Usage: The verb ኢዩ is to be used when you are defining a person or object. The closest English equivalent is the verb "to be." This verb (like all Tigrigna verbs) is divided by person, number and gender.
Here are some Tigrigna examples of the verb ኢዩ with their English translations (the verbs are underlined in each one):
Explaining grammar terms
1. A verb is a very simple concept to describe; it is an action word. An example of a verb in a sentence would be: "John grabbed the keys." In English, the verb ('grabbed') always goes after the subject ('John'). Word order: [Subject] [Verb] [Object].
This is different in Tigrigna, where the verb always goes after the object. Word order: [Subject] [Object] [Verb].
2. What is an object? The object of a sentence, is the word that is being 'acted upon.' In the above example of: "John grabbed the keys." The word 'keys' is the object.
Note - Please remember, from the lesson subject pronouns, that the subject of a sentence is the word that is 'committing the action.' This will contrast nicely with the definition of object
| ኢዩ | ||||
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 3rd | ኢዩ | he is | ኢዮም | they are |
| ኢያ | she is | ኢየን | they are (f) | |
| 2nd | ኢኻ | you are (m) | ኢኹም | you are |
| ኢኺ | you are (f) | ኢኽን | you are (f) | |
| 1st | እየ | I am | ኢና | we are |
| ትግርኛ | Transliteration | Translation | |||
| a) | "ንሱ ሓያል ኢዩ" | a) | "he strong is" | a) | "He is strong" |
| b) | "ንሳ ሓጻር ኢያ" | b) | "she short is" | b) | "She is short" |
| c) | "ንስኻ ሃካይ ኢኻ" | c) | "you lazy are" | c) | "You are lazy" |
| d) | "ንስኺ ሓሳዊት ኢኺ" | d) | "you liar are" | d) | "You are a liar" |
| e) | "ኣነ ተኣማሚነ እየ" | e) | "I confident am" | e) | "I am confident" |
| f) | "ንሶም ጽሉላት ኢዮም" | f) | "they crazy are" | f) | "They are crazy" |
| g) | "ንሰን ትግረ ኢየን" | g) | "they Tigre are" | g) | "They are Tigre" |
| h) | "ንስኹም መንእሰያት ኢኹም" | h) | "you young are" | h) | "You are young" |
| i) | "ንስኽን ጽብቃት ኢኽን" | i) | "you pretty are" | i) | "You are pretty" |
| j) | "ንሕና ጉሁያት ኢና" | j) | "we sad are" | j) | "We are sad" |
Explaining grammar terms
1. A verb is a very simple concept to describe; it is an action word. An example of a verb in a sentence would be: "John grabbed the keys." In English, the verb ('grabbed') always goes after the subject ('John'). Word order: [Subject] [Verb] [Object].
This is different in Tigrigna, where the verb always goes after the object. Word order: [Subject] [Object] [Verb].
2. What is an object? The object of a sentence, is the word that is being 'acted upon.' In the above example of: "John grabbed the keys." The word 'keys' is the object.
Note - Please remember, from the lesson subject pronouns, that the subject of a sentence is the word that is 'committing the action.' This will contrast nicely with the definition of object
You will quickly find that there are few rules and a lot of exceptions when using verbs or Tigrigna in general, however here are a few recommendations to help you.
- All verbs go at the end of a statement
Unlike in English where verbs are placed in the middle of a statement ([Subject] [Verb] [Object]), Tigrigna places it's verb at the end ([Subject] [Object] [Verb]); observe the correct and incorrect examples.Correct: ትግርኛ: እዚ መጽሐፍ ኢዩ Transliteration: this book is Translation: "This is a book" Incorrect: ትግርኛ: እዚ ኢዩ መጽሐፍ Transliteration: this is book Translation: "This is a book" - ኢዩ is used for defining something, not for its location.
In English the verb "to be" can be used for describing something, and for the location of it; in Tigrigna there are two separate verbs for these purposes. ኢዩ is only used for defining something.Correct: ትግርኛ: ንሱ ወዲ ኢዩ Transliteration: he boy is Translation: "He is a boy" Incorrect: ትግርኛ: ኣብ ቤት ትምህርቲ ኢዩ Transliteration: at school he is Translation: "He is at school" - Conjugate for person, number, and gender
Like with subject pronouns, Tigrigna verbs are conjugated to agree with the subject in person, number, and gender.Correct: ትግርኛ: እዚኣ ጓል ኢያ Transliteration: this girl is Translation: "This is a girl" Incorrect: ትግርኛ: እዚኣ ጓል ኢዩም Transliteration: this girl are Translation: "This are girl"
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