Chapter 5: At a Restaurant
Essential phrases for a great dining experience.
Restaurant Dialogue
| Afaan Oromo | English |
|---|---|
| Maal yaamta? | What do you order? |
| Foon loonii waaddamee fi ruza. | Roasted beef and rice. |
| Foon re'ee affeelamee fi buddeena. | Boiled mutton and bread. |
| Qurxummii akaawamee fi dinniccaa. | Fried fish and potatoes. |
| Killee akaawamee fi buddeena. | Fried eggs and bread. |
| Hulbat maraqaa fi buddeena. | Hulbat stew and bread. |
| Maali kuni? | What is this? |
| Kuni shayiidha. | This is tea. |
| Shayiin qabbanaawaa. | The tea is cold. |
| Kuni buna. | This is coffee. |
| Buntu owwaa. | The coffee is warm. |
| Maali suni? | What is that? |
| Suni burtukaana. | That is orange. |
| Akkami burtukaanni? | How is the orange? |
| Burtukaanni mi'aawaa. | The orange is sweet. |
| Kami bunni? | Which is coffee? |
| Kuni buna sun immoo shayiidha. | This is coffee but that is tea. |
| Kuni bishaanii? | Is this water? |
| Ee, kuni bishaani. | Yes, this is water. |
| Kuni tiruu akaawamee? | Is this fried liver? |
| Lakki, kuni tiruu akaawame miti. Kuni kilee akaawame. | No, this is not fried liver. This is fried kidney. |
| Meeqa bunni afur? | How much is four coffees? |
| Bunni afur qarshii lama. | Four coffees make two qarshii. |
Grammar Focus
Noun Number and Definitiveness
In Oromo, plural forms of nouns are rarely used. Plurality is often shown by numerals, adjectives, or context. Common plural suffixes are -oota, -wwan, and -een.
Definitiveness (saying "the") is marked by the suffix -icha for masculine and -ittii for feminine.
Example: qaallicha (the priest), keessumittii (the guest, f.)
Pronouns (Possessive, Demonstrative, Interrogative)
Possessive pronouns follow the noun they modify. Example: kitaabni isaa (his book).
Demonstrative pronouns distinguish between "this" (kuni/tuni) and "that" (suni).
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions: eenyu (who), maal (what), kami (which).
Word Order
The word order in Oromo is strictly Subject - Object - Verb (SOV). The verb always comes at the end of the sentence.
Example: Inni (S) shamiza (O) bita (V). (He buys a shirt.)