calaa kulli xaal

How do you say 'anyway' in Somali?


Calaa kulli xaal, lacag ma lihi, marka ma tegi karo
Anyway, I don't have any money so I can't go.

'Calaa kulli xaal' is an Arabic phrase. It literally means ' in any case'.  


Calaa kulli xaal, meel fog ma aha, marka waad lugeeyn kartaa.
Anyway, it's not far, so you can walk.

Calaa kulli xaal, aabahaa weeyey, marka waa inaad la hadal.
Anyway, he is your father so you should talk to him.

Calaa kulli xaal, waan isku dayayaa.
Anyway, I will try it out.

Ciid mubarak

'Ciid mubarak' means 'Happy Eid'

You can also say 'Ciid Wanaagsan'

'Ciid' is also a verb

'Dadka muslimiinta ayaa maanta si weyn ugu ciiday munaasabada Ciidul Adxa'

The Muslim people today celebrated in a big way, the occasion of Eid ul Adha

BBC Article - Mo Farah is victorious once again

Mo Faarax ayaa gaarey guushii labaad ee Olympics-ka London ka dib markii uu ku guuleystey orodka 5,000 oo mitir.

Mo Farah achieved a second victory at the London Olympics after winning the 5000m race.

Waa billadii labaad oo dahab ee uu helo Mo Faarax iyadoo uu horey ugu guuleystay orodka 10,000 oo mitir.

It is the second gold medal Mo Farah has got since he won the 10,000 metre race before. 

Mo Farax ayaa sheegey in uu ku faraxsan yahay guushani, “Waan daalanaa markaan ka qeyb-galayey orodka, kolkii aan arkey inaan ugu horreeyo, waxaan ogaa inaan ku qasbanahay inaan guuleysta,” ayuu yiri.

Mo Farah said that he is happy with this victory, "I was tired when I entered the race, 

Faysal Farax oo orodka walaalkii ka daawanayey Televishonka magaalada Wajaale ee xadka Somaliland iyo Ethiopia, aya sheegey in uu ku faraxsanyahay guusha walaalkiis uu gaaray.

Faysal Farah, who was watching his brother's race on television in Wajaale on the Somaliland/Ethiopia border, said that he is happy with the victory his brother achieved.

Faysal waxaa uu sheegey in uu ka soo safrey meel aan sidaa ugu fogeyn Wajaale si uu Telefishonka ugu daawado orodka walaalkiis.

Faysal said that he travelled as far as Wajaale in order to watch his brother's race on television.

Mo Farax ama Maxamad Farax, waxaa uu ka soo tegay Soomaaliya isagoo ay da’diisu yar tahay, waxaa uuna u ordaa dalka Britain.

Mo Farah or Mohammed Farah left Somalia at a young age, and runs for Britain.

Soomaali badan oo ku nool Kenya iyo Soomaaliya aya soo dhaweeyay guusha Mo Farax.

Many Somalis who live in Kenya and Somalia welcomed Mo Farah's victory.

Sentence practice

Wuxuu ordaa - He runs
Wuxuu u ordaa - He runs for...
Wuxuu u ordaa Britain - He runs for Britain

Soomaali badan - Many Somalis
Soomaali badan oo ku nool - Many Somalis who live in
Soomaali badan oo ku nool Kenya iyo Soomaaliya - Many Somalis who live in Kenya and Somalia
Soomaali badan oo ku nool Kenya iyo Soomaaliya ayaa soo dhaweeyay
Many Somalis who live in Kenya and Somalia welcomed
Soomaali badan oo ku nool Kenya iyo Soomaaliya ayaa soo dhaweeyay guusha Mo Farah
Many Somalis who live in Kenya and Somalia welcomed the victory of Mo Farah.

Plurals of Somali Nouns

In English, it is generally very easy to make a plural of a noun. Most of the time, you just add 's',

book > books
house > houses
girl > girls

Occasionally there are nouns for whom there are different ways to make a plural,

woman > women
mouse > mice
tooth > teeth

Sometimes, the word is the same when it is single and plural,
 
fish > fish
sheep > sheep

Somali is the same. Most nouns are made plural by adding 'o' or 'yo' to the end.


kab (shoe) > kabo (shoes)
naag (woman) > naago (women)
dhinac(side) > dhinacyo(sides)
nacas(idiot) > nacasyo(idiots)

Some others are made plural by reduplicating the last consonant of the word,

af(language) > afaf(languages)
miis(table) > miisas(tables)
nin(man, *originally 'nim') > niman(men)
san(nose) > sanan(noses)

Some other nouns are made plural by adding 'oyin',

hooyo(mother) > hooyooyin(mothers)
magaalo(town) > magaalooyin(towns)
waddo(road) > waddooyin(roads)
sheeko(story) > sheekooyin(stories)

Some other nouns are the same in singular and plural mode, but pronounced differently,

ey(dog) > ey(dogs)
Soomaali(Somali) > Soomaali(Somalis)
balli(pond) > balli(ponds)


How can you know when to use the right plural? Somali has seven 'declensions'. A 'declension' is just a group of nouns that share the same characteristics like spelling, no. of syllables, tone, etc. Once you can recognise the declension, you will know how to make the plural and also how to pronounce it. I will show the seven declensions of Somali nouns soon inshallah.

Intee le'eg... - How much/How long

Intee le'eg baad baranaysey af Soomaaliga? - How long have you been learning Somali?


Laba bilood baan baranayey af Soomaaliga - I have been learning Somali for two months


Intee le'eg buu joogayaa London? - How long is he staying in London?


Saddex toddobaad buu joogayaa - He is staying for three weeks


Cunto intee le'eg baad cuni kartaa? - How much food can you eat?


