Language/Tigrinya/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
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Welcome to our lesson on Telling Time in Tigrinya! Understanding how to tell time is a vital skill in any language, and it plays a crucial role in daily life. Whether you're planning a meeting, catching a bus, or simply checking how long until dinner, knowing how to express time in Tigrinya will enhance your communication skills and deepen your understanding of the culture.
In this lesson, we'll cover:
- Basic Vocabulary: Essential words and phrases related to time.
- Asking about Time: How to ask questions about the time.
- Telling Time: How to express the time in hours and minutes.
- Practice Scenarios: Exercises to reinforce your learning.
By the end of this lesson, you'll be equipped with the vocabulary and structures needed to confidently talk about time in Tigrinya. Let’s jump in!
Basic Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
Before we can tell time, we need to learn some key vocabulary. Below is a list of essential terms related to time in Tigrinya.
| Tigrinya | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ሰኣት | sä'at | hour |
| ዓለት | 'alet | minute |
| ቀን | qän | day |
| ምሽት | mïshït | night |
| ጥዋት | t'wat | morning |
| ከረባ | k'ärba | afternoon |
| ወርሓ | wärha | week |
| ኣመት | 'ämet | year |
| ነገር | nägär | clock |
| ቀደም | qädäm | before |
| ወይን | wäyin | after |
Asking about Time[edit | edit source]
Now that we have the vocabulary, let’s learn how to ask about the time. The following phrases will be useful for inquiring about the time of day.
| Tigrinya | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ሰኣት ምን እየ? | sä'at mïn 'iyey? | What time is it? |
| ኣብ ምሽት ተሪፉ? | ab mïshït tärifü? | What time in the evening? |
| ዓለት ምን እየ? | 'alet mïn 'iyey? | How many minutes? |
| ኣብ ቀን ከመይ እየ? | ab qän kämaiy 'iyey? | What time during the day? |
Telling Time[edit | edit source]
When telling time in Tigrinya, we often use a structure that combines the hour and minutes. Here’s how it's generally structured:
- For the hour: Use the word for hour (ሰኣት) followed by the numeral.
- For the minutes: Use the word for minute (ዓለት) followed by the numeral.
Let's explore some examples:
| Tigrinya | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ሰኣት | 1 sä'at | 1 o'clock |
| 2 ሰኣት እዩ | 2 sä'at 'iyu | It's 2 o'clock |
| 3 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 10 | 3 sä'at 'ända 'alet 10 | It's 3:10 |
| 4 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 30 | 4 sä'at 'ända 'alet 30 | It's 4:30 |
| 5 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 45 | 5 sä'at 'ända 'alet 45 | It's 5:45 |
| 6 ሰኣት ወይን 15 | 6 sä'at wäyin 15 | It's 6:15 |
| 7 ሰኣት ወይን 5 | 7 sä'at wäyin 5 | It's 7:05 |
| 8 ሰኣት ቀደም 20 | 8 sä'at qädäm 20 | It's 8:20 |
| 9 ሰኣት ቀደም 10 | 9 sä'at qädäm 10 | It's 9:10 |
| 10 ሰኣት ወይን 30 | 10 sä'at wäyin 30 | It's 10:30 |
Practice Scenarios[edit | edit source]
Now that you are familiar with the vocabulary and structures, let’s practice! Here are some exercises to help reinforce your learning.
Exercise 1: Translate the following sentences into Tigrinya.[edit | edit source]
1. What time is it?
2. It’s 3:15.
3. What time in the afternoon?
4. It’s 5:30.
5. It’s 7:45.
Solutions:
1. ሰኣት ምን እየ?
2. 3 ሰኣት ወይን 15.
3. ኣብ ከረባ ተሪፉ?
4. 5 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 30.
5. 7 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 45.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct time.[edit | edit source]
1. 4 ሰኣት ቀደም ___.
2. 10 ሰኣት ወይን ___.
3. 2 ሰኣት ___.
4. 1 ሰኣት ወይን ___.
5. 9 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት ___.
Solutions:
1. 20
2. 10
3. 30
4. 15
5. 45
Exercise 3: Create sentences using the following times.[edit | edit source]
1. 6:00
2. 8:15
3. 11:30
4. 12:45
5. 3:05
Solutions:
1. 6 ሰኣት እዩ.
2. 8 ሰኣት ወይን 15.
3. 11 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 30.
4. 12 ሰኣት ቀደም 15.
5. 3 ሰኣት ወይን 5.
Exercise 4: Ask the time using Tigrinya phrases for the following situations.[edit | edit source]
1. At night.
2. In the morning.
3. In the afternoon.
4. During the day.
5. On the weekend.
Solutions:
1. ሰኣት ምን እየ? (ምሽት)
2. ሰኣት ምን እየ? (ጥዋት)
3. ሰኣት ምን እየ? (ከረባ)
4. ሰኣት ምን እየ? (ቀን)
5. ሰኣት ምን እየ? (ወርሓ)
Exercise 5: Match the Tigrinya time expressions with their English meanings.[edit | edit source]
1. ምሽት
2. ጥዋት
3. ከረባ
4. ቀን
5. ወርሓ
Solutions:
1. Night
2. Morning
3. Afternoon
4. Day
5. Week
Exercise 6: Write the time in Tigrinya for the following times.[edit | edit source]
1. 4:40
2. 1:10
3. 5:25
4. 8:50
5. 9:05
Solutions:
1. 4 ሰኣት ወይን 40.
2. 1 ሰኣት ወይን 10.
3. 5 ሰኣት እንደ ዓለት 25.
4. 8 ሰኣት ቀደም 10.
5. 9 ሰኣት ወይን 5.
Exercise 7: Listen to a native speaker (if available) and write down the time they say in Tigrinya.[edit | edit source]
Note: This exercise may require a real-time interaction with a speaker.
Exercise 8: Describe a daily routine using Tigrinya time expressions.[edit | edit source]
For example: "I wake up at 6:00."
Solutions will vary based on individual routines.
Exercise 9: Create a short dialogue asking and telling the time.[edit | edit source]
Example:
- Person A: ሰኣት ምን እየ?
- Person B: 3 ሰኣት እዩ.
Solutions will vary based on creativity.
Exercise 10: Use a clock to practice telling time in Tigrinya.[edit | edit source]
Draw a clock and label the hours and minutes in Tigrinya.
Solutions will vary based on the individual drawings.
Congratulations on completing the lesson! Practice regularly to improve your fluency in telling time in Tigrinya. Remember, the more you practice, the easier it will become.
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Numbers 1 10
- Everyday Actions
- Days of the Week
- Clothes
- Colors
- Basic Greetings
- Express Surprise
- Health
- Dining Phrases
| ◀️ Numbers 1-10 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Subject-Verb-Object ▶️ |