At a Restaurant

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.)