Amharic
Conjugate VerbsFacts
- Language: Amharic
- Alternate names: Abyssinian, Ethiopian, Amarinya, Amarigna
- Language code: amh
- Language family: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, West Semitic, Ethiosemitic, South Ethiopic, Transversal South Ethiopic, Amharic-Argobba
- Number of speakers: 17417913
- Script: Ethiopic script
More information:
As in other Semitic languages (such as Hebrew, for example), Amharic verb forms are derived by applying various templates (vowel and affix patterns) to a set of roots consisting of between three to five consonants. Verbs inflect for person, number, gender, aspect (perfect/imperfect). N.b. tense and complex/compound tenses are expressed by means of auxiliary verbs), mood (indicative/imperative/interrogative/optative), voice (active/passive), and polarity (positive/negative). Verbs agree with their subjects and optionally with their objects.
The verb
- An Amharic verb root usually consists of a set of three to five consonants. Verb forms are derived by applying vowels and suffixes to the roots. A verb form normally has one or more suffixes and prefixes. Sometimes, consonants are geminated (doubled).
- Verbs are marked for person, number, and gender.
- There are two aspects: imperfect and perfect.
- Compound tenses are expressed by means of auxiliary verbs.
- There are four moods: indicative, imperative, interrogative, and optative.
- Verbs are marked for voice: active and passive.
- Verbs are marked for positive and negative.
- Verbs agree with their subject and sometimes with the direct or indirect object.
- There are at least ten different classes of verbs, each modifying its stem in a number of different ways.
Sample verb: məlbəs
(Regular three-radical verb)
| Infinitive | Perfective | Imperfective | ||
| Underived | 'A' | məlbəs | ləbbəsə | yıləbsal |
| 'B' | məKəTTəl | KəTTələ | yıKəTTılal | |
| Passive | məlləbəs | tələbbəsə | yılləbbəsal | |
| Causative | in /-a/ 'A' | malbəs | aləbbəsə | yaləbsal |
| in /-a/ 'B' | maKəTTəl | aKəTTələ | yaKəTTılal | |
| in /-as/ | masləbbəs | asləbbəsə | yasləbbısal | |
| Frequentative | Simple | mələbəbəs | ləbabbəsə | yıləbabbısal |
| Causative in /-a/ | maləbabəs | aləbabbəsə | yaləbabbısal | |
| Causative in /-as/ | masləbabəs | asləbabbəsə | yasləbabbısal | |
| Reciprocal | Simple | məlləbəs | təlabbəsu | yıllabbəsallu |
| Reduplicated | məlləbabes | tələbabbəsu | yılləbabbəsallu | |
| Benefactive | Simple | mallabəs | allabəsə | yallabbısal |
| Reduplicated | malləbabes | alləbabbəsə | yallebabbısal | |
Verblist
ለወሰ, ላለ, ሐለመ, መማር, መምታት, መምጣት, መራ, መስማት, መስራት, መስጠት, መሸጥ, መቀመጥ, መቀዝቀዝ, መቁረጥ, መቁጠር, መቆም, መቆፈር, መብረር, መቦረሽ, መተንፈስ, መተኛት, መታገል, መታጠፍ, መትፋት, መነጣጠል, መናገር, መንሳፈፍ, መንፈስ, መኖር, መወርወር, መዋኘት, መዘመር, መዘነ, መያዝ, መገንባት, መጋደም, መግባት, መግዛት, መግደል, መግፋት, መጎተት, መጠበቅ, መጠየቅ, መጠጣት, መጥባት, መጫን, መጫወት, መፋቅ, መፍራት, ማልቀስ, ማረስ, ማሰር, ማሰብ, ማስታወክ, ማሽተት, ማቃጠል, ማበጥ, ማንበብ, ማወቅ, ማዎቅ, ማየት, ማደን, ማዳመጥ, ማድረግ, ማጠብ, ሞተ, ሰማ, ሰበረ, ሰዳ, ሳመ, ሳቀ, ሸለመ, ሽጉጡን፡ጠጣ, ቀረበ, ቀረጸ, በላ, በዳ, በጠለ, ባረከ, ተመኘ, ተከፈተ, ነበረ, ነው, ነገሰ, ነፋ, ኖረ, አለ, አመነ, አረሰ, አራ, አሸለመ, አዘመተ, አይደለም, አደሰ, አጻፈ, አፈረ, ከለከለ, ከረከረ, ከሰሰ, ከበረ, ከበደ, ከተበ, ከተተ, ከታተበ, ከፈለ, ከፈተ, ካሰ, ካደ, ኮራ, ኮነነ, ኳሰ, ወለደ, ወረረ, ወረሰ, ወረወረ, ወረደ, ወሰነ, ወሰደ, ወቀሰ, ወነጀለ, ወደመ, ወደቀ, ወደደ, ወጣ, ዋለ, ዋጠ, ዐጨደ, ዘለቀ, ዘመረ, ዘመተ, ዘረዘረ, ዘረጋ, ዘራ, ዘነጋ, ዘገበ, ዘገየ, ዘጋ, ዛለ, ዞረ, ያዘ, ደመረ, ደመሰሰ, ደመደመ, ደማ, ደረሰ, ደረቀ, ደረጀ, ደባ, ደነቀ, ደነገገ, ደነገጠ, ደከመ, ደወለ, ደገፈ, ደፈረ, ዳረገ, ዳነ, ዶለ, ጀመረ, ገለበጠ, ገለጸ, ገመተ, ገመገመ, ገረመ, ገረፈ, ገባ, ገነባ, ገዛ, ገደለ, ገጠመ, ገፋ, ጋበዘ, ጋገረ, ጎበኘ, ጎዳ, ጠላ, ጠማ, ጠራ, ጠቀመ, ጠቀሰ, ጠቆመ, ጠበቀ, ጠየቀ, ጠጣ, ጠፋ, ጣለ, ጣረ, ጣሰ, ጨለመ, ጨመረ, ጨረሰ, ጫረ, ጫነ, ጮኸ, ጸለየ, ጸደቀ, ጻፈ, ፈለገ, ፈረሰ, ፈረደ, ፈራ, ፈሰሰ, ፈቀደ, ፈተሸ, ፈታ, ፈጀ, ፈጠረ, ፈጸመ.