Afaan Oromo/Chapter 02

85px|left|Oromo flag85px|right|Ethiopian flag Chapter 2: Word Order ⇐ Back to Previous Chapter Back to Contents Continue to Next Chapter ⇒ Greeting Conversation To play audio files, click the word, not the speaker icon. All audio files are OGG format, which are handled differently by different browsers. See help page for help playing these files. oromo_ch02_playall.ogg no Play all Girma: Tariku, akkam bulte? oromo_ch02_line01.ogg no play Tariku: Akkam bulte? Fayyaa dha? oromo_ch02_line02.ogg no play Girma: Fayyaa, galata Waaqaa. Akkam jirta? oromo_ch02_line03.ogg no play Tariku: Nagaa, galata Waaqaa. Eessa deemta? oromo_ch02_line04.ogg no play Girma: Amma gara mana barumsaan deema. oromo_ch02_line05.ogg no play Tariku: Har'a galgala maal goota? oromo_ch02_line06.ogg no play Girma: Edana qo'achuun qaba. oromo_ch02_line07.ogg no play Tariku: Tole. Wal agarra. oromo_ch02_line08.ogg no play [For translation see here] Basic Sentence Structure Afaan Oromo follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) format. But because it is a declined language (nouns change depending on their role in the sentence), word order can be flexible, though verbs always come after their subjects and objects. Typically, indirect objects follow direct objects. Oromo has both prepositions and postpositions, though postpositions are more common. SOV ok, but what about Anan namicha arga = I see the man Namicha anan arga = I see the man Both ok? Examples: “I threw the ball to you” → “I ball to you threw” → “Ani kubbaa siif nan ha'e” “She came from America” → “She America from came” → “Isheen Ameerikaa irraa dhufte” Modifiers Adjectives come after the nouns they modify. Adverbs that modify adjectives go before the adjective. Adverbs that modify verbs, adverbial clauses, and relative clauses tend to go at the beginning of the sentence before the subject. Examples: “your blue pen is in my room” → “pen blue your room my in is” → “biirii dooqee kee kutaa koo keessa jira” “I don't know where it is” → “Where that it is I don't know” → “Eessa akka ta'e ani hin beeku” “How far is the post office” → “How post office is far?” → “Hagam manni postaa fagaata?” “What are you doing tonight?” → “Tonight what will you do?” → “Edana maal gotta?” Chapter Vocabulary “Akkam bulte?” / “Akkam bultani?” “Good morning” [lit. “How did you spend the night?”] “Fayyaa dha?” “Are you well?” “Galata Waaqa” “Thank God” nagaa fine “Akkam jirta?” / “Akkam jirtu?” “How are you?” “Eessa deemta?” “Where are you going?” amma now godhuu to do, make “Maal goochaa jirta?” “What are you doing?” hojii work hojjachuu to work “Maal hojjatta?” “What are you working on?” gara to, toward mana barumsaa school har'a today har'a galgala, edana tonight qo'achuu to study “Qo'achuun qaba” “I have to study” hojii manaa homework “Wal agarra” “See you” ⇐ Back to Previous Chapter Back to Contents Continue to Next Chapter ⇒