Cunto badan baan cuni karaa - I can eat a lot of food


 Muddo intee le'eg baan ku bogsan doonaa? - How long will it take me to recover?


Afar bilood - Four months

Ramadan kariim - Happy Ramadan

Ramadan kariim
Happy Ramadan


Dadka Muslimiinta wey soomaan bisha Ramadan.
Muslims fast the month of Ramadan.


Qorraxbax ilaa qorraxdhac wey soomaan.
They fast from sunrise to sunset.
 
Qorraxdhac wey cunaan cunto oo 'afur' la tiraahdo.
At sunset, they eat food which is called 'afur'.  

Halkan ka daawo video oo idinka tusayaa sida loo sameeyo 'mashmash'. Mashmash waa cunto lagu cunaa bisha Ramadan

Watch here a video that shows you how to make 'mashmash'. Mashmash is a meal that is eaten in Ramadan.

Kani/Tani waa...

Kani waa/Tani waa... - This is...

If you are talking about a masculine noun, then use 'Kani', for feminine nouns 'Tani'


Kani waa miis - This is a table
Kani waa Cabdi walaalkiis - This is Abdi's brother
Kani waa Faadumo dukaankeed - This is Faadumo's shop


Tani waa magaalo Jowhar la tiraahdo - This is a town called Jowhar
Tani waa Muna hooyadeed - This is Muna's mother
Tani waa Jamal shimbirtiis - This is Jamal's bird

'Isku aaadi' means 'join up to each other'. You have to join the pictures with the statements.

Malawax - Somali crêpes

Another great video from Xawaash.com. This is about 'malawax' which is the Somali version of crêpes or pancakes. Halkan ka daawo sida loo sameeyo 'malawax'(Watch here how 'malawax' is made).

Waan ilaalin doonaa - I will protect it

Muslimiin ilaalin doona kaniisadaha 


Muslims will protect the churches 


ilaali - to protect/look out for
ilaali caruurta! - look after the children!


ilaalin doonaa - will look after


karin doonaa - will cook

Waan karin doonaa bariis iyo hilib lo'aad - I will cook rice with beef

joojin doonaa - will stop

Waan joojin doonaa sigaarka - I will stop smoking


Type 1 verb - cun + i + doonaa = cuni doonaa
Type 2 verb - kari + n + doonaa = karin doonaa
Type 3 verb - guurso + an + doonaa = guursan doonaa


Muslimiinta Kenya ayaa sheegey inay dhisan doonaan guddiyo dhallinyaro ah oo ilaalo kaniisadaha.
The Muslims of Kenya said that they will assemble youth committees who will protect the churches.

Verb practice - doon (to want)

Waxaan dooneyaa inaan tago Baariis - I want to go to Paris
Waxaad dooneysaa inaad tagto  - You want...
Wuxuu dooneyaa inuu tago - He wants...
Waxay dooneysaa inay tagto - She wants...
Waxaanu dooneynaa inaanu tagno - We want...
Waxeynu dooneynaa inaanu tagno - We want...
Waxaad dooneysaan inaad tagtaan - You want...
Waxay dooneyaan inay tagaan - They want...


Aad baan u dooneyaa inaan tago Baariis - I really want to go to Paris
Aad baan u dooneyey inaan tago Baariis - I really wanted to go to Paris
Ma dooneyo inaan tago Baariis - I don't want to go to Paris

Maan dooneyn inaan tago Baariis - I didn't want to go to Paris
Maad dooneyn inaad tagto Baariis - He didn't want to go to Paris
Muu dooneyn inuu tago Baariis - He didn't want to go to Paris
Mey dooneyn inay tagto Baariis- She didn't want to go to Paris
Maannu dooneyn inaanu tagno Baariis - We didn't want to go to Paris
Meynu dooneyn inaanu tagno Baariis - We didn't want to go to Paris
Maad dooneyn inaad tagtaan Baariis - You didn't want to go to Paris
Mey dooneyn inay tagaan Baariis - They didn't want to go to Paris

xawaash.com

There is a website called xawaash.com.
I encourage you to visit it because they show you how traditional Somali dishes are made, and most of their video explain how to make the dishes in both Somali and English. So it is a good opportunity to learn cooking vocabulary. I have been linking some of their videos to this blog. Here are some basic phrases related to cuisine,


Waxaa loo baahanyahay... - What is needed is...
Wuxuu ku filan yahay 8 ilaa 10 qofood - It is sufficient for 8 to 10 people
Ku dar biyaha/caanaha/sonkorta - Add the water/milk/sugar
Waxaad isticmaali kartaa nooca hilibka aad jeceshahay - You can use the type of meat that you prefer

Muqmad - Beef jerky

Anigu Muqmad aad baan u necebahay - I really hate Muqmad.

Laakin Soomaalidu aad bey u jecelyihiin -

 But the Somalis really like it.

Markey sameeynayaan Muqmad, waxay isticmaalaan hilib lo'aad ama hilib geel.

When they make Muqmad, they use beef or camels' meat.

Daawo sida loo sameeyo.

Watch how it is made.

Waxaan ku noolahay Ingriiska

Waxaan ku noolahay Ingriiska - I live in the U.K.
Waxaad ku nooshahay Mareykanka - You live in the U.S.
Wuxuu ku noolahay Talyaaniga - He lives in Italy
Waxay ku nooshahay Sweden - She lives in Sweden
Waxaanu ku noolnahay Faransiiska - We live in France
Waxeynu ku noolnahay Spain - We live in Spain
Waxaad ku nooshihiin Itoobiya - You live in Ethiopia
Waxay ku noolyihiin  Sacuudiga - They live in Saudi Arabia

Xaggee baad ku nooshahay? - Where do you live?

