This is a Somali retelling of a famous children's story. See if you recognise it.
Vocab
raac - to accompany/look after
ari - sheep and goats
isaga oo ari la jooga meel guriga agtiisa ah - while he was with the sheep and goats in a place near the house
damac(ayuu damcay) - he desired
been u sheeg - to tell a lie
marka - so
ayuu yiri - he said
Hayaay! - Oh no!
waraabe - hyena
muddo - period (of time)
ka dib - after
ku soo orday - running towards him
dad ulo iyo warmo sita - people carrying sticks and spears
markii ay u yimaadeen - when they came
qosley - he laughed
been weeye - it's a lie
waraabe ma jiro - there's no hyena
aad u careysan - very angry
guryahooddii ku noqdeen - they returned to their homes
maalintii dambe - the next day
run - real/true
sidii maalintii hore - like the day before
dadkii.. ayaa maqlay qayladdiisi - the people heard his shouting
qofna uma soo bixin - nobody went out
waa beentiisii hore - he's lying again (lit: 'it's his former lie')
naga daaya - leave us alone
laayey - was slaughtered/wiped out
Questions
1. Maxaa uu Cabdi u sheegay beenta?
'Maxaa uu' is another way of writing 'muxuu'. Remember 'muxuu' means 'what', muxuu u'
2.Markii dhuwaagu yimid, maxaa Cabdi loo kaalmayn waayey?
'dhuwaa' is another word for 'hyena'. 'loo' = 'la'(passive marker) + 'u'. 'maxaa...u' means 'why'. 'kaaymayn waayey' means 'failed to come'. Therefore, 'When the hyena came, why did they fail to come to Abdi?
3.Sheekadani maxaa ay inoo faa'iideeynaysaa?
'Sheeko' = 'story; 'Sheekadan' = 'this story'. 'inoo' = 'ina' + 'u'. 'Faa'iideeynaysaa' means 'to benefit'. Therefore, 'How does this story benefit us?'
4. Weligaa sida Cabdi ma samaysay? Maxaa aad samaysay?
seR|"'Weligaa' = 'Have you ever...' . 'Sida' literally means 'the way', therefore 'sida Cabdi' means 'the way of Abdi' or 'like Abdi'.
'Have you ever done something similar to Abdi? What did you do?'
Waxaan isku dayayaa inaan ogaado
I'm trying to find out
Waxaan isku dayay inaan ogaado
I tried to find out
Waxaan isku dayi doonaa inaan ogaado
I will try to find out
Waxaan isku dayayaa inaan barto af Soomaali
I'm trying to learn Somali
Waxaan isku dayay inaan barto af Soomaali
I tried to learn Somali
Waxaan isku dayi doonaa inaan barto af Soomaali
I will try to learn Somali
Waxaan isku dayayaa inaan gaaro Baariis
I'm trying to reach Paris
Waxaan isku dayay inaan gaaro Baariis
I tried to reach Paris
Waxaan isku dayi doonaa inaan gaaro Baariis
I will try to reach Paris
Waxaan isku dayayaa inaan dhameeyo laba buug
I'm trying to finish two books
Waxaan isku dayay inaan dhameeyo laba buug
I tried to finish two books
Waxaan isku dayi doonaa inaan dhameeyo laba buug
I will try to finish two books
Waxaan isku dayayaa inaan joojiyo sigaarka
I'm trying to stop smoking
Waxaan isku dayay inaan joojiyo sigaarka
I tried to stop smoking
Waxaan isku dayi doonaa inaan joojiyo sigaarka
I will try to stop smoking
The verb 'joog' means 'stop' or 'to be'(in a place). We use the present habitual form to talk about habits,
Waan tagaa shaneemada - I go to the cinema
Sideeddii baan quraacdaa - I have breakfast at 8:00
However, for 'joog' we use the present habitual to make a stative verb, to talk about our state ,
Hadda, waxaan joogaa Tokyo - I'm in Tokyo now (not waan joogayaa)
The present progressive form 'Waan joogayaa' can only be used about the future, like in English,
Waan joogayaa London - I will be staying in London (I'm not
going anywhere else)
If you want to say where you are now, use 'joogaa',
Xaaggaad joogtaa, imminka? - Where are you now?
Hadda, Waxaan joogaa garoonka - Now, I'm at the airport
dugsiga - the school
dukaanka - the shop
isbitaalka - the hospital
shaneemada - the cinema
Maxay kula tahay ? - What do you think?
A very useful phrase( Literally it means 'What is it with you?').You can use it after you make a suggestion or proposal.
Caawa, maxaynu sameeynaa? - What shall we do tonight?
Aynu tagno shaneemada! Maxay kula tahay?
- Let's go to the cinema! What do you say?
Hayye! - Ok!
This is different from 'Maxaad ka fekereysaa?' (What are you thinking about?)
