Suffix /-ge/ and Conditional Constructions

This unit covers the suffix /-ge/ for temporal and conditional clauses, /indehon/ with relative constructions for “whether” questions, the “whether or not” pattern, and the infinitive with suffix pronouns combined with /new/ and /nebber/.

Basic Sentences

Romanized Amharic	English
issu mäTToge inäggïräw.	When he comes, I will tell him.
inä hedkuge issu mäTTa.	When I had gone, he came.
birr indäsäTTäñ Tärräge.	He asked whether he should give me money.
yimäTTa indehon astawKähut.	I wonder whether he will come.
yihed indehon aläwKum.	I don’t know whether he will go.
yimäTTam indehon awKo?	Does he know whether he’s coming or not?
mähediñ new.	I am about to go.
mäshafun maKnäbiñ new.	I am supposed to read the book.
mähediñ nebber.	I was about to go.
bet mägzatiñ nebber.	I was supposed to buy a house.
sira massäroge, näggrïñ.	When he finishes work, tell me.
yimäTTa indehon yimäTTam indehon aläwKum.	I don’t know whether he’ll come or not.

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Key Vocabulary

Romanized Amharic	English
-ge	when, if (temporal/conditional suffix)
indehon	whether, if
new	is, it is (copula)
nebber	was, it was (past copula)
mähed	to go (infinitive)
maKnäb	to read (infinitive)
mägzat	to buy (infinitive)
massär	to finish (infinitive)
astawäKä	he wondered
Tärräge	he asked
näggrä	he told
birr	money (Ethiopian currency)
awKo	knowing (gerund)
indehon … indehon	whether … or

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Grammar Notes

1. The Suffix /-ge/

The suffix /-ge/ attaches to gerund verb stems to form temporal or conditional clauses meaning “when” or “if”:

Verb form	With /-ge/	Meaning
mäTTa (he came)	mäTToge	when he comes/came
hedku (I went)	hedkuge	when I had gone
sira assärä (he finished)	sira assäroge	when he finishes work
tämälläsä (he returned)	tämällisoge	when he returns

The subject is indicated by the verb form itself. The /-ge/ clause typically precedes the main clause.

2. /indehon/ with Relative Constructions

The word /indehon/ (“whether”) introduces indirect questions:

Pattern	Example	Meaning
imperfective + indehon	yimäTTa indehon	whether he will come
imperfective + indehon + negative + indehon	yimäTTa indehon yimäTTam indehon	whether he’ll come or not

3. “Whether or Not”

To express “whether or not,” repeat the verb in affirmative and negative forms with /indehon/:

yihed indehon ayihedim indehon aläwKum. (I don’t know whether he’ll go or not.)

4. Infinitive with Suffix Pronouns + /new/ or /nebber/

The infinitive takes suffix pronouns and combines with /new/ (present) or /nebber/ (past) to express obligation or intention:

Present	Past	Meaning
mähediñ new	mähediñ nebber	I am / was about to go
mähedu new	mähedu nebber	He is / was about to go
mähedish new	mähedish nebber	You (f.) are / were about to go
mähedaččin new	mähedaččin nebber	We are / were about to go

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Drills

Drill 1 — Transformation: Add /-ge/ to verb forms

Cue	Response
issu mäTTa	issu mäTToge (when he came)
inä hedku	inä hedkuge (when I went)
issua tämälläsäčč	issua tämällisoge (when she returned)
innässu sira assäru	innässu sira assäroge (when they finished work)
antä näggerkeñ	antä näggrïkeñge (when you told me)

Drill 2 — “Whether or not” constructions

Cue	Response
yimäTTa?	yimäTTa indehon yimäTTam indehon aläwKum.
yisäral?	yisäral indehon ayisäram indehon aläwKum.
yihedal?	yihedal indehon ayihedim indehon aläwKum.
yigäzzal?	yigäzzal indehon ayigäzzam indehon aläwKum.

Drill 3 — Infinitive + suffix pronoun + /new/ vs. /nebber/

Cue (present)	Response (past)
mähediñ new	mähediñ nebber (I was about to go.)
mäshafun maKnäbiñ new	mäshafun maKnäbiñ nebber (I was supposed to read the book.)
sira massäraččin new	sira massäraččin nebber (We were supposed to finish work.)
bet mägzatu new	bet mägzatu nebber (He was supposed to buy a house.)

Drill 4 — Translation

1. When he comes, tell him. — /mäTToge näggrïw./
2. I was about to go. — /mähediñ nebber./
3. I don’t know whether he’ll go or not. — /yihed indehon ayihedim indehon aläwKum./
4. When I had gone, he came. — /inä hedkuge issu mäTTa./
5. She is supposed to read the book. — /mäshafun maKnäbiwa new./

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Narrative

ato Tässäma wädä addis abäba mähädu nebber. ginn yihed indehon ayihedim indehon aläwKim alä. mäkinaw tässäbroge mähed yičïlal. mäkinaw kätässäbbärä ginn bäbus mähädu new. yačiliñ indehon Tärrägeñ. inä ginn mälsu maKnäbiñ nebber. bämeČärräša näggerrïkut — mäTToge wädä addis abäba inni hedallän.

Translation: Ato Tessema was supposed to go to Addis Ababa. But he said he didn’t know whether he would go or not. When the car is repaired he can go. But if the car isn’t repaired, he is supposed to go by bus. He asked me whether I could. But I was supposed to find out the answer. In the end I told him — when he comes, we’ll go to Addis Ababa together.