Sabtiga iyo Axadda maxaad sameeysey?

Sabtiga iyo Axadda, maxaad sameeysey?

What did you do on the weekend?

Sabti(Saturday)

Aroortii, tobankii ilaa laba iyo tobankii, waxaan sameeyey homeworkkayga. 

Marka, saddexdii ilaa lixdii shaneemo baan tegay oo filin daawaday.

Marka, toddobadii makhaayad baan tegay oo casheeyey,

Axad(Sunday)

Aroortii, kow iyo tobankii ilaa laba iyo tobankii tennis baan ciyaarey. 

Marka, labadii ilaa afartii dukaamada baan tegay oo dhar iibsadey.

Marka, sideediii waxaan sameeyey homeworkkayga.

kowda - 1 o'clock
labada - 2 o'clock
saddexda - 3 o'clock
afarta - 4 o'clock
shanta - 5 o'clock
lixda - 6 o'clock
toddobada - 7 o'clock
siddeedda - 8 o'clock
sagaasha - 9 o'clock
tobanka - 10 o'clock
kow iyo tobanka - 11 o'clock
laba iyo tobanka - 12 o'clock

Maxaa yaallaa/taallaa - What is there?

Maxaa yaallaa? - What is there?
 (You can use this at a restaurant when a waiter wants to take your order)
Waxaa yaallaa... - There is...


For masculine nouns, use 'yaallaa',

Koob ma yaallaa? - Is there a cup?
Haa wuu yaallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma yaallo - No there isn't
 
Buug ma yaallaa? - Is there a book?
Haa wuu yaallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma yaallo - No there isn't

Computer ma yaallaa? - Is there a computer?
Haa wuu yaallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma yaallo - No there isn't

Telefoon ma yaallaa? - Is there a telephone?
Haa wuu yaallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma yaallo - No there isn't

Telefishan ma yaallaa? - Is there a television?
Haa wuu yaallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma yaallo - No there isn't


For feminine nouns, use 'taallaa'




Musqul ma taallaa? - Is there a toilet?
Haa wey taallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma taallo - No there isn't

Cunto ma taallaa? - Is there food?
Haa wey taallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma taallo - No there isn't

Sariir ma taallaa? - Is there a bed?
Haa wey taallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma taallo - No there isn't


Makhaayad ma taallaa? - Is there a restaurant?
Haa wey taallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma taallo - No there isn't


Shaneemo ma taallaa? - Is there a cinema?
Haa wey taallaa - Yes, there is.
Mey, ma taallo - No there isn't




Liquids like water (biyo) and milk (caano) are treated as plural nouns, use 'yaallaan'.


Biyo ma yaallaan? - Is there water? (Literally:'Are there water?')
Haa, wey yaallaan - Yes, there is 
Mey, ma yaallaan - No, there isn't 

Caano ma yaallaan? - Is there milk?
Haa, wey yaallaan - Yes, there is 
Mey, ma yaallaan - No, there isn't

Dhiig ma yaallaan? - Is there blood?
Haa, wey yaallaan - Yes, there is 
Mey, ma yaallaan - No, there isn't

Guriga Fadumo

Guriga Fadumo hortiisa
In front of Fadumo's house

'Sawir' means 'to draw'

Sawir gurigaaga - Draw your house
Sawir dugsigaaga - Draw your school
Sawir hooyadaa - Draw your mother

Verb practice - 'rab' to want

Maxaan rabaa? - What do I want?
Maxaad rabtaa? - What do you want?
Muxuu rabaa? - What does he want?
Maxay rabtaa? - What does she want?
Maxaanu rabnaa? - What do we (excl.) want?
Maxeynu rabnaa? - What do we (incl.) want?
Maxaad rabtaan - What do  you (pl.) want?
Maxay rabaan - What do they want?


Laba saxan oo bariis ah baan rabaa - I want two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah baad rabtaa - You want two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah buu rabaa - He wants two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah bey rabtaa - She wants two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah baannu rabnaa - We (excl.) want two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah beynu rabnaa - We (incl.) want two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah baad rabtaan - You (pl.) want two plates of rice
Laba saxan oo bariis ah bey rabaan - They want two plates of rice

Or, you can say

Waxaan rabaa laba saxan oo bariis ah
I want two plates of rice 
Waxaad rabtaa laba saxan oo bariis ah
 You want two plates of rice
Wuxuu rabaa laba saxan oo bariis ah
 He wants two plates of rice
Waxay rabtaa laba saxan oo bariis ah
 She wants two plates of rice
Waxaanu rabnaa laba saxan oo bariis ah
 We(excl.) want two plates of rice
Waxeynu rabnaa laba saxan oo bariis ah
 We(incl.) want two plates of rice
Waxaad rabtaan laba saxan oo bariis ah
 You(pl) want two plates of rice
Waxay rabaan laba saxan oo bariis ah      
 They want two plates of rice

Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Anigaa/Anaa rabaa! - I want it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Adigaa/Adaa rabtaa! - You want it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Isagaa rabaa! - He wants it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Iyadaa rabtaa! - She wants it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Annagaa rabnaa! - We want it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Innagaa rabnaa! - We want it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Idinkaa rabtaan! - You want it!
Yaa rabaa? - Who wants it?
Iyagaa rabaan! - They want it!    

Anigaa = Aniga + baa
Adigaa = Adiga + baa
etc...
 

Xawaash - Somali spices

'Xawaash' means 'spices' in Somali. It's a very important part of Somali cuisine. 


