Language/Amharic/Grammar/Expressions-Using-the-Relative-Past

Expressions Using the Relative Past in Amharic

There are many useful expressions involving the past tense form of the verb, which describe an action’s relation to another (“after,” “before”, “when,” “since”) or express frequency of an action (“whenever,” “every time”). Consider the following examples:

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ሞባይሌን ከነጠቀኝ በኋላ ሮጠ፡፡	mobayïlen känät’äk’äñ bähwala rot’ä.	After he snatched my mobile, he ran.
ከበላሁ በኋላ ወደ ስራ እሄዳለሁ፡፡	käbälähu bähwala wädä sïra ïhedalähu.	After I eat, I go to work.
አዲስ አበባ በመጣ ቁጥር ሲኒማ ይገባል፡፡	Addis Abäba bämät’a k’ut’ïr sinima yïgäbal.	Every time he comes to Addis Ababa, he goes to the cinema.
ከታመሙ ወዲህ ስጋ አይበሉም፡፡	kätamämu wädih sïga aybälum.	Since he (polite) got sick, he (polite) has not eaten meat.
ቢሮ ከገባች ጀምሮ ጊዜ አላገኘችም፡፡	biro kägäbačč jämïro gize alagäñäččïm.	Since she entered the office, she hasn’t had time.

Notice the following prefixes and suffixes that are used with the past tense verb form in the examples given above. Here are the meanings for some commonly used expressions of this type:

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ከ-	kä-	if, since, as
ከ- በኋላ	kä- bähwala	after
ከ- በፊት	kä- bäfit	before
በ- ጊዜ	bä- gize	when
በ- ቁጥር	bä- k’utïr	whenever, every time that
ከ- ወዲህ	kä- wädih	ever since
ከ- ጀምሮ	kä- jämïro	since, ever since

Even though these expressions use the past tense form of the verb, they can be used to relate past actions (“After he snatched my mobile, he ran.”) or habitual actions (After I eat/ I go to work.).

One of these expressions, ከ- በፊት kä- bäfit, is also commonly used with the infinitive form:

• ከመሄዴ በፊት ሻይ ጠጣሁ፡፡ kämähede bäfit šay t’ät’ahu. Before I went, I drank tea.
• ከመተኛቷ በፊት ገላዋን ትታጠባለች፡፡ kämätäňatwa bäfit gälawan tïtat’äbaläč. Before she sleeps, she takes a shower.

Notice that expressions of this sort that use the infinitive form, rather than the past tense, require the possessive pronoun suffix (-e, -ïh, -ïš, -u, etc.) attached to the end of the infinitive. (Lit: “Before my going, I drank tea.”) “Before her sleeping, she took a shower.”)

Source

https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Amharic/Amharic%20Peace%20Corps%20Language%20Manual-2015.pdf

Other Lessons

• Stem verbs
• Pluralizing
• Time Phrases
• The Past Perfect Tense
• Personal pronouns
• The Present Future Tense
• The Possessive Forms (second method)
• Expressing “Let me” or “May I” “Shall I”
• Pronouns
• The Present Perfect Tense