Personal pronouns

Magac u yaal dad(Ma nagaadayaasha)Personal pronouns
AnigaI
AdigaYou, singular
IsagaHe
IyadaShe
InnagaWe
IdinkaYou, plural
IyagaThey
Tusaale 1: Example 1
Arday – student
ANIGA waxaan ahay ardayI  ama a student
ADIGA waxaad tahay ardayYou are student
ISAGA waxuu yahay ardayHe is a student
IYADA waxay tahay ardayadShe is a student
INNAGA waxaynu nahay ardayWe are students
ADINKA waxaydin tihiin ardayYou are students
IYAGA waxay yihiin ardayThey are students
Tusaale 2
Bare – Teacher
ANIGA waxaan ahay bareI  ama a teacher
ADIGA waxaad tahay bareYou are teacher
ISAGA waxuu yahay bareHe is a teacher
IYADA waxay tahay bareShe is a teacher
INNAGA waxaynu nahay bareyaalWe are teachers
ADINKA waxaydin tihiin bareyaalYou are teachers
IYAGA waxay yihiin bareyaalThey are teachers

PERSONAL PRONOUNS

Magac u yaal dad( Nagaadayaasha)Personal pronouns
WaanI
WaadYou, singular
WuuHe
WayShe
Waynu, waanu,waanWe
Waydin, waadYou, plural
WayThey
Tusaale Daalan –tired
Waan daalanahayI am tired
Waad daalantahayYou are tired
Wuu daalanyahayHe is tired
Way daalantahayShe is tired
Waynu daalannahayWe are tired
Waydin daalantihiinyou are tired
Way daalanyihiinthey are tired
Tusaale 2 Baahan – hungry
Waan baahanahayI am hungry
Waad baahantahayYou are hungry
Wuu baahanyahayHe is hungry
Way baahantahayShe is hungry
Waynu baahannahayWe are hungry
Waydin baahantihiinYou are hungry
Way baahanyihiinThey are hungry

verb to be

In Somali, the verb to be ”AH” is irregular. The following is how the present tense of ”AH” is constructed based on the subject pronoun it is being used with:

Magac u yaal dadPresent form of the verb to be
AnigaAhay
AdigaTahay
IsagaYahay
IyadaTahay
InnagaNahay
IdinkaTihiin
IyagaYihiin
Tusaale 1: Example 1
Waan haraadsanAHAYI am thirsty
Waad haraadsanTAHAYYou are  thirsty
Wuu haraadsanYAHAYHe is  thirsty
Way haraadsanTAHAYShe is  thirsty
Waynu haraadsanNAHAYWe are  thirsty
Waydin haraadsanTIHIINYou are  thirsty
Way haraadsanYIHIINthey are  thirsty
Tusaale 2
ANIGA waxaan AHAY ardayI  ama a student
ADIGA waxaad TAHAY ardayYou are student
ISAGA waxuu YAHAY ardayHe is a student
IYADA waxay TAHAY ardayadShe is a student
INNAGA waxaynu NAHAY ardayWe are students
ADINKA waxaydin TIHIIN ardayYou are students
IYAGA waxay YIHIIN ardayThey are students

Subject pronouns(Transitive)

The transitive form waxaan, waxaad, as seen below, can be created by attaching wax- to the preverbal subject roots -aan, -aad, etc.

Magac u yaal fale- Transitive  Subject pronouns(Transitive)
WaxaanI
WaxaadYou singular
WuxuuHe
WaxayShe
Waxaynu(waxaanu,waxaan)We
Waxaydin(waxaad)You plural
waxayThey
                                                Tusaale
WAXAAN ahay ardayI am student
WAXAAD tahay ardayYou are student
WUXUU yahay ardayHe is student
WAXAY tahay ardayadShe is student
WAXAYNU nahay ardayWe are students
WAXAYDIN tihiin ardayYou are students
WAXAY yihiin ardayThey are students
                                                                 Tusaale
WAXAAN deganahay LondonI live in London
WAXAAD degantahay TorontoYou live in Toronto
WUXUU deganyahay NewYorkHe lives in Newyork   
WAXAY degantahay MogadishuShe lives in Mogadishu
WAXAANU degannahay HargeisaWe live in Hargeisa
WAXAYDIN degantihiin KismayoYou live in Kismayo
WAXAY deganyihiin SydneyThey live in Sydney

Demonstratives – Tilmaameyaal

SomaliEnglish
KanThis (Masculine)
KaasThat (Masculine)
TanThis (Feminine)
TaasThat (Feminine)
KuwaanThese(Plural)
KuwaasThouse(Plural)
                                                              Tusaale
KANI waa maxaay ?What is this ?
Ans: KANI waa EeyAns: This is a dog
KAASI waa maxaay ?What is that ?
Ans: KAASI waa wiilAns: that is a boy
TANI waa maxay ?What is this ?
Ans: TANI waa bisadAns: this is a cat
TAASI waa maxaay ?What is that ?
Ans: TAASI waa gabarAns: that is a girl
KUWAANI waa maxaay ?What are these ?
Ans: kuwaani waa EeyoAns: These are dogs
KUWAASI waa maxaay ?What are those ?
Ans: KUWAASI waa bisadoAns: those are cats
N.B. Keep in mind that each demonstrative’s “i” is a case marker designating it as the sentence’s subject.

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