If you see someone who looks troubled or deep in thought, then you use 'Maxaad ka fekereysaa?'
|
|
Past Tense |
Present Habitual |
Present Progressive |
|
|
said |
say |
am saying |
| Waxaan |
I |
iri |
iraahdaa |
oranayaa |
| Waxaad |
You |
tiri |
tiraahdaa |
oranaysaa |
| Wuxuu |
He |
yiri |
yiraahdaa |
oranayaa |
| Waxay |
She |
tiri |
tiraahdaa |
oranaysaa |
| Waxaanu |
We(excl.) |
niri |
niraahnaa |
oranaynaa |
| Waxaynu |
We(incl.) |
niri |
niraahnaa |
oranaynaa |
| Waxaad |
You(pl.) |
tiraahdeen |
tiraahdaan |
oranaysaan |
| Waxay |
They |
yiraahdeen |
yiraahdaan |
oranayaan |
Maxaad tiri? - What did you say?
Waxaan is iri... - I said to myself...
Maalin walba sidaas buu yiraahdaa - He says that every day
Sidee baa loogu yiraahdaa af Soomaali? - How is it said in Somali?
Waxaan oranayaa... - What I'm saying is...
Muxuu oranayaa? - What will he say?(Remember, in Somali the present progressive is often used to talk about the future)
Those of you with a Somali textbook will notice that when I deal with classifiers or focus words (waan, baan, etc), for 2nd person plural ('you all') I generally use 'waxaad' or 'waad' or 'baad' instead of 'waxaydin', 'waydin' or 'baydin'. In the textbooks, these are used I think to show you that these forms exist. When I started learning Somali, I was also using 'waxaydin' etc, but other people said it was strange, and that it is better to use 'waxaad' etc for 2nd person plural. I think words like 'waxaydin' are used perhaps only for very formal occasions. My mother also said it is better and more natural to use 'waxaad' instead of 'waxaydin' when talking. I hope to get other opinions on this.
Waxaan ahay - Waxaan ahaa
I am I was
Waxaad tahay - Waxaad ahayd
You are You were
Wuxuu yahay - Wuxuu ahaa
He is He was
Waxay tahay - Waxay ahayd
She is She was
Waxaanu nahay - Waxaanu ahayn
We(excl.) are We(excl.) were
Waxeynu nahay - Waxeynu ahayn
We(incl.) are We(incl.) were
Waxaad tihiin - Waxaad ahaydeen
You are You were
Waxay yihiin - Waxay ahaayeen
They are They were
Maxaad qaban jirtey markaad Japan joogtey?
What were you doing when you were in Japan?
Waxaan ahaa ardey.
I was a student.
In Somali, when you are telling a story, to say 'One day...' or 'One morning...' you can use the following construction,
Maalin maalmaha ka mid ah - One day...
NOUN(SING.) NOUN(PLURAL+ DEF. ART) FROM ONE VERB(SUBJUNCTIVE)
Beri beryaha ka mid ah - Once upon a time...
Subax subaxyada ka mid ah - One morning...
Habeen habeenada ka mid ah - One evening...
Galab galbaha ka mid ah - One afternoon...
Literally, it says 'one day from the days/one afternoon from the afternoons', etc.
This is how you make superlatives in Somali,
ugu + (adjective) = superlative
ugu + wanaagsan(good) = ugu wanaagsan (the best)
ugu + fiican (good) = ugu fiican (the best)
ugu + xun (bad) = ugu xun (the worst)
ugu + guruxsan = ugu guruxsan (the most beautiful)
ugu + foolxun(ugly) = ugu foolxun (the ugliest)
ugu + weyn (big) = ugu weyn (the biggest)
ugu + yar (small) = ugu yar (the smallest)
ugu + dheer (tall) = ugu dheer (the tallest)
ugu + gaaban (short) = ugu gaaban (the shortest)
ugu + buuran (fat) = ugu buuran (the fattest)
ugu + dhuuban (short) = ugu dhuuban (the shortest)
ugu + adag (difficult) = ugu adag (the most difficult)
ugu + fudud (easy) = ugu fudud (the easiest)
Isagu ugu dheer
He is the tallest
Iyadu ugu quruxsan
She is the most beautiful
Kyoto waa meesha aan ugu jeclahay Japan -
Kyoto is the place I like most in Japan
Sushi waa cuntada aan ugu jeclahay cuntada japaneseka
Sushi is the dish I like most out of Japanese cuisine
Anna waa qofka aan ugu jeclahay saaxiibadayda
Anna is the person I like most of my friends
Af Soomaliga ugu adag afafka dunida
Somali is the most difficult of all languages in the world
Markaan joogey Japan, aad baan u cuni jirey cuntada Japaneseka.
Dadka Japaneseka waxay cunaan kalluun badan. Japaneseku waxay cunaan cunto oo "Sushi" la tiraahdo. Sushi waa kalluun qaydhiin ah. Markii iigu horeysey, maan jeclayn. Laakiin, tartiib tartiib waan jeclaatey.
kalluun(ka) - fish
cunto oo ... la tiraahdo - a dish called...
qaydhiin - raw
markii iigu horeysey - I, in the beginning
tartiib - slowly
jeclaatey - began to like it
