Somali Language

Basic Grammar

Field Guide

Welcome to the:

An Oral Tradition in a Modern

Setting

Bartamaha Somali Media. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.bartamaha.com/?p=33037

A Somali Proverb

Nin aan waxa jooga garani

He (who) does not understand what is going

on

waxa soo socda ma garto

will not understand what is going to happen

Objectives

● Look up Somali words in a Somali-English

dictionary.

● Translate Somali words into English using a

Somali-English dictionary.

● Identify the parts of speech for specific words in a

Somali sentence.

● Rearrange words that have been translated into

English to form a proper sentence.

Dictionary Usage

recusant

the

placate

bombast

tomorrow

portend

Dictionary Usage

recusant

the

placate

bombast noun

tomorrow

portend

Dictionary Usage

recusant

the

placate verb

bombast noun

tomorrow

portend verb

Dictionary Usagerecusant

adjective

the

placate verb

bombast noun

tomorrow

portend verb

Dictionary Usagerecusant

adjective

the

placate verb

bombast noun

tomorrow adverb

portend verb

Dictionary Usagerecusant

adjective

the

article

placate verb

bombast noun

tomorrow adverb

portend verb

Sample Text

Ku saabsan VOA

Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu

horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana

idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha

tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda

Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.

VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad

15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,

barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu

qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku

kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.

Voice of America. (2011). Ku Saabsan VOA. Retrieved from http://www.voanews.com/somali/about-us/

Vowels

●a

●e

●i

●o

●u

Sample Text

Ku saabsan VOA

Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu

horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana

idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha

tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda

Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.

VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad

15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,

barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu

qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku

kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.

Voice of America. (2011). Ku Saabsan VOA. Retrieved from http://www.voanews.com/somali/about-us/

Consonants

●b

●c

●d

●f

●g

●h

●j

●k

●l

●m

●n

●q

●r

●s

●t

●w

●x

●y

Consonants cont.

●b

●c

●d

●f

●g

●h

●j

●k

●l

Not Used

●p

●v

●z

●m

●n

●q

●r

●s

●t

●w

●x

●y

Sample Text

Ku saabsan VOA

Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu

horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana

idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha

tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda

Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.

VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad

15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,

barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu

qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku

kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.

Voice of America. (2011). Ku Saabsan VOA. Retrieved from http://www.voanews.com/somali/about-us/

Vowels part II

Short

● a

● e

● i

● o

● u

Long

● aa

● ee

● ii

● oo

● uu

Sample Text

Ku saabsan VOA

Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu

horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana

idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha

tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda

Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.

VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad

15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,

barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu

qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku

kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.

Voice of America. (2011). Ku Saabsan VOA. Retrieved from http://www.voanews.com/somali/about-us/

Consonants part II

●b

●c

●d

●f

●g

●h

●j

●k

●l

●dh

●kh

●sh

●'

●m

●n

●q

●r

●s

●t

●w

●x

●y

Official:

', B, T, J, X, KH, D, R, S, SH, DH, C, G,

F, Q, K, L, M, N, W, H, Y, A, E, I, O, U

Often used:

', A, AA, B, C, D, DH, E, EE, F, G, H, I, II, J, K, KH,

L, M, N, O, OO, Q, R, S, SH, T, U, UU, W, X, Y

Somali Alphabet

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar

●gal

●dowlad

●oo

●ka

●cad

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar — news, information (noun)

●gal

●dowlad

●oo

●ka

●cad

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar — news, information (noun)

●gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)

●dowlad

●oo

●ka

●cad

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar — news, information (noun)

●gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)

●dowlad — country, government (noun)

●oo

●ka

●cad

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar — news, information (noun)

●gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)

●dowlad — country, government (noun)

●oo — which, who, while (conjunction)

●ka

●cad

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar — news, information (noun)

●gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)

●dowlad — country, government (noun)

●oo — which, who, while (conjunction)

●ka — at, from, about (preposition)

●cad

Dictionary Look-up

Look up the following words:

●warar — news, information (noun)

●gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)

●dowlad — country, government (noun)

●oo — which, who, while (conjunction)

●ka — at, from, about (preposition)

●cad — white, clear (adjective)

Dictionary Look-up part II

With a partner, look up the following words:

●maqal

●sheeg

●waa

●ceeb

Proverb I

Maqal sheeg waa ceeb sheeg

Rumor – tell – is – shame – tell

Proverb I

Maqal sheeg waa ceeb sheeg

Hearing – tell – is – shame – tell

Telling rumors is shameful

Dictionary Look-up part III

On your own, look up the following words:

●aqoon

●la'aan

●waa

●iftiin

Proverb II

Aqoon la'aan waa iftiin la'aan

Wisdom—lack—is—light—lack

Proverb II

Aqoon la'aan waa iftiin la'aan

Wisdom—lack—is—light—lack

There is no darkness but ignorance.

-William Shakespere

Skill Review

1. Maalin wanaagsan.

2. Nabad waa nolol.

3. Hadda, aqoon ayaad haysaa.

4. Af soomaali ayaad tarjumi kartaa.

5. Mahadsanid inaad fasal-kaan timid.

6. Nabaday.

Please rate...a) The content was clear...

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1 2 3

4

5

Not! Barely So-so

Objectives

● Look up Somali words in a Somali-English

dictionary.

● Translate Somali words into English using a

Somali-English dictionary.

● Identify the parts of speech for specific words in a

Somali sentence.

● Rearrange words that have been translated into

English to form a proper sentence.

Mahadsanid — Thank you

Our next session will be at the same time

and location.

Nabaday — Go in peace!