Language/Amharic/Grammar/Definite-Direct-Objects-in-the-Simple-Past

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Definite Direct Objects in the Simple Past in Amharic

The direct object is a word or phrase which identifies the one(s) affected by the action of the verb.

For example: He broke the window. The action is ‘broke’; the thing affected by the action is ‘the window’. Thus, ‘the window’ is called the direct object.

Look at the following examples:

1. ልጁ መስታወቱን ሰበረው lïju mästawätun säbäräw. The boy broke the mirror. (Lit.The boy the mirror he broke it.)

Note: The suffix –ን –n is the object marker and the – ኡ–u is the definite article ‘the.’ The suffix – ው –w on the verb marks that the breaking was done to the mirror: ሰበረ säbärä he broke ሰበረው säbäräw he broke it

2. ወንድሜ በሩን ዘጋው wändïme bärun zägaw. My brother closed the door. (Lit. My brother the door he closed it.)

3. እኔ መስኮቱን ከፈትኩት їne mäskotun käfätkut. I opened the window. (Lit. I the window I opened it.)

Note: The suffix –t rather than –w is added on the verb to indicate “it” in this case, because the v

4. እኔ መጽሀፍ ገዛሁ їne mäs’haf gäzahu. I bought a book.

እኔ መጽሀፉን ገዛሁት їne mäs’afun gäzahut. I bought the book.

The suffixes –un and –t on the object and verb indicate definiteness of the object and the action.

5. ሰብለ ቤት አጸዳች Seble bet as’ädač. Seble cleaned a house.

ሰብለ ቤቱን አጸዳችው Seble betun as’ädačïw. Seble cleaned the house.

To summarize, in the simple past, as in the examples above, the definite direct object is indicated in the verb by adding the suffix –w, -ïw, or –t; for verb forms ending in –o or –u. For example: ሰበረው säbäräw, አጸዳችው as’ädačïw, ዘጋው zägaw, ገዛሁት gäzahut

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: “to be” and “to have”, Direct and Indirect Object Affixes, Time Adverbs & “to be” and “to have”.