Language/Standard-moroccan-tamazight/Grammar/Verb-to-be

Verb To Be in Berber

Verb to be in Tamazight have two meanings.

Meanings

1st is "g" which indicate condition

I am	gigh	we are	nga
you are(m) you are(f)	tgit	you are(m.p) you are(f.p)	tgam tgamt
he is	iga	they are(m) they are (f)	gan gant
she is	tga

2nd "ili" indicates location /place

i am	lligh	we are	nlla
you are(m) you are (f)	tllit	you are(m.p) you are(f.p)	tllam tllamt
he is	illa	they are (m)	llan llant
she is	tlla

Conjugation To Be in Berber

Amyag Amaziɣ (The Berber verb)

• ili = to be / to exist. 

Amezray unzil (The simple past, valid in the present too)

• Nec lliɣ = I am.
• Cek tellid = You (man) are. 
• Cem tellid = You (woman) are. 
• Netta yella = He is. 
• Nettat tella = She is. 
• Neccin nella = We are. 
• Kenniw tellam = You (men) are. 
• Kennint tellamt = You (women) are. 
• Nitni llan = They (men) are. 
• Nitenti llant = They (women) are. 

Amezray unzil anabaw (The negative simple past, valid in the present too)

• Nec wer lliɣ = I am not.
• Cek wer tellid = You (man) are not. 
• Cem wer tellid = You (woman) are not. 
• Netta wer yelli = He is not. 
• Nettat wer telli = She is not. 
• Neccin wer nelli = We are not. 
• Kenniw wer tellim = You (men) are not. 
• Kennint wer tellimt = You (women) are not. 
• Nitni wer llin = They (men) are not. 
• Nitenti wer llint = They (women) are not. 

Amezray ummid  / izri ummid (The perfect past)

• Nec ttuɣa lliɣ = I was. / I had been. 
• Cek ttuɣa tellid = You (man) were. / You had been. 
• Cem ttuɣa tellid = You (woman) were. / You had been. 
• Netta ttuɣa yella = He was. / He had been. 
• Nettat ttuɣa tella = She was. / She had been. 
• Neccin ttuɣa nella = We were. / We had been. 
• Kenniw ttuɣa tellam = You (men) were. / You had been. 
• Kennint ttuɣa tellamt = You (women) were. / You had been. 
• Nitni ttuɣa llan = They (men) were. / They had been. 
• Nitenti ttuɣa llant = They (women) were. / They had been. 

Amezray ummid anabaw (The negative perfect past)

• Nec ttuɣa wer lliɣ = I was not. / I had not been. 
• Cek ttuɣa wer tellid = You (man) were not. / You had not been. 
• Cem ttuɣa wer tellid = You (woman) were not. / You had not been. 
• Netta ttuɣa wer yelli = He was not. / He had not been. 
• Nettat ttuɣa wer telli = She was not. / She had not been. 
• Neccin ttuɣa wer nelli = We were not. / We had not been. 
• Kenniw ttuɣa wer tellim = You (men) were not. / You had not been. 
• Kennint ttuɣa wer tellimt = You (women) were not. / You had not been. 
• Nitni ttuɣa wer llin = They (men) were not. / They had not been. 
• Nitenti ttuɣa wer llint = They (women) were not. / They had not been. 

Amezray amasul / izri imezgi (The continuous past)

• Nec ttuɣa ttiliɣ = I was being. 
• Cek ttuɣa tettilid = You (man) were being.
• Cem ttuɣa tettilid = You (woman) were being.
• Netta ttuɣa yettili = He was being. 
• Nettat ttuɣa tettili = She was being. 
• Neccin ttuɣa nettili = We were being. 
• Kenniw ttuɣa tettilim = You (men) were being.  
• Kennint ttuɣa tettilimt = You (women) were being. 
• Nitni ttuɣa ttilin = They (men) were being. 
• Nitenti ttuɣa ttilint = They (women) were being. 

Amezray amasul anabaw (The negative continuous past)

• Nec ttuɣa wer ttiliɣ = I was not being. 
• Cek ttuɣa wer tettilid = You (man) were not being.
• Cem ttuɣa wer tettilid = You (woman) were not being.
• Netta ttuɣa wer yettili = He was not being. 
• Nettat ttuɣa wer tettili = She was not being. 
• Neccin ttuɣa wer nettili = We were not being. 
• Kenniw ttuɣa wer tettilim = You (men) were not being.  
• Kennint ttuɣa wer tettilimt = You (women) were not being. 
• Nitni ttuɣa wer ttilin = They (men) were not being. 
• Nitenti ttuɣa wer ttilint = They (women) were not being. 

