Language/Amharic/Grammar/Using-the-Conditional

Amharic Grammar → Advanced Amharic → Using the Conditional

As an experienced Amharic teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the advanced concepts of Amharic grammar. In this lesson, we will talk about the conditional mood, which is an essential part of the Amharic language. The conditional mood is used to express an idea that is dependent on a condition being true or false. For example, "If I had money, I would buy a car" or "If it rains, I will stay at home."

What is the conditional mood?

The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical and tentative propositions. In Amharic, the conditional mood is formed by using the particle "ብዛ" (biza) before the verb in the subjunctive form. The subjunctive form is different from the indicative form and is used to express commands, wishes, suggestions, or hypothetical situations.

How to use the conditional mood

To use the conditional mood, follow these steps:

1. Identify the condition (the "if" clause).
2. Use the subjunctive form of the verb in the "if" clause.
3. Use the conditional mood of the verb in the main clause (the result clause).

Examples

Here are a few examples of how to use the conditional mood in Amharic:

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ከባር ጋር መጓዝ የሚያደርጉት ሰዎች አደገኛቸዋለሁ	kibarə garə maguz yemiyadargugna səwotch adagganachew	If I have time, I will visit my friends.
ሲመቻቹ ፍሬ በልባቸው የሚሻለው ነገር ምን ያደርጋል?	simechachu firə bəlabaw yemishalaw nega meyn yadargal	What would you do if they came to your house?
የመጀመርያ ጊዜ በማዋል ከታላቅ ፍሬ የሚያስተማርክበት የኔ ትእዝብ ነው	yemäjəmärya gize bawimalaw kitalakə firə yemiastamarkabət yene ti'ezib new	If I wake up early in the morning, meditation is what I do.

In the first example, "If I have time" is expressed in the subjunctive form "maguz yemiyadargugna." In the main clause, "I will visit my friends" is expressed in the conditional mood "adagganachew."

In the second example, "What would you do if they came to your house?" is expressed in the subjunctive form "fi'ara yemi-shalaw."

In the last example, "If I wake up early in the morning, meditation is what I do" is expressed in the subjunctive form "yemiastamarkabət yene."

Tips and tricks

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you master the conditional mood in Amharic:

• Always use the subjunctive form in the "if" clause and the conditional mood in the main clause.
• Be careful to use the correct tense in the conditional mood.
• Practice using the conditional mood in daily conversations to become more confident and comfortable with it.

With these tips, you'll be able to use the conditional mood seamlessly in your conversations.

Table of Contents - Amharic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Amharic Alphabet

• Fidel and Syllables
• Pronunciation and Phonetics

  ---

Basic Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Days of the Week and Months
• Colors and Shapes
• Family and Relationships

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses
• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Prepositions and Conjunctions

  ---

Everyday Vocabulary

• Food and Drinks
• Clothing and Accessories
• Weather and Seasons
• Travel and Transportation
• Hobbies and Leisure

  ---

Intermediate Sentence Structure

• Negation and Questions
• Imperatives and Requests
• Expressing Possession
• Comparatives and Superlatives

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Advanced Vocabulary

• Professions and Work
• Health and Body
• Education and Learning
• Nature and Environment
• Technology and Communication

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Ethiopian Culture and Traditions

• Ethiopian Holidays and Festivals
• Ethiopian Cuisine
• Ethiopian Music and Dance
• Ethiopian History and Heritage

Related Lessons

• Simple Gerundive
• The Simple Past
• Asking If and Saying Whether It Is “Suitable” or Not
• Complex Sentence
• The Possessive Adjectives
• Object Pronouns
• Time Adverbs
• 2 sequential actions in the present
• The Past Perfect Tense
• Definite Direct Objects in the Simple Past