Dadka Soomaaliyeed, markay wax karinayaan, marmar way isticmaalaan xawaash.
When Somalis cook something, they often use spices.


Markay shaah karinayaan, marmar xawaash bey ku daraan.
When they make tea, they often put spices in it.


Shaah noocan ah oo 'Shaah xawaash leh' baa la yiraahdaa.
This type of tea is called 'Spicy tea'.


 Daawo videoga oo fiiri sida loo sameeyo xawaash.
Watch the video and see how Somali spices are made.

nooc - kind/type

'nooc' means 'type' or 'kind'

noocan - this type 

Haddaad dhibaato noocan ah ku haysato, la xiriir dhaktarkaaga! - If you have this type of problem, contact your doctor!

noocaas - that type

Cuntada noocaas ah aad baan u necebahay - I really hate that kind of food

noocee? - Which type?


Baabuurka noocee ah baad dooneysaa? - What type of car do you want?

Xaggee baa laga keenaa? - From where are they brought?

Khudradda xaggee baa laga keenaa? - Where do the vegetables come from?
Khudradda koonfurta baa laga keenaa - The vegetables come from the south

Sonkorta noocan oo kale xaggee baa laga keenaa? - Where does this type of sugar come from?
Sonkorta Brasil baa laga keenaa  - It comes from Brazil

Buugagga xaggee baa laga keenaa? - Where are these books brought from?
Buugagga Yurub baa laga keenaa  - These books are brought from Europe

'laga' =     'la'              +        'ka'
                   PASSIVE                'FROM'

Awoowahey/Ayeeyadey

'Kuwani' means 'these' in Somali.

Awoowe - grandfather
Awoowahey - my grandfather
Awoowahaa - your grandfather
 
Ayeeyo - grandmother
Ayeeyadey - my grandmother
Ayeeyadaa - your grandmother


Kani waa Awoowahey - This is my grandfather
Tani waa Ayeeyadey - This is my grandmother


Kuwani waa Awoowahey iyo Ayeeyadey - These are my grandfather and grandmother

Guriga gudihiisa - Inside the house

Maxaad ku arki kartaa sawirka?

Guriga Faadumo

Halkani waa guriga Faadumo. Guriga Faadumo ma dariishad leeyahay? Ma albaab leeyahay? Ma beer(garden) leeyahay? Qoyska Faadumo maxay sameynayaan?

Ha iska badin! - Don't overdo it!

Miyaad garanaysaa sida loo yiraahdaa af Soomaali ' Don't ....'


Ha + cun + in      = Ha cunin - Don't eat 
Ha + cab + in      = Ha cabbin - Don't drink
Ha + bood + in    = Ha boodin - Don't jump
Ha + kari + in      = Ha karinnin - Don't cook (Group 2 verb)
Ha + guurso + in = Ha guursannin - Don't marry (Group 3 verb)
etc...


If you want to say 'Don't eat/drink/work too much', you should use the phrase 'Ha iska badin'


On its own it means 'Don't overdo it'


Cuntada ha iska badin - Don't eat too much (lit: 'Don't overdo the food')
Shaqada ha iska badin - Don't work too much (lit: 'Don't overdo the work')
Qosolka ha iska badin - Don't laugh too much

Beer iyo basal - A Traditional Somali Breakfast

Dadka Soomaaliyeed marmar waxay ku quraacdaan beer iyo basal.
Somalis sometimes eat liver and onions for breakfast.


Miyaad dooneysaan inaad barataan sidii loo sameeyo?
Do you want to know how it is made?


Halkan waad arki kartaan sidii loo sameeyo.
Here you can see how it is made.

la (passive) - Brief review

Remember that 'la' makes the sentence passive,


Waan cunay - I ate it

Waa la cunay - It was eaten


'La' combines with prepositions 'u', 'la', 'ku', 'ka'


la + u   =  'loo' for someone/something
la + ku = 'lagu' by means of something
la + la  =  'lala' with someone/something
la + ka = 'laga' from/out of something


Yaa dhisey? - Who built it?

Yaa loo dhisey? - For whom was it built?



Remember that to say 'why' in Somali is 'Maxaa...u'. This can be combined with the passive 'la', to make passive 'Why?' questions.

Maxaa la cunay? - What was eaten?
Maxaa loo cunay? - Why was it eaten?


Maxaa la keenay? - What was brought?
Maxaa loo keenay? = Why was it brought?


Maxaa la dhigey? - What was it taught?
Maxaa loo dhigey? - Why was it taught?

Bariis Udgoon

'Bariis' means 'rice'. 'Udgoon' means 'fragrant'. When something smells nice, you say 'Udgoon!'

Dadka Soomaaliyeed bariis aad bey u jeclihiin!
Somali people love rice a lot!


Aynu baranno sidee loo kariyaa!
Let's learn how it's made!

P.S.: For some strange reason Somalis love to eat their meals with bananas. I think only Somalis do this. 

Vocab

dhaq - to wash (a pot, rice, utensils, etc)
yaanyo (ta)- tomatoes
basal(ta) - onions
xawaash(ka) - spices
qorfe(ha) - cinnamon
shub - to pour

Aynu sameeyno sambuus! Let's make samosas!

Sambuus is the Somali name for samosa. Videogan wuxuu ku tusayaa sidii loo sameeyo sambuus( This video shows you how to make samosas)

P.S. I think traditionally, Somalis didn't eat beef. Usually sambuus is made with lamb, mutton.

Sabaayad sidii loo sameeyo - video

This is a video that shows you how to make sabaayad.

Sabaayad is like Indian chapati.

Sabaayad aad baan u jeclahay!

