lit: 'six & ten years)
Labaatan jir      - Twenty years old
Sideed iyo labaatan jir - Twenty eight years old
Afartan jir         - Fourty years old
Sagaashan jir - Ninety years old

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