Afaan Oromo/Chapter 03

Chapter 3: Pronouns

Introductory Conversation
Girma: Maqaan kee eenyu? ''Jim: Maqaan koo Jim. Ati hoo?'' ''Girma: Girmaan jedhama. Eessaa dhufte?'' ''Jim: Lammii Ameerikaati. Ati hoo?'' ''Girma: Jimman jiraadha. Ani barataa yunivarsiitii dha. Hojiin kee maal?'' ''Jim: Jaallee nagaatif hojjedha. Maal gosa barnootaa qu'atta?'' ''Girma: Qorichan qo'adha. Fuute jirtaa?'' ''Jim: Miti, hin fuune. Ati hoo?'' Girma: Anis hin fuune. ''Jim: Deemuun qaba. Baga wal agarre.'' ''Girma: Anis baga wal agarre. Nagaatti.''

[For translation see here]

Personal Pronouns
The personal pronouns as subjects and direct objects are listed below along with possessive markers.

Like English, Oromo uses different forms of personal pronouns to indicate their role in the sentence. While “he” and “him” may refer to the same person, English uses “he” for subjects and “him” for objects. Oromo has several forms for all nouns, including pronouns, though for now we will only deal with the subject (nominative) and direct object (accusative) forms.

Examples: “She likes him” &mdash; “Isheen isa jaalatti” “He likes her” &mdash; “Inni ishee jaalata” “We buy it” &mdash; “Nuti isa binna” “Do you hear me?” &mdash; “Ati na dhageessa?” or more commonly “Na dhageessaa?”

Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns go after the nouns they modify. The word kan can optionally be used to show possession.

Examples: My shoes &mdash; kophee koo or kophee kan koo Our country &mdash; biyyi keenya or biyyi kan keenya Its price &mdash; gatii (i)saa or gatti kan isaa

“And”, “Also”
To express “too, also”, Oromo uses the suffix -s for sentences and the word hoo for questions.

Examples: “And you/ what about you?” &mdash; “Ati hoo?” “And yours/ what about yours?” &mdash; “Kee hoo?” or “'''Kan kee hoo?'” “Me, too” &mdash; “Anis” “She, as well” &mdash; “Isheenis” “And they are: …” &mdash; “Isaanis: …”

Polite Forms
Oromo uses plural pronouns (isin and isaan) also as the polite/formal pronouns. Mostly, one uses the polite form when talking to/about older and respected members of the community. In many areas of southern Oromia, ati is rarely used (and considered rude) and only the polite form of “you”, isin, is used.

Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used in questions, and come before the verb and either before or after the subject. Often, if the verb is “is/are”, this verb is dropped when using an interrogative pronoun. The main interrogative pronouns are:

What &mdash; Maal(i) Why [lit. “for what”] &mdash; Maaliif(i) How &mdash; Akkam(i) When &mdash; Yoom Where &mdash; Eessa From where &mdash; Eessaa Who &mdash; Eenyu Whose &mdash; Kan eenyu How much, many &mdash; Meeqa Which &mdash; Kam(i)