Present Tense Relative Clauses
Let’s just start with the formula:
relative clause = yäm + present tense prefix + verb stem (+ suffix, sometimes)
Here are some examples.
who | formula | example | translation | example | translation |
ïne እኔ | yäm + ï + (verb) የም + እ + (ግስ) | yämwädä mïgïb የምወደ ምግብ | a food that I like | yämwädäw mïgïb የምወደው ምግብ | the food that I like |
antä አንተ | yäm + tï + (verb) የም + ት + (ግስ) | yämïtwädä mïgïb የምትወደ ምግብ | a food that you like | yämïtwädäw mïgïb የምትወደው ምግብ | the food that you like |
anči አንቺ | yäm + tï + (verb) +i የም + ት + (ግስ) + ኢ | yämïtwäji mïgïb የምትወጂ ምግብ | a food that you (f.) like | yämïtwäjiw mïgïb የምትወጂው ምግብ | the food that you (f.) like |
ïsu እሱ | yäm + i* + (verb) የም + ኢ + (ግስ) | yämiwädä mïgïb የሚወደ ምግብ | a food that he likes | yämiwädäw mïgïb የሚወደው ምግብ | the food that he likes |
ïswa እሷ | yäm + t + (verb) የም + ት + (ግስ) | yämïtwädä mïgïb የምትወደ ምግብ | a food that she likes | yämïtwädäw mïgïb የምትወደው ምግብ | the food that she likes |
ïña እኛ | yäm + ïn + (verb) የም + እን + (ግስ) | yämïnwädä mïgïb የምንወደ ምግብ | a food that we like | yämïnwädäw mïgïb የምንወደው ምግብ | the food that we like |
ïnantä እናንተ | yäm + t + (verb) +u የም + ት + (ግስ) + ኡ | yämïtwädu mïgïb የምትወዱ ምግብ | a food that you (pl.) like | yämïtwädut mïgïb የምትወዱት ምግብ | the food that you (pl.) like |
ïnäsu እነሱ | yäm + i* + (verb) +u የም + ኢ + (ግስ) + ኡ | yämiwädu mïgïb የሚወዱ ምግብ | a food that they like | yämiwädut mïgïb የሚወዱት ምግብ | the food that they like |
**In Amharic, the suffix “u” means “the.” The same idea applies here. But, relative clauses always end in vowels, therefore you have to adapt the suffix (because Amharic vowels don’t like being together). If a word ends in ä or a, then the u-suffix changes into w. If the word ends in u, then the u-suffix changes into t.
Example Sentences:
- The people who work in the Peace Corps office are mostly Ethiopians.
የፒስ ኮር ብሮ ውስጥ የሚሰሩት ሰዎች አብዘኛው እትዮጵያዊያን ነቸው።
yäPis Kor bïro wïst’ yämisärut säwoč abzäñaw ityop’yawiyan näčäw. - The volunteers who live in Oromia learn Afan Oromo.
ኦሮሚያ ክልል ውስጥ የሚኖሩት በጎ ፈቃደኛዎች ኦሮምኛ ይማረሉ።
oromiya kïlïl wist’ yäminorut bägo fäk’adäñawoč oromña yïmarälu. - The men who work in the bus station wear red jackets.
መነሀርያ ውስጥ የሚሰሩት ወንዶች ቀይ ጃኬቶች ይለብሳሉ።
mänähärya wïst’ yämisärut wändoč k’äy jaketoč yïläbsalu. - BONUS. “what is your favorite food” in Amharic translates literally as “what is the food that you like?”
የምትወደው/የምትወጂው ምግብ ምንድን ነው?
yämïtwädäw/yämïtwäjiw mïgïb mïndïn näw?
Exercise: Translate the following sentences into English.
- ሻበል (መንደር) የምትኖራው ፈረንጇ እህቴ አይደለችም።
šabäl (mändär) yämtnoraw färänjwa ïhïte aydäläčm. - የቤት ስራ የሚሰሩት ተማሪዎች ጎበዞች ነቸው።
yäbet sïra yämisärut tämariwoč gobezoč näčäw.
Past Tense Relative Clauses
Here’s the formula, followed by a table of examples.
past tense relative clause = yä + verb (in simple past) + suffix
ïne እኔ | yä+(verb)+t የ+(ግስ)+ት | yäbälahut mïgïb የበላሁት ምግብ | the food that I ate |
antä አንተ | yä+(verb)+äw የ+(ግስ)+አው | yäbälahäw mïgïb የበላሀው ምግብ | the food that you ate |
anči አንቺ | yä+(verb)+w የ+(ግስ)+ው | yäbälašw mïgïb የበላሽው ምግብ | the food that you ate |
ïsu እሱ | yä+(verb)+w የ+(ግስ)+ው | yäbälaw mïgïb የበላው ምግብ | the food that he ate |
ïswa እሷ | yä+(verb)+w የ+(ግስ)+ው | yäbälačw mïgïb የበላችው ምግብ | the food that she ate |
ïña እኛ | yä+(verb)+äw የ+(ግስ)+አው | yäbälanäw mïgïb የበላነው ምግብ | the food that we ate |
ïnantä እናንተ | yä+(verb)+t የ+(ግስ)+ት | yäbälačhut mïgïb የበላችሁት ምግብ | the food that you ate |
ïnäsu እነሱ | yä+(verb)+t የ+(ግስ)+ት | yäbälut mïgïb የበሉት ምግብ | the food that they ate |
Now that you’ve got the formula, here are some examples of how to use past tense relative clauses in sentences.
The students who failed didn’t come to class today. ዛሬ የወደቁት ተማሪዎች ወደ ትምህርት አልመጡም። zare yäwädäk’ut tämariwoč tïmhïrt almät’um. | The students who studied passed the class. የተመሩት ተማሪዎች ትምህርት አለፉ። yätämärut tämariwoč tïmhïrt aläfu. |
The tomatoes I bought were very expensive. የገዛሁት ቲማቲም በጣም ዉድ ነበር። yägäzalut timatim bät’am wud näbär. | The letter she wrote was very long. የጻፋችው ደብዳቤ በጣም ረጅም ነበር። yäs’afačw däbdabe bät’am räjïm näbär. |
[…] Usually, they start with የ/yä (and have a lot of “አ/ä” sounds).Technically, these are relative clauses. […]
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