Language/Somali/Grammar/Future-Tense

Somali Grammar - Future Tense

Hi Somali learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will learn about the future tense in Somali. The future tense is used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future. It is an important tense to effectively communicate in Somali.

Let's start with the basics. In Somali, the future tense is expressed by adding a suffix to the end of the verb, depending on the subject.

There are two types of suffixes:

1. -aan for the first person singular (I) 2. -ay for the second and third person singular (you, he/she/it)

For example:

• Baan rajeyn doonaa. (I will study.)
• Adigu rajeyn doonaysaa. (You will study.)
• Isagu raageyn doonaa. (He will study.)

To form the future tense for plural subjects (we, you all, they), we add -aan to the plural marker -no. For example:

• Waxaanu rajeyn doonnaa. (We will study.)
• Aad rajeyn doontaan. (You all will study.)
• Waxay raageyn doontaa. (They will study.)

It's important to note that the future tense in Somali is not always used when talking about future events. Sometimes, the present tense is used instead to indicate future actions. This depends on the context of the sentence.

For example:

• Maanta waxaan ku dhasheyn doonaa. (I will come tomorrow.)
• Maanta waxaan ku dhashaa. (I am coming tomorrow.)

As you can see, both sentences are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. The first sentence with the future tense emphasizes that the action will happen tomorrow, while the second sentence with the present tense emphasizes that the action is planned for tomorrow.

Let's look at some more examples of the future tense in action:

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Adjective Agreement & Negation.

Somali	Pronunciation	English
Aad iigu celin doontaan.	Ad ee-goo jay-leen doon-taan.	You all will call me.
Waxaan ku ilaalin doonaa.	Wa-xaan koo ee-laa-leen doo-nah.	I will love you.
Iska dhiib doono.	Is-kah dee-ib doo-noh.	He will hide.
Waxaan soo heli doonaa cashuuraha.	Wa-xaan so-hay-lee doo-nah ca-shoo-rah-hah.	I will receive the books.

Don't be afraid to practice using the future tense with native speakers of Somali on Polyglot Club. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Using the Future Tense in Everyday Conversations

To help you understand the Somali future tense even better, here is a dialogue between two friends discussing their plans for the weekend:

• Friend 1: Maanta sidee u fiican tahay? (How are you feeling today?)
• Friend 2: Waa fiicnaa, aad ayaa ugu fiican tahay? (I'm fine, how about you?)
• Friend 1: Waan rajeyn doonaa inaan ku hagaajin alaabta. (I will study to review the lessons.)
• Friend 2: Waan idiin rajaynayaa inaan ka soo toosanno filimada cusub. (We will plan to watch new movies.)
• Friend 1: Halkaas ka hor filmadu soo bandhigayaa? (Where will you get the movies from?)
• Friend 2: Waxaan u soo bandhigayaa internetka. (I got them from the internet.)

Summary

In summary, we use the future tense in Somali to talk about things that will happen in the future. We form the future tense by adding the appropriate suffix to the verb according to the subject. Sometimes, the present tense is used to indicate future events, depending on the context. Practice using the future tense with native Somali speakers to improve your language skills!

To improve your Somali Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Somali grammar - Wikipedia
• Somali Verb Conjugation Paradigms: Present, Past, and Future
• Somali Future Tense | POLYMATH.ORG

Other Lessons

• Negation
• Possession
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood
• Nouns
• Gender
• Time
• Adverbs