Language/Tigrinya/Vocabulary/Basic-Verbs

◀️ Negation — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Everyday Actions ▶️

Tigrinya → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Common Verbs and Actions → Basic Verbs

Introduction

Welcome to the lesson on Tigrinya vocabulary! In this lesson, we will focus on common verbs and actions in the Tigrinya language. Verbs are essential in any language as they allow us to express actions, states, and occurrences. By learning these basic verbs, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Tigrinya and engage in conversations with native speakers. We will cover verbs such as "to be," "to have," "to go," and "to do," along with their conjugations and usage in sentences. This lesson is part of our comprehensive "Complete 0 to A1 Tigrinya Course" for complete beginners. So let's dive in and expand our Tigrinya vocabulary!

Verb Conjugation in Tigrinya

Before we explore the basic verbs, let's understand how verbs are conjugated in Tigrinya. Conjugation refers to changing the form of a verb to indicate different grammatical aspects such as tense, person, and number. In Tigrinya, verbs are conjugated based on the subject of the sentence. Here is an overview of the verb conjugation patterns in Tigrinya:

Present Tense

In the present tense, Tigrinya verbs are conjugated differently depending on whether the subject is singular or plural. Let's take the verb "to eat" as an example:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
ትእዝም	t'ezem	to eat (singular)
ትእዝምን	t'ezemn	to eat (plural)

As you can see, the verb "to eat" is conjugated as "t'ezem" for a singular subject and "t'ezemn" for a plural subject. This pattern applies to most verbs in the present tense.

Past Tense

In the past tense, Tigrinya verbs are conjugated differently depending on the gender of the subject. Let's take the verb "to go" as an example:

For a masculine subject:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
ገበ	geba	went (masculine)

For a feminine subject:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
ገበተ	gebet	went (feminine)

As you can see, the verb "to go" is conjugated as "geba" for a masculine subject and "gebet" for a feminine subject. This pattern applies to many verbs in the past tense.

Future Tense

In the future tense, Tigrinya verbs are conjugated differently depending on whether the subject is singular or plural. Let's take the verb "to sleep" as an example:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
እደላ	edela	will sleep (singular)
እደላይን	edelayn	will sleep (plural)

As you can see, the verb "to sleep" is conjugated as "edela" for a singular subject and "edelayn" for a plural subject. This pattern applies to many verbs in the future tense.

Imperative

The imperative form of a verb is used to give commands or make requests. In Tigrinya, the imperative form is created by using the verb stem without any suffixes. Let's take the verb "to come" as an example:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
ተንስእል	tensile	come (singular)
ተንስእልን	tensiln	come (plural)

As you can see, the imperative form of the verb "to come" is "tensile" for a singular subject and "tensiln" for a plural subject.

Basic Verbs

Now that we understand the verb conjugation patterns in Tigrinya, let's explore some basic verbs that are commonly used in everyday conversations. These verbs will help you express yourself and engage in a variety of situations.

To Be

The verb "to be" is essential in any language as it allows us to identify and describe things. In Tigrinya, the verb "to be" is conjugated differently depending on the subject. Here are the conjugations for the present tense:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
ነሽ	nesh	I am
ነሽ	nesh	you are (singular)
ነሽን	neshn	you are (plural)
ነች	nech	he/she/it is
ነሽን	neshn	we are
ነሕሩ	nehru	they are

As you can see, the verb "to be" is conjugated differently for each subject. It is important to note that the conjugation for the second person singular and plural is the same in the present tense.

Here are some examples of using the verb "to be" in sentences:

• እንዴት ነሽ? (Endet nesh?) - How are you?
• እኔ ነሽ ብቻ. (Ene nesh bicha.) - I am fine.
• እባክሽ ነሽ? (Ebaksh nesh?) - Where are you?
• ባህር ነሽ. (Bahre nesh.) - I am at home.

To Have

The verb "to have" is used to indicate possession or ownership. In Tigrinya, the verb "to have" is conjugated differently depending on the subject. Here are the conjugations for the present tense:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
እኔ እንዴት ለምንድን ነኝ	Ene endet lemindin negn	I have
እራስን ለምንድን ነሽ	Erasn lemindin nesh	you have (singular)
እራስንም ለምንድን ነሽ	Erasnm lemindin nesh	you have (plural)
ልጅ ለምንድን ነሽ	Lij lemindin nesh	he/she/it has
እኛ ለምንድን ነን	Engna lemindin nen	we have
ልጆች ለምንድን ነን	Lijoch lemindin nen	they have

As you can see, the verb "to have" is conjugated differently for each subject. It is important to note that the conjugation for the second person singular and plural is the same in the present tense.

Here are some examples of using the verb "to have" in sentences:

• እኔ መንገድ ለምንድን ነኝ. (Ene menged lemindin negn.) - I have a book.
• እራስን ለምንድን ነሽ? (Erasn lemindin nesh?) - Do you have a car?
• ልጅ ለምንድን ነሽ? (Lij lemindin nesh?) - Does he/she/it have a child?
• እኛ አመጣለሁ. (Engna amet'aluh.) - We have arrived.
• ልጆች ለምንድን ነን? (Lijoch lemindin nen?) - Do they have siblings?

To Go

The verb "to go" is used to indicate movement from one place to another. In Tigrinya, the verb "to go" is conjugated differently depending on the subject. Here are the conjugations for the present tense:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
አብረን	Aberen	I go
ሳልሽ	Salish	you go (singular)
ሳልሽን	Salishn	you go (plural)
ሳልሽ	Salish	he/she/it goes
እኛ እርምጡ	Engna eremtu	we go
እነሱ እርምጡ	Enesu eremtu	they go

As you can see, the verb "to go" is conjugated differently for each subject. It is important to note that the conjugation for the second person singular and plural is the same in the present tense.

