Monday 25 July 2011

I'm not going!

Hooyo: Waryaa, ina keen!
             Come on, let's go!
Wiil    : Tegi maayo!
            I'm not going!

Here, the mother tells her son to come with her, but he refuses. He says 'Tegi maayo'. This means I'm not going. This piece of grammar is called the 'negative progressive'.

Tegi maayo - I'm not going
Tegi maysid - You're not going
Tegi maayo - He's not going
Tegi mayso - She's not going
Tegi mayno - We're not going
Tegi maysaan - You're(pl) not going
Tegi maayaan - They're not going

For any conj.1 verb,

base/imperative form + i + maayo
cun + i + maayo = cuni maayo - I'm not eating

Sometimes, you have to change the pronunciation,

Gal + i + maayo = Geli maayo - I'm not going in

For conj. 2 & 3 verbs,

kari + an + maayo = karan maayo - I'm not cooking

dhegeyso + an + maayo = dhegeysan maayo - I'm not listening

There are some special cases as well,

noqo (to return) = noqon maayo - I'm not coming back

Thursday 21 July 2011

Next year/Last year

cusbuucii dambe - last week
cusbuucii hore     - next week

Wuu iman doonaa cusbuucii hore - He's coming next week

bishii dambe        - last month
bishii hore           - next month

Bishii dambe waa Febraayo - Last month was February

sannadkii dambe -  last year
sannadkii hore     - next year

Sannadkii hore Mareykan baan tegi doonaa
- I'm going to America next year

Saturday 16 July 2011

Ha cunin - Don't eat

When you want to order someone not to do something, you say,

Ha + base form of verb + in

For example

Ha + cun + in = Ha cunin (Don't eat)

Ha qorin = Don't write
Ha galin = Don't enter
Ha dilin = Don't kill

However, many verb change their sounds when they are used in this way,

bax >  Ha bixin = Don't go out
tag>    Ha tegin = Don't go
dheh> Ha dhihin = Don't say anything

If it is a Conj.2 or Conj,3 verb, then add 'nin'

sameyn >   Ha sameynnin = Don't do (that)
weydii>      Ha weydiinnin = Don't ask
noqo>        Ha noqonnin   = Don't come back
joogso>     Ha joogsannin = Don't stop
dheygeyso>Ha dhegeysannin = Don't listen