# Afaan Oromo/Chapter 10

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## Giving Directions (Karaa Agarsiisuu)

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[Adapted from Geetaachoo (2011), pg. 52-53] Play all
Meetii: Akkami Kadir? play
Kadir: Fayyaa dha. Akkam jirta? play
Meetii: Homaa hin jedhu. Bor waaree booda hojii qabda? play
Kadir: Lakki, maaliif? play
Meetii: Gaarii dha. Laaqana mana kootti si affeeruun barbaade. play
Kadir: Dhufuuf baay'een gammada, garuu iddoo mana kee isa haaraa hin beeku. play
Meetii: Buufata konkolaataa kan cinaa mana bilbilaatti beekta? play
Kadir: Eeyyee, nan beeka. play
Meetii: Taaksii Lagahaaritti qabadhu fi bakka buufata konkolaalaatti bu'i. play
Kadir: Tole. play
Meetii: Sana booda, gara mirga gori hanga qaxxaamura karaa geessutti karumarra deemi. play
Kadir: Naaf gale. play
Meetii: Gara fuuldura qaxxaamura karaatti hanga daqiiqaa shaniif deemi. Messalemiyaan karaa mirgaa jira. play
Kadir: Gara mirgaa jette? play
Meetii: Eeyyee. Sirrii dha. Achitti sa'aatii kudha tokko fi walakkaatti wal agarra. play
Kadir: Tole. Kun gaarii dha. Wal agarra. Nagaatti. play
Meetii: Nagaatti. play
[For translation see here]

## Prepositions and Postpositions

A preposition links a noun to an action (e.g., “go from there”) or to another noun (“the pen on the table”). For the purpose of clarity, this chapter will divide Oromo prepositions into two categories: true prepositions and postpositions, with true prepositions coming before the noun and postpositions coming after the noun they relate to.
Some Common Prepositions and Postpositions:
| Postpositions | Prepositions |
| ala — out, outside | gara — towards |
| bira — beside, with, around | eega, erga — since, from, after |
| booda — after | haga, hanga — until |
| cinaa — beside, near, next to | hamma — up to, as much as |
| dur, dura — before | akka — like, as |
| duuba — behind, back of | waa'ee — about, in regard to |
| irra — on |
| irraa — from |
| itti — to, at, in |
| jala — under, beneath |
| jidduu — middle, between |
| keessa — in, inside |
| malee — without, except |
| wajjin — with, together |
| gubbaa — on, above |
| fuuldura — in front of |
| gad(i) — down, below |
| ol(i) — up, above |
Examples:
boqonnaarra [boqonnaa irra] – “on vacation”
mana keessa – “in the house”
waaree booda – “afternoon”
irra deebi'i – “repeat” [lit. “return on it”]
Yuunivarsitii Haroomayaatti barsiissaa – “teacher at Haromaya University”
mana nyaataa kanatti – “at this restaurant”
“waa'ee fiilmii sun natti himi” – “tell me about that film”
“Chaaltuun akka Hawwiituu baratuu dha.” – “Chaltu is a student like Hawitu.”
hanga torban dhufu – “until next week”
gammachuu wajjin – “with pleasure”
shaayee annan malee – “tea without milk”
“Ani meetirii lama gadi.” – “I am below [shorter than] 2 meters.”
“Keeniyaan Itoophiyaarraa (gara) kibbatti argamti” – “Kenya is located (to the) south of Ethiopia”
From the examples above, you may notice that the postpositions itti, irra, and irraa most often occur as suffixes, -tti, -rra, and -rraa, on the nouns they relate to.
Often with place names, no preposition or postposition is used to be mean “in”. Therefore, one can say “Finfinnee jiratta” for “you live in Finfinnee [Addis Ababa]”, or “hospitaalan ture” for “I was in the hospital”, using no preposition.
Personal pronouns are not used with prepositions. Instead, possessive pronouns are used as personal pronouns.
Examples: “toward me” — gara koo(tti) [not gara na] “like us” — akka keenya “according to him” — akka isaatti “about you” — waa'ee kee
Postpositions, on the other hand, take the accusative form of personal pronouns.
Examples: “at you” — sitti “from me” — narraa “under him” — isa jala
When an adjective modifies a noun, the postposition follows the adjective, as in “nama guddarraa” (“from the big man”).

## Conjunctions

Whereas prepositions link nouns to other parts of the sentence, conjunctions usually link more complete thoughts together.
Some Common Conjunctions:
| and | fi [also -f suffix] |
| but | garuu, immoo |
| or | yookin (for declaratives), moo (for questions) |
| however | haa ta'u malee |
| though | ta'us |
| so, therefore | kanaaf, kanaafu |
| because | sababiin isaa, sababiinsa [lit. “its reason”] |
| so that, in order to | akka |
Conjunctions come between the two clauses they connect, though garuu and immoo (“but”) can also come after the first noun or nounal phrase in the second clause.
Examples: “Inni shee jaalata ta'us amanamaa miti.” – “Though he loves her, he is unfaithful.”
“Daadhii moo biiraa dhuguu barbaadda?” – “Do you want tej [alcoholic honey drink] or beer?”
“Ani kochee nyaadhe kanaafu gara kasan qaba.” – “I ate kitfo [raw meat] so I got diarrhea.”
“Nyaatan barbaada sababiinsa nan beela'e.” – “I want food because I am hungry.”
“Ani nan deema akka inni dhufuuf.” – “I will go so that he will come.”
“Ittoo shiroon jaaladha garuu ittoo misira caalaa jaaladha.” or “Ittoo shiroon jaaladha ittoo misira garuu caalaa jaaladha.” – “I like shiro watt, but I like lentil watt more.”
“Innis gara biyya isaa dhufe, sabni isaa garuu isa hin simanne.” – “And he came to his country, but his people did not accept him [John 1:11].”

## Vocabulary: Directions

| kaaba | north |
| kibba | south |
| baha | east |
| lixa | west |
| mirga | right |
| bitaa | left |
| goruu | to turn |
| gara bitaatti/mirgatti gori | turn left/right |
| karaa kami? | which way |
| bitaa/mirgaa jira | it's on the left/right |
| argachuu | to find |
| argamuu | to be found |
| eessatti argama? | where is it found? |
| kuunnoo | there it is |
| ce'uu | to cross |
| riqqicha ce'i | cross the bridge |
| laga | river |
| bira, cinaa, dhiyoo | near |
| fagoo | far |
| aanuu | to be next to |
| naannoo | surroundings |
| as(i) | here |
| achi | there |
| karaa | road, path, way |
| karaa muummee | main road |
| addababa'ii | round-about |
| walakkaa magaalaatti | town center, downtown |
| ammas | again |
| ibsaa tiraafikii | traffic light |
| qabachuu | to take (a bus or taxi) |
| seenuu | to get on (a vehicle) |
| bu'uu | to get off (a vehicle) |
| “Iddon jira?” | “Is there a seat?” |
| ka'uu | to depart |
| ga'uu [-eess- verb] | to arrive |
| affeeruu | to invite |
| buufata konkolaataa | bus station |
| mana bilbilaa | telephone office |
| bakka | place, area, site |
| qaxxaamura karaa | cross-roads, intersection |
| geessutti karumarra | along the road |
| gara fuuldura | straight |
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