Here are some examples of using the verb "to go" in sentences:

• አብርን ትምህርት ተከታተሉ. (Aberen t'mihrut tek'atatelu.) - I go to school.
• ሳልሽ እርምጣለሁ. (Salish eremtaluh.) - You go to work.
• እኛ እርምጣለን. (Engna eremtalen.) - We go to the park.
• እነሱ በዓሣ እርምጡ. (Enesu be'asa eremtu.) - They go by bus.

To Do

The verb "to do" is a versatile verb that can be used to express various actions or activities. In Tigrinya, the verb "to do" is conjugated differently depending on the subject. Here are the conjugations for the present tense:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
እንዴት እርምጣለሁ?	Endet eremtaluh?	What do I do?
እራስን እርምጣለሁ?	Erasn eremtaluh?	What do you do? (singular)
እራስንም እርምጣለሁ?	Erasnm eremtaluh?	What do you do? (plural)
ልጅ እርምጣለሁ?	Lij eremtaluh?	What does he/she/it do?
እኛ እርምጣለን?	Engna eremtalen?	What do we do?
ልጆች እርምጣለን?	Lijoch eremtalen?	What do they do?

As you can see, the verb "to do" is conjugated differently for each subject. It is important to note that the conjugation for the second person singular and plural is the same in the present tense.

Here are some examples of using the verb "to do" in sentences:

• እንዴት እርምጣለሁ? (Endet eremtaluh?) - What do I do?
• እራስን እርምጣለሁ? (Erasn eremtaluh?) - What do you do?
• ልጅ እርምጣለሁ? (Lij eremtaluh?) - What does he/she/it do?
• እኛ እርምጣለን? (Engna eremtalen?) - What do we do?
• ልጆች እርምጣለን? (Lijoch eremtalen?) - What do they do?

Cultural Insights

The Tigrinya language is spoken in both Eritrea and Ethiopia, with slight regional variations in vocabulary and pronunciation. While the basic verbs covered in this lesson are commonly used in both countries, it is important to note that certain words and expressions may differ between the two regions. For example, the word for "to eat" in Eritrea is "t'ezem," while in Ethiopia it is "t'ebel." Similarly, the word for "to go" in Eritrea is "abra," while in Ethiopia it is "yaleh." These regional variations add richness and diversity to the Tigrinya language.

In Tigrinya-speaking communities, verbs play a crucial role in everyday conversations and cultural expressions. They allow individuals to describe their actions, express their intentions, and engage in various social activities. Understanding and using the correct verb forms in Tigrinya not only ensures effective communication but also demonstrates respect for the language and culture of the Tigrinya-speaking people.

Practice Exercises

Now it's time to practice what you have learned! Try the following exercises to reinforce your understanding of the basic verbs and their conjugations in Tigrinya. Solutions and explanations will be provided afterward.

Exercise 1: Conjugation Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense according to the given subject:

1. To be (singular) - የእርስዎ ነሽ. 2. To have (plural) - እኛ እራስንም ነን. 3. To go (he/she/it) - ልጅ ለምንድን ነሽ. 4. To do (you - plural) - ልጆች እርምጣሉ።

Exercise 2: Sentence Formation Complete the following sentences with the appropriate verb:

1. አብርን ትምህርት ተከታተሉ. 2. እኔ መንገድ ለምንድን ነኝ. 3. ሳልሽ እርምጣለሁ.

Exercise 3: Translation Translate the following sentences from English to Tigrinya:

1. What do you do? 2. They have a cat. 3. We go to the market.

Solutions

Exercise 1: Conjugation

1. To be (singular) - ነሽ 2. To have (plural) - እራስንም ነን 3. To go (he/she/it) - ልጅ ለምንድን ነሽ 4. To do (you - plural) - ልጆች እርምጣሉ

Exercise 2: Sentence Formation

1. አብርን ትምህርት ተከታተሉ. (Aberen t'mihrut tek'atatelu.) - I go to school. 2. እኔ መንገድ ለምንድን ነኝ. (Ene menged lemindin negn.) - I have a book. 3. ሳልሽ እርምጣለሁ. (Salish eremtaluh.) - You go (singular).

Exercise 3: Translation

1. እራስን እርምጣለሁ? (Erasn eremtaluh?) - What do you do? 2. እነሱ የድምፅ ነው. (Enesu yedemz negn.) - They have a cat. 3. እኛ መገበያ ለምንድን ነን. (Engna m'gebeya lemindin nen.) - We go to the market.

Congratulations on completing the practice exercises! You are making great progress in learning Tigrinya! Keep practicing and exploring the language to enhance your skills further.

Table of Contents - Tigrinya Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Tigrinya Alphabet
• Pronunciation Rules

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Negation

  ---

Common Verbs and Actions

• Basic Verbs
• Everyday Actions

  ---

Asking Questions

• Question Words
• Yes/No Questions

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Phrases

  ---

Tigrinya Culture and Traditions

• Important Holidays
• Traditional Clothing

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Gender and Plurality
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Terms

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time, Place, and Manner

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Geography and History

• Geography of Eritrea and Ethiopia
• Historical Overview

Sources

• Tigrinya – English Picture Dictionary እንግሊዝኛ፡ ስእላዊ፡ መዝገ ...
• Tigrinya Vocabulary
• Tigrinya Verb Conjugation: Dimstekal, Kokeb, Tadross, Andrew ...

Other Lessons

• Feelings and Emotions
• Days of the Week
• Dining Phrases
• Basic Greetings
• Animals
• Everyday Actions
• Education
• Travel Phrases
• Greetings
• How to say Good Bye?

◀️ Negation — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Everyday Actions ▶️