Vocab

ku dar - add
bur - flour
saliid - oil (for cooking)
sonkor - sugar
daqiiq - minute(s)
bac - bag
u qaybi - to divide
dabool - to cover (a pot or food etc)

Shakespeare : Sonnet 12

Abdullahi Botan took part in the largest ever poetry festival in London’s Southbank Centre, which brought together up to 200-plus poets who represented the Olympic nations. Thousands of nominations were whittled down to one poet per country. Botan was selected to represent Somalia.

 When I do count the clock that tells the time,
Goortaan xisaabiyo waqtiga yaan, garan waxaan joogo
 
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
Iyo waxaan dharaar wacan arkoo, wahab-habeenowday, 
 
When I behold the violet past prime
Ubaxii is wadhay iyo markaan, eego wixii doorshay
 
And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white;
Oo waafi timo qurux madow, wahee! cadday-siiyey,
 
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Waqti bay dhirtuba waayi dhogor, iyo caleen waabta 
 
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
Waxay waayo’ weyliyo lo’duba, wiire kaga baydho,
 
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves
Wixii tacab xagaagii la guray iyo, qamadi waaxiishey
 
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Wax is jiita baqal weyn ku raran baa, muuq gadh-waayeel leh.
 
of thy beauty do I question make,
Waxse aan walaaley is warin, qurux wacnaantaadan 
 
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Waxa xiga inuu yahay gabow sidii, Waaqla' omasoore, 
 
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
Wanaagsane waxgarad baa aqbala, inuusan waarayne
 
And die as fast as they see others grow;
Wareegtadana uu dhiman’ dhashuna, noqon dad waaweyne
 
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
Wedkuna difaac maleh wax celin, waran Azraa’iile!
 
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.
Warasiyo carruur inaad dhashoo waxaan ahayn mooyi!

Somali interpreter/translator vacancy at the Red Cross

There is a vacancy available at the International Red Cross for a Somali interpreter. The details are here,
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/job/current-vacancies/fd-som-interp.htm

I think that, for reasons of neutrality, ethnic Somalis are not allowed to apply for the post. So this is a good opportunity for those non-Somalis who have gone to the trouble of learning this obscure language.

Adjectives - past tense

How do you say ' I am fine/Ok' in Somali? 


Waan ladnahay/fiicanahay/wanaagsanahay


How do you say 'I was fine'?


...
You chop off the 'ahay' at the end of the word and add 'aa'


Waan ladnaa/ Waan fiicnaa*/Waan wanaagsanaa - I was fine


*I think 'fiican' could be a special case. You have to remove the 'a' before the 'n' as well.


You use this for sentences like 'I am/was beautiful', 'I am/was tall', 'I am/was rich'


Waan     + adjective + ahay  >      Waan  + adjective + aa
Waad     + adjective + tahay >      Waad  + adjective + ayd
Wuu       + adjective + yahay >    Wuu    + adjective + aa
Wey       + adjective  + tahay >    Wey    + adjective + ayd
Waannu + adjective  + nahay > Waannu + adjective + ayn
Weynu   + adjective  + nahay > Weynu  + adjective  + ayn
Waad     + adjective   + tihiin >  Waad    + adjective  + aydeen
Wey       + adjective   + yihiin>  Wey      + adjective  + aayeen


Waan dhuubanahay - I am slim  >   Waan dhuubanaa - I was slim
Waan guruxsanahay - I am beautiful > Waan guruxsanaa - I was beautiful
Waan buuranahay >  Waan buuranaa - I was fat
Waan dheerahay - I am tall > Waan dheeraa - I was tall

leeyahay/lahaa (Present and past tense)

Buug baan leeyahay - I have a book
Buug baan lahaa - I had a book


Baabuur baad leedahay - You have a car
Baabuur baad lahayd - You had a car


Lacag buu leeyahay - He has some money
Lacag buu lahaa - He had some money


Qoys bey leedahay - She has a family
Qoys bey lahayd - She had a family


Dhaqan baannu leenahay - We have a culture
Dhaqan baannu lahayn - We had a culture


Dhibaato baad leedihiin - You(pl) have a problem
Dhibaato baad lahaydeen - You(pl) had a problem


Cilmi bey leeyihiin - They have knowledge
Cilmi bey lahaayeen - They had knowledge

Haddadan - just now

'Haddadan' means 'just now; just a moment ago',


Haddadan baan trainka soo fulay - I've just got on the train
Haddadan baan ku arkay - I saw you just a moment ago
Haddadan telefoonka baa dhacayay - The phone was ringing just now
Haddadan albaabka la garaacayay - Someone was knocking at the door a moment ago (Lit: 'The door was being knocked')

Another useful phrase that is similar is 'mar dhoweyd'. However, 'haddadan' means 'just a few seconds/minutes ago' whereas 'mar dhoweyd' could mean a little longer than that. 

Article translation

A translation of a short article that appeared on the BBC News website


Burcad ay qabteen ciidanka Denmark 
The Danish military has captured pirates

Ciidanka badda ee Danishka ayaa sheegay inay joojiyeen doon burcad ay leedahay xeebta Soomaaliya agteeda.

Danish naval forces have said that they have stopped would-be pirates near the Somali coastline.

Waxay ciidanka sheegeen inay xireen lix iyo toban burcad Soomaali iyo inay badbaadiyeen kow iyo toban qof oo u dhashay Iran iyo Pakistan.

The soldiers said that they have arrested 16 Somali pirates and safeguarded 11 people from Iran and Pakistan.

Warbixin ay soo saareen ciidanka ayaa sheegtay in aan qofna ku dhaawacmin howlgalka.

In a statement, they said that no one was injured in the operation.

Baarayaasha ayaa isku dayaya siday u dacwayn lahaayeen burcada la tuhunsanyahay oo doonta kaluumaysiga afduubay bil ka hor.