Aturaw imezgi / imiran amasul (The continuous present)

• Nec ttiliɣ = I am being. / I usually am. 
• Cek tettilid = You (man) are being. / You usually are.
• Cem tettilid = You (woman) are being. / You usually are. 
• Netta yettili = He is being. / He usually is. 
• Nettat tettili = She is being. / She usually is. 
• Neccin nettili = We are being. / We usually are. 
• Kenniw tettilim = You (men) are being. / You usually are. 
• Kennint tettilimt = You (women) are being. / You usually are. 
• Nitni ttilin = They (men) are being. / They usually are. 
• Nitenti ttilint = They (women) are being. / They usually are. 

Aturaw amasul anabaw (The negative continuous present)

• Nec wer ttiliɣ = I am not being. / I usually am not. 
• Cek wer tettilid = You (man) are not being. / You usually are not.
• Cem wer tettilid = You (woman) are not being. / You usually are not. 
• Netta wer yettili = He is not being. / He usually is not. 
• Nettat wer tettili = She is not being. / She usually is not. 
• Neccin wer nettili = We are not being. / We usually are not. 
• Kenniw wer tettilim = You (men) are not being. / You usually are not. 
• Kennint wer tettilimt = You (women) are not being. / You usually are not. 
• Nitni wer ttilin = They (men) are not being. / They usually are not. 
• Nitenti wer ttilint = They (women) are not being. / They usually are not. 

Adimal unzil / imal unzil (The simple future)

• Nec ad iliɣ = I will be.
• Cek ad tilid = You (man) will be. 
• Cem ad tilid = You (woman) will be. 
• Netta ad yili = He will be. 
• Nettat ad tili = She will be. 
• Neccin ad nili = We will be. 
• Kenniw ad tilim = You (men) will be. 
• Kennint ad tilimt = You (women) will be. 
• Nitni ad ilin = They (men) will be. 
• Nitenti ad ilint = They (women) will be.

Adimal ussid / imal ussid (The intensive future)

• Nec ad ttiliɣ = I will always be.
• Cek ad tettilid = You (man) will always be. 
• Cem ad tettilid = You (woman) will always be. 
• Netta ad yettili = He will always be. 
• Nettat ad tettili = She will always be. 
• Neccin ad nettili = We will always be. 
• Kenniw ad tettilim = You (men) will always be. 
• Kennint ad tettilimt = You (women) will always be. 
• Nitni ad ttilin = They (men) will always be. 
• Nitenti ad ttilint = They (women) will always be.

Adimal unzil anabaw (The negative simple future)

• Nec urad iliɣ = I will not be.
• Cek urad tilid = You (man) will not be. 
• Cem urad tilid = You (woman) will not be. 
• Netta urad yili = He will not be. 
• Nettat urad tili = She will not be. 
• Neccin urad nili = We will not be. 
• Kenniw urad tilim = You (men) will not be. 
• Kennint urad tilimt = You (women) will not be. 
• Nitni urad ilin = They (men) will not be. 
• Nitenti urad ilint = They (women) will not be.

Adimal ussid anabaw (The negative intensive future)

• Nec urad ttiliɣ = I will not always be.
• Cek urad tettilid = You (man) will not always be. 
• Cem urad tettilid = You (woman) will not always be. 
• Netta urad yettili = He will not always be. 
• Nettat urad tettili = She will not always be. 
• Neccin urad nettili = We will not always be. 
• Kenniw urad tettilim = You (men) will not always be. 
• Kennint urad tettilimt = You (women) will not always be. 
• Nitni urad ttilin = They (men) will not always be. 
• Nitenti urad ttilint = They (women) will not always be.

Anaḍ unzil / aneẓḍay unzil (The simple imperative)

• ili! = be! (man / woman). 
• ilit! / ilim! = be! (men). 
• ilimt! = be! (women).

Anaḍ ussid / aneẓḍay ussid (The intensive imperative)

• ttili! = always be! (man / woman). 
• ttilit! / ttilim! = always be! (men). 
• ttilimt! = always be! (women).

Anaḍ ussid anabaw (The negative intensive imperative): 

• wer ttili! / adur ttili! = do not be! (man / woman). 
• wer ttilit! / adur ttilim! = do not be! (men). 
• wer ttilimt! / adur ttilimt! = do not be! (women). 
• Prepared by: Mubarik Belqasem 
• Asmuteg: Mubarik Belqasem 

Other Lessons

• Possessive pronouns
• Verb have in tamazight
• Future Tense
• Questions
• Plurals
• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Negation
• Masculine and feminine nouns