Using the Past Tense in Amharic
Past Tense in Amharic
In Amharic, to show that something happened in the past, we change the end of the verb. Here’s a simple way to do it:
- Start with the verb’s stem:
- The stem is the base of the verb. For example:
- "Meblat" (to eat) → bel is the stem.
- "Metsafet" (to write) → tsaf is the stem.
- The stem is the base of the verb. For example:
- Add the correct ending:
- Add endings to the stem based on who did, or is doing, the action.
Here are the Endings For the Past Tense.
| Singular Pronouns | Ending | Plural Pronouns | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | -ahu | We | -an |
| You (m) | -a | You all | -achihu |
| You (f) | -ash | They | -achu |
| You (formal) | -at | ||
| He | -a | ||
| She | -at |
- The a in the verb endings becomes an e if the verb stem does not end in an a. In speaking, there won't sound like a big difference.
Examples of Amharic Verbs in the Past Tense.
| Pronoun | To Eat (Meblat) | To Write (Metsafet) | To Work (Mesrat) | To Take (Mewsed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | belahu | tsafehu | serehu | wesehu |
| You (m) | bela | tsafe | sera | wesa |
| You (f) | belash | tsafesh | serash | wesesh |
| You (formal) | belat | tsafet | seret | weset |
| He | bela | tsafe | sera | wesa |
| She | belat | tsafet | seret | weset |
| We | belan | tsafen | seren | wesen |
| You all | belachihu | tsafechihu | serechihu | wesechihu |
| They | belachu | tsafechu | serechu | wesechu |
Example Sentences
- Belahu injera. (በላሁ እንጀራ።) – I ate injera.
- Bela wot. (በላ ወጥ።) – He ate stew.
- Tsafahu megbi. (ጻፋሁ መግቢ።) – I wrote a letter.
- Tsafe qetema. (ጻፈ ቀጠማ።) – She wrote a report.
- Serahu kibel. (ሰራሁ ቅብል።) – I worked on a project.
- Seret meweded. (ሰረት መውሰድ።) – He worked on the task.
- Wesahu neger. (ወሳሁ ነገር።) – I took an item.
- Weset banchi. (ወሴት ባንቺ።) – She took a book.
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