Oromo Verbs

 Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Oromo. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Oromo.

Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Oromo conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:

Present Tense	Oromo
I speak English	ingiliffa nan dubbadha
you speak French	afaan faransaayi dubbata
he speaks German	afaan jarmanii dubbata
she speaks Italian	afaan xaliyaani dubbatti
we speak Arabic	afaan arabaa dubbanna
they speak Chinese	afaan chayina dubbatu

The past tense in Oromo conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:

Past Tense	Oromo
I visited France	biyya faransaayi ndaawwadhe
you visited Italy	biyya xaaliyaani daawwatte
he visited Morocco	biyya morooko daawwate
she visited China	biyya chaayina daawwatte
we visited Mexico	biyya meeksiko daawwanne
they visited Kenya	biyya keeniyaa daawwatan

The future tense in Oromo conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:

Future Tense	Oromo
I will drink milk	buna ndhuga
you will drink coffee	buna dhugda
he will drink tea	inni shaayi dhuga
she will drink water	bishaan dhugdi
we will drink apple juice	chuunfaa apili dhugna
they will drink tea	jarri shaayi dhugu

Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.

ear gurra	eye ija	mouth afaan	nose funyaan
hair dabbasaa	face fuula	head mataa	heart onnee
hand harka	fingers quboota	leg luka	feet miilla

Travel Phrases in Oromo

Imagine yourself in some Oromo speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!

English	Oromo
Can you help me?	na gargaarta?
Can I help you?	si gargaaru?
Where is the airport?	dirreen xiyyaaraa eessa?
Go straight	fuuluma dura ke deemi
Then	yeros
Turn left	gara bitaa gori
Turn right	gara mirgaa gori

Source: learn101