አማርኛ (Amharic) Relative Clauses

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

Example Sentences:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. ሻበል (መንደር) የምትኖራው ፈረንጇ እህቴ አይደለችም።
   šabäl (mändär) yämtnoraw färänjwa ïhïte aydäläčm.
2. 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.