Somali (Af Soomaali) is the official language of the Eastern African country Somalia.
Pronunciation Guide
Vowels
- a
- as in pat if short (a) but as in father if long (aa)
- e
- as in pet if short (e) but as in paid if long (ee)
- i
- as in sit if short (i) but as in seat if long (ii)
- o
- as in cot if short (o) but as in coat if long (oo)
- u
- as in put if short (u) but as in shoot if long (uu)
Note that the general difference in length of vowels is important because otherwise words could get mixed up and it could end up in great confusion.
Consonants
- b
- as in box
- d
- as in dog
- g
- as in get
- h
- as in hat
- j
- as in jet
- k
- as in kick
- l
- as in let
- m
- as in mat
- n
- as in net
- r
- rolled as in the French rouge
- s
- as in sit
- sh
- as in shut
- t
- as in ten
- w
- as in well
- y
- as in yet
Note that the 'doubling' of consonants is also very important not to get confused. A doubled consonant is pronounced in both syllables whereas a single consonant is pronounced in one syllable.
Also note the following complicated pronunciations.
- dh
- Can be viewed as flapped d or r depending on the speaker - either way you'll get it right. Set your mouth to pronounce as normal d or r, but then curl your tongue right up so that the bottom touches the top part of your mouth. As you try you'll fell your tongue flapping forward.
- x
- It's more of an emphantic version of h. Take the exhaling sound you make when you've just burnt your mouth after taking a sip of boiling hot soup, push it right back into the very back of your mouth, making sure your tongue also goes back and that should be a good approximation.
- c
- If you follow the same pronunciation rules for x, with the tongue and back of the mouth all pressed up against the back of the throat then simply change the hiss of the h to a sound using your vocal cords. If you're then sounding if you being choked then that's it. Hint: Think of c as a vowel modifier and if listening to a native speaker, note how it changes the vowel in its vicinity 'pharyngealized' the vowel, sending half the sound up the nose.
- q
- It's pronounced like a k but right back in the mouth at the throat end, in the same area as c and x. Imagine you've got a marble in the back of the throat and that you're bouncing it using only the glottis and make a k sound at the same time.
- kh
- It's the rasping ch in Scottish loch and German ach. It's also pronounced like the Spanish jota.
- '
- It's what's called the glottal stop. You simply close the glottis at the very back of the mouth/top of throat, and then release the built-up air. The result is a light uh sound with a very slight grunt just before it. Although it's not written, it occurs in the conversational speech of nearly all English speakers, being most noticeable in the pronunciation of words like bottle as 'bo'el' by many Londoners
Phrase List
Basics
- Hello.
- salaam alaykum
- How are you?
- sidee tahay?
- Fine, thanks, and you?
- waan wanaagsanahay, mahadsanid, adiguna?
- What is your name?
- magacaa (maga'aa)
- My name is ______ .
- magacay waa ___ (MAHGA-ay waa _____ .)
- Nice to meet you.
- kulanti wanaagsan
- Please.
- fadlan (FAHD-lahn)
- Thank you.
- mahadsanid (me-HAD SEN-eed)
- You're welcome.
- adaa mudan ()
- Yes.
- haa (HAAH)
- No.
- maya (m-AY-ah)
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- iga raali ahow ()
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- . ()
- I'm sorry.
- . (Raali ahow/noqo )
- Goodbye
- nabad galyo (na-bad GEHL-you)
- Goodbye (informal)
- macasalaamo. (MAH-'ah-SAH-lamb-OH)
- I can't speak Somali [well].
- [ ]. ( [])
- Do you speak English?
- Ingiriis ma ku hadasha?
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- Qof ingiriiska kuhadla majooga halkan ?
- Help me!
- I caawi ! ( !)
- Look out!
- iska jir
- Good morning.
- subax wanaagsan (sohb-AH wan-ax-sen)
- Good afternoon
- Galab wanaagsan
- Good evening.
- Fiidnimo wanaagsan
- Good night.
- habeen wanaagsan (ha-BEAN wan-ax-sen)
- Good night (to sleep)
- . (Habeen wanaagsan )
- I don't understand you!.
- Kuma fahmin adiga !
- Where is the toilet?
- musqusha/Suuliga aawey?
Problems
Numbers
0 - eber
1 - hal/kow
2 - labo
3 - saddex
4 - afar
5 - shan
6 - lix
7 - toddobo
8 - sideed
9 - sagaal
10 - toban
11- kow iyo toban
12- labo iyo toban
20 - labaatan
21 - kow iyo labaatan
30 - soddon
40 - afarton
50 - konton
60 - lixdan
70 - toddobaatan
80 - siddeetan
90 - sagaashan
100 - boqol
200 - labo-boqol
1000 - kun
5000 - Shan- kun
10000 - toban-kun
100000 - boqol-kun
500000 - Shan boqolo - kun
1000000 - milyen
1000000000 - bilyan
Time
Morning- Subax10-11AM- BarqoAfternoon- DuhurEvening- CasarSunset- MaqribEvening: fiidNight- Habeen8-10PM- CishaMidnight- SaqdadhaxeEarly Morning (5-6 AM)- Anoor
Days
Monday- IsninTuesday- TaladoWednesday- ArbacoThursday- QamisFriday- JamcoSaturday- SabtiSunday- Axad
Months
January =Bilkowaad/Toddob/janaayo
February =Xigto/Fuushane/febraayo
March =saddexa/Gu'soor/maarso
Abril =Abraar/Samuulad/Abriil
May = Riyaale/Dirir/meey
Jun =Idaale/Diracgood/juun
July =carfoon/luuliyo/laxadhaqe/julaayo
August = kutuba/samalaho/Agoosto
Septembar =dhaafa/kalahaan/sebteenbar
OCtobar = nasteexo/Dambarsame/oktoober
November =Asli/Balqaad/nofeenbar
December =Cifadda/lixkor/Diseenbar.
Writing time and date
Colors
White- Cadaan (A-daan)Black- MadowGreen- Cagar (Agar)Red- GadudYellow- JaleBlue- BaluugPink- Basali
===Transportation=== Gaadiid
====Bus and train==== Gaadiid Dadweyne iyo Tareenka
Directions
North = Waqooyi South = Koonfur West = GalbeedEast = Bari
Taxi
Lodging
Money
Money = Lacag / beeso Dollar = Doolar Euro = Yuuro/Yuurow Frank = Farank
Eating
Eat /Cun--Wash/Dhaq your hands/gacmahaaga-- Breakfast = Quraac/Qureec ===Lunch = Qado ===Dinner = Casho ===