Investigators are trying to see how they can bring legal action against the pirates who are suspected of hijacking a fishing boat last month.


Vocab


burcad - bandits/pirates
ciidan(ka) - army 
bad(da) - sea
jooji - to stop
xeeb(ta) - coast, beach
xir - to arrest, lockup, close (a door)
badbaadi - to secure, safeguard
qofna - nobody
dhaawac - to injure, wound
  qofna ku dhaawacmin hawlgalka - no one was injured in the operation
warbixin - a press statement
baare - investigator(plural: baarayaasha)
dacwee - to sue, bring legal action against s.o.
  siday u dacwayn lahayeen - how to bring legal action against ...
doonta kaluumaysiga - a fishing boat
afduub - to hijack, abduct
bil - month

Ardeyda Abaalmarinta - The students' reward

This is a short video about Somali children getting rewards (abaalmarin) for their hard work at school. I have transcribed and translated the introduction.

Munaasabadan way ka soo qaybgaleen qaar ka mid ah mas'uuliyiinta degmada Camden sida duqa degmada, golaha deegaanka, waalidiin, iyo ardeyda wax ka barataa schoolada Camden. Waxaana lagu qabtay isla xaafadan, iyadoo ay ahayd mid abaalmarin lagu guddoonsiineyey ardey gaarisaa 104 oo laga soo guray schoolada degmada Camden.


Offcials from Camden district (of London) participated in this ceremony, such as the district mayor, the local council, parents and students who study at Camden schools. And it was held in the neighbourhood, and it was an occasion where prizes were awarded to as many as 104 students who were gathered from schools across Camden.




Vocab
munaasabad(da) - event, ceremony
qaybgal - to participate
degmo(da) - district
mas'uul - official
ardey(da) - students
la qabtay - to be held
iyadoo  - iyada (she) + oo(while)
  iyadoo ay ahayd - while she/it was
abaalmarin - reward for hard work
guddoonsii - to present/award s.o.
gaaray - to reach
laga soo guray - that were collected from

Sidoo kale loo yaqaan - A.K.A

'Sidoo kale' means 'In the same way'. You can use it when you want to show that two things/situations are similar. It is a portmanteau of 'sida' and 'oo kale'.




'Sidoo kale loo yaqaan' means 'Also known as'


New York oo sidoo kale loo yaqaan 'The Big Apple' ...
New York, which is also known as 'The Big Apple'...

Waxaa laga yaabaa ... (It is possible...)

'Waxaa laga yaabaa' is a set phrase which means 'It's possible'. Combine it with 'in' (that) and you can make sentences such as, 

Waxaa laga yaabaa inaan tegi karaa Baariis - I might be able to go to Paris (lit: 'It is possible that I can go to Paris')


Waxaa laga yaabaa iney yihiin Soomaali - It's possible that they are Somali


Waxaa laga yaabaa baabuurkaasi inuu yahay kayga - It's possible that that car is mine.

Tweets

Some translations of recent tweets from BBC Somali,

BRICS oo sheegay inay samaynayaan bangi

The BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China) have said that they are establishing a bank.

Geerida Cabdullaahi Yusuf: Allaha u naxariistee Cabdullaahi Yusuf Axmed wuxuu ku dhashay tuulo ku dhow magaalada Garowe...

The death of Abdillahi Yusuf: God rest his soul Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed was born in a village close to the city of Garowe... 
 
Burcad badeed lagu wareejiyey Somaliland: Koox burcad badeed Soomaliyeed ah oo ku xirnaa dalka Seychelles ayaa lagu wareejiyey Somaliland

Sea pirates have been handed over to Somaliland: A team of Somali pirates which was held in the Seychelles has been transferred to Somaliland


Vocab


Wuxuu ku dhashay... - He was born in ....
xiran(xirnaa) - to be tied up, to be shut, to be locked up
ku xirnaa... - locked up in ...
ku wareeji - to hand over
igu wareeji - hand it over to me

'in' - making subordinate clauses

There are several ways to make subordinate clauses in Somali. Here I will talk about the easiest.


I want to go to Somalia


I want (Main Clause)    to go to Somalia (Subordinate clause)


To link the two in Somali, use the word 'in'


Waxaan dooneyaa + in(that) + aan(I) + tago(present habitual)  Soomaaliya


'in' roughly corresponds to the English word 'that'. Therefore, literally it means


Waxaan dooneyaa inaan tago Soomaaliya - I want that I go to Somalia


Waxaan dooneyaa inaan baro af Soomaaliga - I want to learn Somali


Waxaan moodeyey inuu tegayo Soomaaliya - I thought he was going to Somalia


'in' is very good when you want to use phrases like,


'I believe that' - Waxaan rumaysnaa in ...

' I think that' - Waxaan fekerayaa in ... 


'I want to' - Waxaan dooneyaa in ...

inaan - that I           iney - that she     inaad - that you(pl)
inaad - that you      inaanu - that we  iney - that they
inuu - that he          ineynu - that we

You can develop this structure further,

Waxaan ku faraxsanahay inaad si amaan ah u gaartay Muqdisho


I am happy that you reached Mogadishu safely



Notice, the verbs 'tago', 'baro', end in 'o'. This is similar to French where,


Autant que je sache (Not 'sais'), 


Just as in French where the verb becomes subjunctif after 'que', in Somali after 'in' the verb ends in 'o', but only if it is originally a present progressive or habitual tense. If it is in past tense, then it remains the same.

Waxaan maqlay inuu tegay Soomaaliya - I heard that he went to Somalia. 

