Difference between revisions of "Language/Amharic/Grammar/Expressions-Using-the-Relative-Past"
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[[File:Amharic-Language-PolyglotClub.png|thumb]] | [[File:Amharic-Language-PolyglotClub.png|thumb]] | ||
<div | <div class="pg_page_title"> Expressions Using the Relative Past in Amharic</div> | ||
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: | 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: | ||
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|Since she entered the office, she hasn’t had time. | |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: | 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: | ||
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|since, ever since | |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.). | 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: | 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. | * 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. | * 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.”) | 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== | ==Source== | ||
https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Amharic/Amharic%20Peace%20Corps%20Language%20Manual-2015.pdf | https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Amharic/Amharic%20Peace%20Corps%20Language%20Manual-2015.pdf | ||
== | ==Other Lessons== | ||
* [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/Stem-verbs|Stem verbs]] | * [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/Stem-verbs|Stem verbs]] | ||
* [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/Pluralizing|Pluralizing]] | * [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/Pluralizing|Pluralizing]] | ||
| Line 94: | Line 89: | ||
* [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]] | * [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]] | ||
* [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/The-Present-Perfect-Tense|The Present Perfect Tense]] | * [[Language/Amharic/Grammar/The-Present-Perfect-Tense|The Present Perfect Tense]] | ||
<span links></span> | |||
Latest revision as of 13:10, 27 March 2023
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[edit | edit source]
https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Amharic/Amharic%20Peace%20Corps%20Language%20Manual-2015.pdf
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- 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