How do you construct sentences in Amharic that are positive, negative, imperative, and interrogative?
Beginners Can Learn Amharic Very Easily Here.
In Amharic, constructing sentences with different moods (positive, negative, imperative, and interrogative) follows specific patterns for verbs and sentence structure. Below is a breakdown of each:
1. Positive Sentences
These are straightforward declarative sentences. They affirm an action or state.
Structure: Subject + Verb + Object (if necessary) Example:
- እኔ እሰራለሁ – I work.
- እሱ እንጀራ ይበላል – He eats injera.
- እኔ እሰራለሁ – I will work.
- እሱ እንጀራ ይበላል – He will eat injera.
2. Negative Sentences
To make a negative sentence in Amharic, you add the prefix “አል-” (a-) which means “not” for the first person singular, to the verb አይ for the third person singular male, and it changes the verb suffixes depending on tense and pronouns (subject).
Structure: Subject + “አል or አይ” + Verb (modified) + Object (if necessary). Example:
- እኔ አልሰራም – I don’t work.
- እሱ አይበላም – He doesn’t eat.
- እኔ አልሰራም – I will not work.
- እሱ አይበላም – He will not eat.
You should notice that the whole sentences we are constructing here are only for present and future tenses, the verbs change their forms for the past tense.
3. Imperative Sentences
Imperative sentences give commands or requests. The verb is typically in its base form (or imperative form) and directed toward a second person.
· Structure: Verb + Object (if necessary)
· Example:
- ተኛ – Sleep!
- ና – Come!
- እንጀራ ውሰድ – Take the injera!
For plural or polite commands, add “-wo” to the verb:
- ተኙ – Sleep (plural)!
- ኑ – Please come!
4. Interrogative Sentences
To form a question in Amharic, you usually keep the sentence structure similar to positive sentences but raise intonation at the end or use question markers such as “ማን” (who), “ምን” what, etc.
· Structure: Verb + Subject + (Question word)
· Example:
- እሱ ይበላል? – Does he eat?
- አንተ ምን ትሰራለህ? – What do you do?
- እሱ ይበላል? – Will he eat?
- አንተ ምን ትሰራለህ? – What will you do?
For “yes/no” questions, intonation often conveys the interrogative nature, but no extra words are added.
In Amharic, the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Look at these examples:
| እኔ አማርኛ እየተማርኩ ነው። | I am learning Amharic. |
| አሁን እኔ እንቅልፌ መጥቷል። | My sleep has come now. |
| ነገ በጊዜ እተኛለሁ። | I will sleep on time tomorrow. |
| አንድ ነጭ ሰው መጣ። | A white man came. |
Please, go back to the beginning of this lesson and start reading to check this fact. Don’t be lazy. Sorry for the word. You will thank me.
Let’s form Amharic አዎንታዊ / Positive, አሉታዊ / Negative, ትእዛዛዊ / Imperative, and መጥይቃዊ/ Interrogative sentences with the Amharic word መምጣት which means “to come.”
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