Burcad Badeed - pirates

Sidee baa loogu yiraahdaa af Soomaali "pirates"?
How do you say "pirates" in Somali?


The answer is "burcad badeed". This literally means "sea bandits". The word for 'sea' in Somali is 'bad(da)'. 


Burcada soomaalida ayaa ka afduubtay markab xamuul jasiirada Maldives. Waa markii ugu horaysay ee burcada ay ka afduubaan biyaha u dhow hindiya iyo Srilanka.

Somali pirates have hijacked a ship in the Maldives. It is the first time that pirates have attacked in waters close to India and Sri Lanka.

afduub - kidnap, abduct, hijack
burcad - bandits
markab - ship
....u dhow - close to... (e.g. Wuu ku helay meel u dhow gurigayga - He found it close to my house)
Waa markii ugu horaysay ee... - It is the first time that...

Weli - still

'Weli' means 'still' . You can use it in both the positive and negative sense.

Weli lacag baan haystaa - I still have some money
Weli gurigaas baan leeyahay - I still have that house
Weli caruur baan dooneyaa - I still want children
Weli hilib lo'aad buu cunaa - He still eats beef
Weli af Soomali bey ku hadlaan - They still speak Somali


'Maan tegin' means 'I didn't go'. But if you put 'weli' in front of it, it becomes 'Weli maan tegin' - I haven't gone yet (but there is still a possibility I might go)


Weli maan tegin - I still haven't gone
Weli muu cunin cuntadiisa - He still hasn't eaten his meal
Weli maan guursannin - I still haven't got married
Weli mey kuma hadlaan af Soomali - They still don't speak Somali 
Weli muu hadlin - He still hasn't spoken

Habsaan baan ahay - I'm late

Waxaan kuu sheegayaa sida loogu yiraahdo af Soomaali 'I'm late'.
(I will tell you how 'I'm late' is said in Somali)


Habsaan baan ahay - I'm late 

Habsaan baan ahay ee raali ahow - Sorry I'm late!
  
'I was late', laba sidood baa loo isticmaali karaa( you can use two ways to say it)


Habsaan baan ahaa - I was late/I was held up 
Waan habsaamay - I was late

If you want to say ' I was late to work/school/the game, etc, use 'ka',


Waxaan ka habsaamay shaqada - I was late to work
Waxaan ka habsaamay dugsiga - I was late to school
Waxaan ka habsaamay ciyaarta - I was late to the dance

Ila hadal (Talk with me)

This is a short video I put together so that you can listen to and practise some phrases. It is from a programme called 'Ila hadal' which means 'Talk with me'. It is a good programme to watch as a Somali learner.

Some phrases that I forgot to include,


Waa barnaamij cusub - It is a new programme

Waxay ka kooban tahay - It is comprised of/ It consists of...


Saddex qaybood - Three parts

Follow BBC Somali on Twitter

You can follow BBC Somali on Twitter here,  
http://twitter.com/#!/bbcsomali.

They have short bite-sized sentences in Somali that are easy to digest. For example, 


Shirka London. Barnaamij ku saabsan shirka London
The London Conference. A programme about the London Conference.


Click: Wararka Toddobaadkii ee tiknoolajiga 
Click: Weekly news on technology 


Turkish Airline oo u duushay Somalia
Turkish Airline flew to Somalia

fara badan - many, numerous

A popular way of saying that there are many of something is to use the phrase 'fara badan'. It literally means 'many fingers'. For example,


Hadda, waxaa soo baxay radio, tv, wargeys iyo bar internet fara badan 
Now, many radio stations, tv channels and newspapers and internet sites have come out


Ciidamo Itoobiyaan fara badan ayaa soo gaaray degmada Luuq
Many Ethiopian troops have reached the Luuq district.

Kalluun fara badan oo ku soo Caariyey Xeebta Magaalada Bosaaso
Many fish were washed up on the beach of Boosaaso City.

Dhalasho wanaagsan! - Happy Birthday!

In case you wanted to know, 


Dhalasho wanaagsan! - Happy Birthday!

'Dhalasho' means 'birth'. 

Use the list below when you want to say where you are born, 


Waxaan ku dhashay Ingriiska - I was born in Britain
Waxaad ku dhalatay Boolaand - You were born in Poland
Wuxuu ku dhashay Faransiiska - He was born in France
Waxay ku dhalatay Mareykanka - She was born in America
Waxaanu ku dhalanney Jarmalka - We were born in Germany
Waxeynu ku dhalanney Spain - We were born in Spain
Waxaad ku dhalateen Canada - You were born in Canada
Waxay ku dhasheen Soomaaliya - They were born in Somalia

Remember that 'ku' means 'in, at'

Xaggee (noun) laga helaa? - Where can I get (noun)?

If you want to ask someone how to get something in Somali, a common phrase is,


Xaggee (noun) laga helaa? - Where does one get (noun)from?


The verb 'hel' means 'to get/obtain'. 'laga' is the fusion of two prepositions; 'la' makes the sentence passive, and 'ka' (from). 

Xaggee buuggan laga helaa? - Where does one get this book?
Xaggee baabuurkan laga helaa? - Where do I get this car?
Xaggee ticket laga helaa? - Where do I get a ticket?
Xaggee biyo laga helaa? - Where does one get water?


Another similar phrase is to use 'heli karaa' (able to get)


Xaggee bus laga heli karaa? - Where can I get a bus?
Xaggee cabbitaan laga heli karaa? - Where can I get a drink?
Xaggee cunto laga heli karaa?  
- Where can one get food?


You can move the object to the end of the sentence,


Xaggee laga heli karaa shaqo? - Where can one get a job?
Xaggee laga heli karaa fursad? - Where can I get an opportunity?
Xaggee laga heli karaa caawinaad? - Where can I get help?

