Language/Somali/Grammar/Gender
Hi Somali learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about the gender rules in Somali. We will look at the different genders and how to identify them. We will also look at some examples and practice using the gender rules. Finally, we will have a quiz to test your understanding.
Rules
In Somali, there are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The gender of a noun is usually determined by its ending.
Masculine nouns usually end in -a or -e. For example, the word for "teacher" is macallin, which is masculine.
Feminine nouns usually end in -o or -ee. For example, the word for "student" is arday, which is feminine.
Neuter nouns usually end in -i. For example, the word for "book" is buug, which is neuter.
There are some exceptions to these rules, so it is important to learn the gender of each noun.
Examples
The following table shows some examples of nouns and their genders.
| Somali | Pronunciation | English Translation | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| macallin | mɑkɑlːin | teacher | Masculine |
| arday | ɑrdɑj | student | Feminine |
| buug | buːg | book | Neuter |
| guri | guːri | house | Masculine |
| caruur | cɑruːr | children | Feminine |
| sheeko | ʃeːko | story | Neuter |
Practice
To improve your Somali Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Quiz
Test your understanding of Somali gender rules with the following quiz.
Questions
- What are the three genders in Somali?
- What is the gender of the word macallin?
- What is the gender of the word arday?
- What is the gender of the word buug?
Answers
- Masculine, feminine, and neuter
- Masculine
- Feminine
- Neuter
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
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