Negative Constructions

This unit focuses on negative constructions using the /s-/ negative prefix with forms derived from the verb paradigm /Kerre-meKret/, covering negative past, negative imperfective, and negative imperative patterns.

Basic Sentences

Romanized Amharic	English
ato Kébädä sira ayisäram.	Ato Kebede doesn’t work.
inä almäTTahum.	I didn’t come.
issua alhedäččim.	She didn’t go.
sira ayisärum.	They don’t work.
mäshafun alaKnäbbähum.	I didn’t read the book.
issu siranun almäTäräwim.	He didn’t finish his work.
attïhed!	Don’t go! (m.)
attïhedi!	Don’t go! (f.)
inä lihed aldällähubbim.	I didn’t want to go.
bet indihed alasfälläkähum.	I didn’t allow him to go home.
Kerre-meKret ayitämäččim.	The appointment is not convenient.
mäshafun simaKnäb ayinabbim.	When he reads the book it is not clear.

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Key Vocabulary

Romanized Amharic	English
al-…-m	negative past (did not)
ayi-…-m	negative imperfective (does not)
att(i)-	negative imperative (don’t!)
Kerre-meKret	appointment, meeting
almäTTahum	I didn’t come
ayisäram	he doesn’t work
alhedäččim	she didn’t go
aldällähubbim	I didn’t want
alasfälläkähum	I didn’t allow
tämäčč	it is convenient
nabbim	it is clear
lihed	to go (subjunctive)
indihed	that he go (complement)

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Grammar Notes

1. Overview of Negative Patterns

Amharic has several negative constructions depending on tense and mood:

Tense/Mood	Affirmative	Negative Pattern	Example
Past	mäTTa	al- + stem + -m	almäTTam (he didn’t come)
Imperfective	yisäral	ayi- + stem + -m	ayisäram (he doesn’t work)
Imperative	hid!	att(i)- + stem	attïhed! (don’t go!)
Compound past	hedäwallähut	al- + stem + -m	alhedähum (I didn’t go)

2. Negative Past with /al-…-m/

The negative past wraps the verb between /al-/ and /-m/:

Person	Affirmative	Negative
I	mäTTahut	almäTTahum
you (m.)	mäTTah	almäTTahim
you (f.)	mäTTaš	almäTTašim
he	mäTTa	almäTTam
she	mäTTačč	almäTTaččim
we	mäTTan	almäTTanim
they	mäTTu	almäTTum

3. Negative Imperfective with /ayi-…-m/

Person	Affirmative	Negative
I	isäralähut	ayisäram
he	yisäral	ayisäram
she	tisäralläčč	attisäram
we	innisäralän	annisäram
they	yisäralu	ayisärum

4. Negative Imperative with /att(i)-/

Affirmative	Negative	Meaning
hid!	attïhed!	Don’t go! (m.)
hidi!	attïhedi!	Don’t go! (f.)
hidu!	attïhedu!	Don’t go! (pl.)
bäla!	attïbäla!	Don’t eat! (m.)
Kïräb!	attïKräb!	Don’t come near! (m.)

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Drills

Drill 1 — Transformation: Affirmative past to negative past

Affirmative	Negative
mäTTahut	almäTTahum (I didn’t come.)
hedä	alhedäm (He didn’t go.)
bällačč	albällaččim (She didn’t eat.)
särru	alsärrum (They didn’t do it.)
gäzzahut	algäzzahum (I didn’t buy it.)
nägäräñ	alnägäräñim (He didn’t tell me.)

Drill 2 — Transformation: Affirmative imperfective to negative

Affirmative	Negative
yisäral	ayisäram (He doesn’t work.)
yihedal	ayihedim (He doesn’t go.)
tisäralläčč	attisäram (She doesn’t work.)
inaKnïbalän	annaKnïbim (We don’t read.)
yibällal	ayibällam (He doesn’t eat.)

Drill 3 — Transformation: Imperative to negative imperative

Affirmative	Negative
hid!	attïhed! (Don’t go!)
bäla!	attïbäla! (Don’t eat!)
Kïräb!	attïKräb! (Don’t approach!)
sära!	attïsära! (Don’t work!)
näggrïñ!	attnäggrïñ! (Don’t tell me!)

Drill 4 — Translation

1. He doesn’t work. — /ayisäram./
2. I didn’t come. — /almäTTahum./
3. Don’t go! — /attïhed!/
4. She didn’t go. — /alhedäččim./
5. I didn’t read the book. — /mäshafun alaKnäbbähum./
6. The appointment is not convenient. — /Kerre-meKret ayitämäččim./

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Narrative

ato Almaz zare wädä sira alhedäččim. dehna alnäbbäräččim. mäshafun maKnäb fällägäčč ginn ayičïlim. doktär Tärračč, issu ginn almäTTam. “attïsära! attïhedi! bäbet iKri!” alä doktäru bäsilk. issua ginn siranwa ayitätuwim. “sira massäratiñ new” alläčč. “attïsäri” alä doktäru. bämeČärräša issua Kerre-meKret-uwan almäTäräččim — ginn sïran ïna dehna-nnet-uwan alfällägäččim.

Translation: Mrs. Almaz didn’t go to work today. She wasn’t well. She wanted to read a book but she couldn’t. She called the doctor, but he didn’t come. “Don’t work! Don’t go! Stay home!” said the doctor by phone. But she doesn’t forget her work. “I am supposed to finish work,” she said. “Don’t work,” said the doctor. In the end she didn’t keep the appointment — but she didn’t give up her work or her health.