Language/Amharic/Grammar/2-sequential-actions-in-the-present

How to express two sequential actions in the present in Amharic

To express two sequential actions in the present, the first verb is shortened:

እታጠብና ጥርሴን እቦርሻለሁ ‘ïtat΄äbïna t΄ïrsen ïborïšallähu,’ rather than እታጠባለሁ እና ጥርሴን እቦርሻለሁ ‘ïtat΄äbalähu ïnna ïborïšallähu.’

እራቴን እበላና እሄዳለሁ‘ïraten ïbälana ….ïhedallähu’ rather than እራቴን እበላለሁ እና እሄዳለሁ ‘ïbälalähu ïnna… ïhedallähu’

To shorten the first verb, simply remove the ending (based on allä) and add ‘ïna.’

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: “to be” and “to have”, Direct and Indirect Object Affixes, Simple Past Tense Forms of Other Verbs (Negative) & Time Adverbs.

Examples

እሄድ እና እመጣለሁ

ïhed ïnna amät’alähu I go and I bring.

እንመጣ እና እንጫወታለን

ïnïmät΄a ïna ïnïč΄awätalän. We come and play.

ይበላ እና ይጫወታል

yïbäla ïna yimät΄al. He eats and comes. 

ትጨርስ እና ትመጣለች

tïč΄ärïs ïna tïmät΄aläč She finishes and comes.

እርስዎ ይጠጡ እና ይሄዳሉ

ïrswo yït΄ät΄u ïna yïhedalu. You (pol.) drink and leave.

ትሄጂ እና ትመጫለሽ

tïheji ïna tamäč΄aläš. You (fem.) go and bring.

Source

https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Amharic/Amharic%20Peace%20Corps%20Language%20Manual-2015.pdf

Other Lessons

• The Possessive Forms (second method)
• Conjugation of mäwdäd (to like) present tense
• Pluralizing
• Negation
• The Past and Present Continuous Tenses
• The Past Perfect Tense
• Pronouns
• Stem verbs
• Expressing Obligation or Necessity