# Afaan Oromo/Chapter 01

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## Shopping Conversation

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Maamila: Makorooniin jiraa? play
Abba suuqi: Jira. Kan akkamii barbaadda? play
Maamila: Gosa isa guddaa. Kiiloo walakkaa kenni. play
Abba suuqi: Tole. Waan biraa? play
Maamila: Kibiriitiin jira? play
Abba suuqi: Eeyee, meeqa barbaadda? play
Maamila: Gatiin isaa meeqaa? play
Abba suuqi: Darzana tokko qarshii shan. play
Maamila: Mi'aa dha. Hin hir'atu? play
Abba suuqi: Tole, qarshii afur danda'ama. play
Maamila: Dimshaasha meeqa? play
Abba suuqi: Afur fi torba saantima shantama qarshii kudha tokko saantima shantama dha. play
Maamila: Kunoo. Galatoomi. play
Abba suuqi: Atis galatoomi. play
[For translation see here]

## The Numbers in Oromo

Numbers come after the noun they modify, so that “two mangoes” is “mangoo lama”, just as “five birr” is “qarshii shan” and 200 is dhibba lama. Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -ffaa or -affaa to the number. Fractions can be expressed by saying the numerator as a cardinal number and then the denominator as an ordinal number.

### Numbers

| 0 — zeeroo, duwwaa | 40 — afurtama |
| 1 — tokko | 50 — shantama |
| 2 — lama | 60 — jahaatama, ja'aatama |
| 3 — sadii | 70 — torbaatama |
| 4 — afur | 80 — saddeettama |
| 5 — shan | 90 — sagaltama |
| 6 — jaha, ja'a | 100 — dhibba (tokko) |
| 7 — torba | 101 — dhibba (tokko) fi tokko |
| 8 — saddeet | 102 — dhibba (tokko) fi lama |
| 9 — sagal | ... |
| 10 — kudhan | 200 — dhibba lama |
| 11 — kudha tokko | 201 — dhibba lama fi tokko |
| 12 — kudha lama | ... |
| ... | 1000 — kuma (tokko) |
| 20 — digdama | 2000 — kuma lama |
| 21 — digdamii tokko | 2043 — kuma lamaa fi afurtamii sadii |
| 22 — digdamii lama | 5327 — kuma shan dhibba sadii fi digdamii torba |
| ... | 1,000,000 — Kitila (tokko) |
| 30 — soddoma | 1,000,000,000 — Bitila or Kumla (tokko) |
| 31 — soddomii tokko | 1,000,000,000,000 — Tirtira or Kumsa (tokko) |
| ... | 1,000,000,000,000,000 — Boran or KumKumla (tokko) |

### Ordinals

1st — tokkoffaa
2nd — lamaffaa
3rd — sadaffaa
4th — arfaffaa, afraffa
5th — shanaffaa
6th — jahaffaa
7th — torbaffaa
8th — saddeetaffaa
9th — sagalaffaa
10th — kurnaffaa, kudhaffaa
11th — kudha tokoffaa

### Fractions

1/2 — walakkaa (tokko lamaffaa)
1/3 — siisoo, nuusii (tokko sadaffa)
1/4 — kurmaana, ruubi (tokko arfaffaa)
7/8 — torba saddeetaffaa

### Combining Numbers

When the same number is repeated, it applies to all items. Thus, “lama lama” means “everything is two (birr)”. Two numbers said together indicate amount of birr for number of items, as in “lama sadii” for “two (birr) for three (items)”.

## Chapter Vocabulary

| maamila | customer |
| abba suuqi | shop keeper |
| “___ jira?” | “Do you have ___?” [lit. “Is ___ present?”] |
| meeqa | how much/many |
| “Gatiin saa meeqaa?” | “How much is its price?” |
| Barbaadda? | “Do you want?” |
| barbaaduu | to want |
| bituu | to buy |
| “___ bituun barbaada” | “I want to buy ___” |
| qarshii | Ethiopian birr |
| saantima | cent (100th of a birr) |
| deebii | change [lit. “response”] |
| “Mi'aa dha” | “It's expensive” |
| “Rakasa dha” | “It's cheap” |
| gudda | big |
| “Kan akkami?” | “What kind?” |
| kilo tokko | one kilo |
| “Meeqa barbaadda?” | “How many do you want?” |
| “Meeqa si keenu?” | “How many shall I give you?” |
| “Waan biraa?” | “What else?” |
| “Hin hiratu?” | “Is this your best price?” |
| “___ naa keeni” | “Give me ___” |
| kunoo | “Here you are” |
| fidi | take it |
| danda'ama | “It's possible” |
| tole | O.K. |
| eeyee | yes |
| lakkoofsa | number |
| darzana | dozen |
| dimshaasha | total |
| fi | and |
| tuqaa | (decimal) point |
| kibiriitii | matches |
| waan biraa | something else |
| galatoomi | thank you |
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