Course Material

This unit introduces hypothetical conditional constructions, the use of /ind(e)-/ with /alle-/ and /hone-/, and impersonal verbs.

Basic Sentences (መሠረታዊ ዓረፍተ ነገሮች)

Amharic (Romanized)	English
birr indenebberenn, mekina igezzahu nebber.	If I had money, I would buy a car.
indeyimeTTa alehu.	I said that he would come.
indehone birr indallew yinegiral.	It is said that he has money, if so.
gize indeyifellig yimeslal.	It seems that time is needed.
indalbellahu nebber.	I was as if I hadn’t eaten.
indehone yih sira yisera yihonal.	If so, this work may be done.
indalle gize-w beqa new.	If there is (time), the time is enough.
indalhone, nege innimeTTallen.	If not, we will come tomorrow.
ager-u indeTerreqe yinegiral.	It is said that the country is calm.
indeyiberd yimeslal.	It seems that it will be cold.

Key Vocabulary

Amharic	English	Amharic	English
inde-	if, as if, like	indehone	if so, in that case
indalhone	if not, otherwise	indalle	if there is
indenebber	if there were	indeyimeTTa	that he would come
indalbellahu	as if I hadn’t eaten	Terreqe	was calm, peaceful
gezze	bought	yinegiral	it is said

Grammar Notes

1. Hypothetical Conditional

The hypothetical conditional expresses unreal or contrary-to-fact situations. It uses /inde-/ + past verb + /nebber/:

Pattern: /inde-/ + verb (past) + /nebber/ … result clause + /nebber/

Amharic	English
birr indenebberenn, mekina igezzahu nebber.	If I had money, I would buy a car.
gize indenebberenn, imeTTahu nebber.	If I had time, I would come.
indeyawqu nebber, yinegrut nebber.	If they knew, they would have told him.

The conditional clause uses the past tense with /inde-/, and the result clause uses the imperfect + /nebber/:

Condition (inde- + past)	Result (imperfect + nebber)
birr indenebberenn	igezzahu nebber
gize indenebberenn	imeTTahu nebber
indeyawqu nebber	yinegrut nebber

2. /ind(e)-/ with /alle-/ and /hone-/

/indalle/ — “if there is”:

Amharic	English
gize indalle, immeTTalehu.	If there is time, I will come.
birr indalle, igezzalehu.	If there is money, I will buy (it).

/indehone/ — “if so, in that case”:

Amharic	English
indehone, yih sira yisera yihonal.	If so, this work may be done.
indehone, nege innimeTTallen.	If so, we will come tomorrow.

/indalhone/ — “if not, otherwise”:

Amharic	English
indalhone, inniqeyyirallen.	If not, we will cancel.
indalhone, nege.	If not, tomorrow.

3. Impersonal Verbs (Expanded)

Beyond weather expressions (Unit 20), impersonal constructions extend to reported speech and general conditions:

Amharic	English
yinegiral.	It is said.
yimeslal.	It seems.
yitaweqal.	It is known.
yiqeyyeral.	It is changed.
yiseral.	It is done.

These combine with /inde-/ to form indirect speech:

Amharic	English
indeyimeTTa yinegiral.	It is said that he will come.
indeyiberd yimeslal.	It seems that it will be cold.
ager-u indeTerreqe yinegiral.	It is said that the country is calm.

Drills (ልምምዶች)

Drill 1 — Form Hypothetical Conditionals

Condition	Result	Full Sentence
birr indenebberenn	mekina igezzahu nebber	birr indenebberenn, mekina igezzahu nebber.
gize indenebberenn	imeTTahu nebber	gize indenebberenn, imeTTahu nebber.
indeyawqu nebber	yinegrut nebber	indeyawqu nebber, yinegrut nebber.

Drill 2 — Use /indalle/, /indehone/, /indalhone/

Prompt	Response
If there is time, I will come.	gize indalle, immeTTalehu.
If so, we will go.	indehone, innihedallen.
If not, we will cancel.	indalhone, inniqeyyirallen.
If there is money, I will buy it.	birr indalle, igezzalehu.

Drill 3 — Impersonal + /inde-/

English	Amharic
It is said that he came.	indemeTTa yinegiral.
It seems that it will rain.	indeyizennb yimeslal.
It is known that she is clever.	indeballegeč yitaweqal.
It is said that the work is done.	sira-w indesera yinegiral.

Drill 4 — Translation

If I had money, I would buy a car. — /birr indenebberenn, mekina igezzahu nebber./
If there is time, I will come. — /gize indalle, immeTTalehu./
If not, we will come tomorrow. — /indalhone, nege innimeTTallen./
It seems that it will be cold. — /indeyiberd yimeslal./
It is said that the country is calm. — /ager-u indeTerreqe yinegiral./

Narrative

ato tadesse wede ityoTTya mahed yifellgal. birr indenebberenn, yibereha waraqat igezzu nebber. gina gena birr allegNNi yilal. gize indalle, birun yasTegabbiral. indalhone, nege-m nege-m yiseral. indeyimeTTa yinegiral — yibereha waraqat — gina gena irgaTTiNNa aydelem. weyzero hirut “indehone, innya-m innihedallen” tilaleč. birr indalle, hullet-um yihedu yihonal. indalhone, gize gena allegaččew.

Translation: Mr. Tadesse wants to go to Ethiopia. If he had money, he would buy a plane ticket. But “I still have money,” he says. If there is time, he will collect the money. If not, it will be done day after day. It is said that (the ticket) will come — a plane ticket — but it is not yet certain. Mrs. Hirut says, “If so, we will also go.” If there is money, both of them may go. If not, they still have time.

Hypothetical Conditional

Grammar Focus