Burcad Badeed - pirates

Sidee baa loogu yiraahdaa af Soomaali "pirates"?
How do you say "pirates" in Somali?


The answer is "burcad badeed". This literally means "sea bandits". The word for 'sea' in Somali is 'bad(da)'. 


Burcada soomaalida ayaa ka afduubtay markab xamuul jasiirada Maldives. Waa markii ugu horaysay ee burcada ay ka afduubaan biyaha u dhow hindiya iyo Srilanka.

Somali pirates have hijacked a ship in the Maldives. It is the first time that pirates have attacked in waters close to India and Sri Lanka.

afduub - kidnap, abduct, hijack
burcad - bandits
markab - ship
....u dhow - close to... (e.g. Wuu ku helay meel u dhow gurigayga - He found it close to my house)
Waa markii ugu horaysay ee... - It is the first time that...

Weli - still

'Weli' means 'still' . You can use it in both the positive and negative sense.

Weli lacag baan haystaa - I still have some money
Weli gurigaas baan leeyahay - I still have that house
Weli caruur baan dooneyaa - I still want children
Weli hilib lo'aad buu cunaa - He still eats beef
Weli af Soomali bey ku hadlaan - They still speak Somali


'Maan tegin' means 'I didn't go'. But if you put 'weli' in front of it, it becomes 'Weli maan tegin' - I haven't gone yet (but there is still a possibility I might go)


Weli maan tegin - I still haven't gone
Weli muu cunin cuntadiisa - He still hasn't eaten his meal
Weli maan guursannin - I still haven't got married
Weli mey kuma hadlaan af Soomali - They still don't speak Somali 
Weli muu hadlin - He still hasn't spoken

Habsaan baan ahay - I'm late

Waxaan kuu sheegayaa sida loogu yiraahdo af Soomaali 'I'm late'.
(I will tell you how 'I'm late' is said in Somali)


Habsaan baan ahay - I'm late 

Habsaan baan ahay ee raali ahow - Sorry I'm late!
  
'I was late', laba sidood baa loo isticmaali karaa( you can use two ways to say it)


Habsaan baan ahaa - I was late/I was held up 
Waan habsaamay - I was late

If you want to say ' I was late to work/school/the game, etc, use 'ka',


Waxaan ka habsaamay shaqada - I was late to work
Waxaan ka habsaamay dugsiga - I was late to school
Waxaan ka habsaamay ciyaarta - I was late to the dance

Ila hadal (Talk with me)

This is a short video I put together so that you can listen to and practise some phrases. It is from a programme called 'Ila hadal' which means 'Talk with me'. It is a good programme to watch as a Somali learner.

Some phrases that I forgot to include,


Waa barnaamij cusub - It is a new programme

Waxay ka kooban tahay - It is comprised of/ It consists of...


Saddex qaybood - Three parts

Follow BBC Somali on Twitter

You can follow BBC Somali on Twitter here,  
http://twitter.com/#!/bbcsomali.

They have short bite-sized sentences in Somali that are easy to digest. For example, 


Shirka London. Barnaamij ku saabsan shirka London
The London Conference. A programme about the London Conference.


Click: Wararka Toddobaadkii ee tiknoolajiga 
Click: Weekly news on technology 


Turkish Airline oo u duushay Somalia
Turkish Airline flew to Somalia

fara badan - many, numerous

A popular way of saying that there are many of something is to use the phrase 'fara badan'. It literally means 'many fingers'. For example,


Hadda, waxaa soo baxay radio, tv, wargeys iyo bar internet fara badan 
Now, many radio stations, tv channels and newspapers and internet sites have come out


Ciidamo Itoobiyaan fara badan ayaa soo gaaray degmada Luuq
Many Ethiopian troops have reached the Luuq district.

Kalluun fara badan oo ku soo Caariyey Xeebta Magaalada Bosaaso
Many fish were washed up on the beach of Boosaaso City.

Dhalasho wanaagsan! - Happy Birthday!

In case you wanted to know, 


Dhalasho wanaagsan! - Happy Birthday!

'Dhalasho' means 'birth'. 

Use the list below when you want to say where you are born, 


Waxaan ku dhashay Ingriiska - I was born in Britain
Waxaad ku dhalatay Boolaand - You were born in Poland
Wuxuu ku dhashay Faransiiska - He was born in France
Waxay ku dhalatay Mareykanka - She was born in America
Waxaanu ku dhalanney Jarmalka - We were born in Germany
Waxeynu ku dhalanney Spain - We were born in Spain
Waxaad ku dhalateen Canada - You were born in Canada
Waxay ku dhasheen Soomaaliya - They were born in Somalia

Remember that 'ku' means 'in, at'

Xaggee (noun) laga helaa? - Where can I get (noun)?

If you want to ask someone how to get something in Somali, a common phrase is,


Xaggee (noun) laga helaa? - Where does one get (noun)from?


The verb 'hel' means 'to get/obtain'. 'laga' is the fusion of two prepositions; 'la' makes the sentence passive, and 'ka' (from). 

Xaggee buuggan laga helaa? - Where does one get this book?
Xaggee baabuurkan laga helaa? - Where do I get this car?
Xaggee ticket laga helaa? - Where do I get a ticket?
Xaggee biyo laga helaa? - Where does one get water?


Another similar phrase is to use 'heli karaa' (able to get)


Xaggee bus laga heli karaa? - Where can I get a bus?
Xaggee cabbitaan laga heli karaa? - Where can I get a drink?
Xaggee cunto laga heli karaa?  
- Where can one get food?


You can move the object to the end of the sentence,


Xaggee laga heli karaa shaqo? - Where can one get a job?
Xaggee laga heli karaa fursad? - Where can I get an opportunity?
Xaggee laga heli karaa caawinaad? - Where can I get help?