Language/Amharic/Grammar/Expressing-Possession
Introduction
Welcome to the "Complete 0 to A1 Amharic Course"! In this lesson, we will introduce the concept of possession in Amharic. Possession refers to owning or having something. In Amharic, this can be expressed through various structures such as possessive pronouns, the genitive case, and possessive constructs. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to express possession correctly in Amharic.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in Amharic are used to show ownership of a noun. They agree in gender and number with the noun that they modify. The table below shows the different forms of possessive pronouns in Amharic:
| Possessive Pronouns | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My | እኔን:: -enə | እናትን -ənatən | እኛን -ənən | እናቶችን -ənatocən |
| Your | አንተን -antən | አልተቻላስን -altəcalasnən | እሱን -əsunən | አስተማሪዎችን -astämärinocən |
| His/Her/Its | የእኔ መርጠብ -yaênärätbə | የአንተው መርጠቢያ -yaantəwä märätibya | የእንግሊዝኛ መርጠብ -ieñglizña märätbə | የእስክንድው መርጠቢያ -yasikəndiwä märätibya |
| Our | እኛን -ənən | እናቶችን -ənatocən | - | - |
| Your (plural) | ሁሉምን -hulumen | ሁሉምናት -hulumenatən | - | - |
| Their | የሰዩት መርጠብ -yaesəyut märätbə | የሰዉዳዊት መርጠቢያ -yaeswädawit märätibya | - | - |
Examples:
- መሴ - Mese - Table
- የኔ መሴ - Ye-nə messäy - My table
- የእኔ መሴ - Ye-ənə messäy - His/Her/Its table
- የእኛ መሴ - Ye-ənən messäy - Our table
- ሁሉምናት መሴ - Hulumenat messäy - Your (plural) table
- የሰዩት መጠን - Yaesəyut matän - Their house
Genitive Case
The genitive case is used to show possession in Amharic. It is formed by adding the suffix "-ቤ" (-äbə) to the noun. The genitive case also indicates the relationship between the possessed object and the possessor.
Examples:
- የማን ጉዳይ ነው? - Ye-man guday new? - Whose house is it?
- የኔ ጉዳይ ነው - Ye-nə guday new - It's my house
- የእኔ የት ነው? - Ye-ənə ye-tä new? - What's mine?
- የእኔ የሳተላይት ነው - Ye-ənə ye-satatälayit new - It's my car
Possessive Constructs
In Amharic, possession can be expressed by using "ባለ" (bäla) before the name of the possessor and by adding the suffix "-ው" (-wə) to the possessed object. This is known as the possessive construct. The construct shows that the possessor has a strong connection to the possessed object.
Examples:
- ባለነገሩ መጥፎ መታወቅ ነው - Bäla-negeru mätfō meta-wäqə new - The solution lies in the hands of the people
- ባለዘለዓለም መምህር የለውም - Bäla-zäläaläm mämhär yälewəm - The knowledge belongs to God
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have learned how to express possession in Amharic by using possessive pronouns, the genitive case, and the possessive construct. Understanding how to show ownership is an essential part of communication in any language, and Amharic is no exception. Keep practicing to become comfortable with these structures and to expand your vocabulary. Good luck!