Learn Afaan Oromo
Your interactive guide to the fundamentals of the Oromo language.
Meeting New People
Start your journey with our first guided lesson. Learn greetings, introductions, and basic conversation.
Phrasebook & Greetings
Learn essential greetings, questions, and basic conversational phrases to start speaking today.
Dining & Ordering Food
Learn vocabulary for restaurants, how to order, and phrases for eating out.
Family & Relationships
Vocabulary and phrases for talking about family and loved ones.
Travel & Directions
Phrases for getting around, asking for directions, and using transportation.
Dates, Calendar & Numbers
Learn days of the week, months, and how to count in Afaan Oromo.
Verbs & Conjugation
Understand how verbs change based on who is performing the action.
The Alphabet (Qubee Afaan Oromoo)
Afaan Oromo uses a Latin-based alphabet called Qubee. It's largely phonetic, meaning words are spelled as they sound.
Single Letters
| Letter | Pronunciation (in English) | Example Word |
|---|---|---|
| A, a | as in "father" | Abbaa (father) |
| B, b | as in "boy" | Buna (coffee) |
| C, c | a "ch" sound, as in "church" | Ciraa (wax) |
| D, d | as in "dog" | Daabboo (bread) |
| E, e | as in "bet" | Ebelu (so-and-so) |
| F, f | as in "father" | Farda (horse) |
| G, g | as in "go" | Gala (evening) |
| H, h | as in "hat" | Harka (hand) |
| I, i | as in "see" | Ija (eye) |
| J, j | as in "jump" | Jaalala (love) |
| K, k | as in "key" | Kitaaba (book) |
| L, l | as in "love" | Laga (river) |
| M, m | as in "mother" | Mana (house) |
| N, n | as in "no" | Nama (person) |
| O, o | as in "more" | Oda (sycamore tree) |
| P, p | as in "pen" (often explosive) | Paappaasii (papaya) |
| Q, q | an explosive "k" sound from the back of the throat | Qube (letter) |
| R, r | a rolled "r", like in Spanish | Roobii (Wednesday) |
| S, s | as in "see" | Saree (dog) |
| T, t | as in "top" | Tola (free/grace) |
| U, u | as in "flute" | Uffata (clothes) |
| V, v | as in "victory" (rare, mostly in loan words) | Viidiyoo (video) |
| W, w | as in "water" | Waraana (war) |
| X, x | an explosive "t" sound | Xalayaa (letter/mail) |
| Y, y | as in "yes" | Yoom (when) |
| Z, z | as in "zoo" (rare, mostly in loan words) | Zayitii (oil) |
Combined Letters (Digraphs)
| Letter | Pronunciation (in English) | Example Word |
|---|---|---|
| CH, ch | same as "C" | check |
| DH, dh | an implosive "d" sound | dhagaa (stone) |
| NY, ny | like the Spanish "ñ" | nyaachuu (to eat) |
| PH, ph | an explosive "p" sound | phaaphaasi (pope) |
| SH, sh | as in "shoe" | shakkii (doubt) |
| TS, ts | as in "cats" (rare) | Tsehay (sun - loanword) |
Grammar Fundamentals
Understanding the basic rules of Oromo grammar is key to forming correct sentences.
Afaan Oromo follows a Subject-Object-Verb (S-O-V) sentence structure. This is different from English, which is typically Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O).
Example:
English (SVO): The boy ate the bread.
Afaan Oromo (SOV): Gurbaan daabboo nyaate.
(Subject: Gurbaan/The boy, Object: daabboo/the bread, Verb: nyaate/ate)
Common Verbs
Verbs are action words. Here are some of the most common verbs in Afaan Oromo.
| Afaan Oromo | English |
|---|---|
| Deemuu | To go |
| Dhufuu | To come |
| Nyaachuu | To eat |
| Dhuguu | To drink |
| Raafuu | To sleep |
| Dubbachuu | To speak |
| Barachuu | To learn |
| Hojjechuu | To work |
Example Sentences
See how words and grammar come together in these example sentences.
Ani Afaan Oromoo barachaan jira.
"I am learning the Oromo language."
Inni gara mana deemaa jira.
"He is going home."
Isheen buna dhugdi.
"She drinks coffee."
Nuti Oromiyaa jaalanna.
"We love Oromia."