Somali lacks a passive voice. Using English passives correctly can be a major challenge for Somali students of English. Somali has a present habitual and a present progressive tense, but they are not used in the same contexts in which these tenses are used in English. Somali uses the present progressive tense where the simple present tense would be used in English, and this feature of Somali may carry over into the English speech of Somalis. The Importance of Proverbs Somali has a rich tradition of proverbs, passed on from previous generations and embellished by individual speakers.
Proverbs play a very important role in everyday speech.
Aqoon la'aani waa iftiin la'aan. Being without knowledge is to be without light. Ilko wada jir bey wax ku gooyaan. Unity is power. Intaadan falin ka fiirso.