Oromo Gender

Welcome to the fifth Oromo lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Oromo to help you practice your daily phrases.

man dhira	woman dubartii	husband dhirsa	wife niitii
boy gurbaa	girl intala	father abbaa	mother haadha

Gender Grammar Rules

In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.

Grammar + Rules	Oromo
my son is a student [masculine + noun]	ilmi kiyya barataadha
her daughter is a student [feminine + noun]	intalli se barattuudha
he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine]	inni oboleessa dheera tokko qaba
she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine]	obboleetti dheertu tokko qabdi
his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective]	obbolewwaan sa ijoolleedha
his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective]	obbolettiwaan sa ijoolledha

The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.

son ilma	daughter intala	brother obboleessa	sister obboleettii
grandfather akaakayyuu	grandmother akkawoo	child mucaa	children mucoolii

Expressions in Oromo

Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Oromo, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.

English	Oromo
What do you mean?	maal jechuu keeti?
I don't understand	naa ngalle
I don't know	an hinbeeku
What is that called in Oromo?	afaan oromootin maal jedhama?
What is this?	kun maal inni?
What does that word mean in English?	jechi kun afaan ingiliizitin maal jedhaa?
Sorry (if you made a mistake)	dhiifama

Source: learn101