Waxay kula tahay... - In my opinion...

Remember that,


Maxay kula tahay? - What do you think? What's your opinion(about it)?
You can answer the question by starting with,


Waxay ila tahay... - In my opinion...


For example,


Waxay ila tahay inaad noqoto dhaktar 
- In my opinion, you should become a doctor.
Waxay ila tahay inaad barato af Soomaali 
- In my opinion, you should study Somali.
Waxay ila tahay inaad joojiso sigaarka 
- In my opinion, you should stop smoking.
Waxay ila tahay inaad guursato gabartaas 
- In my opinion, you should marry that girl.
Waxay ila tahay inaad tagto dalka Mareykanka 
- In my opinion, you should go to America.


Waxay     i la    tahay - What she is with me is...(Literal translation)
WHAT-SHE     ME-WITH       IS

The reason I think 'maxay kula tahay'/'waxay ila tahay' are feminine, is because we are talking about 'arrinta' ('the matter') which is a feminine word. If however, you are talking about something masculine, you have to change it to 'muxuu kula yahay'/'wuxuu ila yahay'.


Baarbuurkayga cusub, muxuu kula yahay? - What do you think of my new car?

Maxaa kugu dhacay - What happened to you?

Quick post - to say in Somali 'What happened?', we say,


Maxaa dhacay?


If you want to say, 'What happened to you?', we say,


Maxaa kugu dhacay? - What happened to you?


'kugu' is a combination of 'ku' (you) and 'ku' (preposition: 'to, with, by means of'). When you put the two ku's together, they become 'kugu'. 
Him, her and them don't have object pronouns, so if you want to say 'What happened to him/her/them?' , just use the preposition 'ku',


Maxaa ku dhacay? - What happened to him/her/them?


Other combinations,


Maxaa igu dhacay? - What happened to me?


Maxaa idinku dhacay? - What happened to you(plural)?


Maxaa nagu dhacay? - What happened to us(exclusive; not very common)?


Maxaa inagu dhacay? - What happened to us (inclusive; much more common)?

Buugga af Soomaaliga (Somali textbook)

 Fasax baan qaadanayaa ee raali ahow. Laakiin,  waan idiin kula talinayaa inaad iibsataan buuggan oo 'Somali Textbook' la yiraahdo. Buuggan waxaa ku jiraa waxyaalo badan oo fiican. Haddaan dooneysaan inaad si fiican uga hadashaan af Soomaaliga, waa inaad heshaan buuggan. Nabad gelyo.




I have to take a bit of a break, but in the meantime, I recommend that you purchase 'Somali Textbook' by David Zorc and Abdillahi Issa. It has everything you need to become a proficient Somali speaker. It is a bit expensive but it is a must for anyone who is serious about becoming fluent in Somali. Nabad.

Xeebta Muqdisho (Mogadishu Beach)

Halkani waad arki kartaan sawirro ee Xeebta Muqdisho http://www.bbc.co.uk/somali/maqal_iyo_muuqaal/2011/12/111220_sawirro_muqdisho.shtml
(Here you can see pictures of Mogadishu Beach). 'Beach' waa af Soomali 'xeeb' baa la yiraahdaa.  Muqdisho baa leh xeebaha ugu qurxoon Afrika (Mogadishu has the most beautiful beaches in Africa). 

Cabdi beenlow (Abdi the liar)

This is a Somali retelling of a famous children's story. See if you recognise it.

Vocab
raac - to accompany/look after
ari - sheep and goats
isaga oo ari la jooga meel guriga agtiisa ah - while he was with the sheep and goats in a place near the house
damac(ayuu damcay) - he desired
been u sheeg - to tell a lie
marka - so
ayuu yiri - he said
Hayaay! - Oh no!
waraabe - hyena
muddo - period (of time)
ka dib - after
ku soo orday - running towards him
dad ulo iyo warmo sita - people carrying sticks and spears
markii ay u yimaadeen - when they came
qosley - he laughed
been weeye - it's a lie
waraabe ma jiro - there's no hyena
aad u careysan - very angry
guryahooddii ku noqdeen - they returned to their homes
maalintii dambe - the next day
run - real/true
sidii maalintii hore - like the day before
dadkii.. ayaa maqlay qayladdiisi - the people heard his shouting
qofna uma soo bixin - nobody went out
waa beentiisii hore - he's lying again (lit: 'it's his former lie')
naga daaya - leave us alone
laayey - was slaughtered/wiped out

Questions

1. Maxaa uu Cabdi u sheegay beenta?

'Maxaa uu' is another way of writing 'muxuu'. Remember 'muxuu' means 'what', muxuu u'

2.Markii dhuwaagu yimid, maxaa Cabdi loo kaalmayn waayey?

'dhuwaa' is another word for 'hyena'. 'loo' = 'la'(passive marker) + 'u'. 'maxaa...u' means 'why'. 'kaaymayn waayey' means 'failed to come'. Therefore, 'When the hyena came, why did they fail to come to Abdi?

3.Sheekadani maxaa ay inoo faa'iideeynaysaa?


'Sheeko' = 'story; 'Sheekadan' = 'this story'. 'inoo' = 'ina' + 'u'. 'Faa'iideeynaysaa' means 'to benefit'. Therefore, 'How does this story benefit us?'


4. Weligaa sida Cabdi ma samaysay? Maxaa aad samaysay?

seR|"'Weligaa' = 'Have you ever...' . 'Sida' literally means 'the way', therefore 'sida Cabdi' means 'the way of Abdi' or 'like Abdi'.
'Have you ever done something similar to Abdi? What did you do?'