Progressive Form and Alternatives

Progressive Form and Alternatives

Unit 42 introduces the progressive verb form for expressing ongoing actions, the “whether…or not” construction in new contexts, and the use of /minimmalil/ (“even if, no matter what”).

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Basic Sentences

Romanized Amharic	English
ïssu ïyyä bälla new.	He is eating (right now).
ïssua ïyyä sära new.	She is working (right now).
ïne ïyyä aKnäbku new.	I am reading (right now).
ïnnässu ïyyä hedä naččäw.	They are going (right now).
yimäTTa indehon yimäTTam indehon mïnïm alaK new.	Whether he comes or not, it doesn’t matter.
yisära indehon ayisäram indehon, ïne ïsäralähut.	Whether he works or not, I will work.
minimmalil mähed allä.	No matter what, we have to go.
minimmalil sïra yissäral.	No matter what, the work will be done.
minimmalil yämimäTTa yellem.	No matter what, no one is coming.
ïssu ïyyä Täbbäsä new.	He is cooking (right now).
zännäbïm indehon ayzännïbïm indehon ïnhïdal.	Whether it rains or not, we’ll go.
minimmalil tïmhïrt mäKTäl allä.	No matter what, studying must continue.

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Key Vocabulary

Romanized Amharic	English
ïyyä … new	progressive form (is doing)
ïyyä bälla new	he is eating
ïyyä sära new	she is working
ïyyä aKnäbku new	I am reading
ïyyä hedä naččäw	they are going
minimmalil	no matter what, even if
indehon … indehon	whether … or
alaK new	it doesn’t matter
yissäral	it will be done
zännäbä	it rained
Täbbäsä	he cooked
mäKTäl	to continue

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Grammar Notes

1. The Progressive Form

The progressive expresses an action in progress at the moment of speaking. It is formed with /ïyyä/ + gerund + /new/ (or /naččäw/ for plural):

Person	Progressive	Translation
I	ïyyä sährrku new	I am working
you (m.)	ïyyä sährrk new	you are working
you (f.)	ïyyä särrš new	you (f.) are working
he	ïyyä sära new	he is working
she	ïyyä särračč new	she is working
we	ïyyä särrn new	we are working
they	ïyyä särru naččäw	they are working

The past progressive uses /näbbär/ instead of /new/:

Present Progressive	Past Progressive
ïyyä sära new (he is working)	ïyyä sära näbbär (he was working)
ïyyä bälla new (he is eating)	ïyyä bälla näbbär (he was eating)

2. “Whether … or Not” — Extended Uses

The “whether…or not” pattern from Unit 32 extends to more contexts:

Pattern	Example	Translation
weather	zännäbïm indehon ayzännïbïm indehon	whether it rains or not
decisions	yisära indehon ayisäram indehon	whether he works or not
outcomes	Tïru indehon mäTfo indehon	whether good or bad

3. /minimmalil/ — “No Matter What”

/minimmalil/ expresses unconditional resolve or inevitability:

Example	Translation
minimmalil mähed allä.	No matter what, we must go.
minimmalil sïra yissäral.	No matter what, work will be done.
minimmalil ïne ïsäralähut.	No matter what, I will work.
minimmalil ayimäTTam.	No matter what, he won’t come.

/minimmalil/ typically appears at the beginning of the clause for emphasis.

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Drills

Drill 1 — Progressive form construction

Cue	Response
bälla (eat), he	ïssu ïyyä bälla new. (He is eating.)
aKnäbbä (read), I	ïne ïyyä aKnäbku new. (I am reading.)
Täbbäsä (cook), she	ïssua ïyyä Täbbäsačč new. (She is cooking.)
hedä (go), they	ïnnässu ïyyä hedä naččäw. (They are going.)
sära (work), we	ïñña ïyyä särrn new. (We are working.)

Drill 2 — Progressive present to past

Present	Past
ïyyä bälla new	ïyyä bälla näbbär (He was eating.)
ïyyä sära new	ïyyä sära näbbär (He was working.)
ïyyä aKnäbku new	ïyyä aKnäbku näbbär (I was reading.)
ïyyä hedä naččäw	ïyyä hedä näbbäru (They were going.)

Drill 3 — “Whether or not” and /minimmalil/

Cue	Response
rain / go	zännäbïm indehon ayzännïbïm indehon ïnhïdal. (Whether it rains or not, we’ll go.)
come / work	yimäTTa indehon ayimäTTam indehon, minimmalil ïsäralähut. (Whether he comes or not, I’ll work no matter what.)
good / continue	Tïru indehon mäTfo indehon, minimmalil mäKTäl allä. (Good or bad, no matter what we must continue.)

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Narrative

ato Bäkälä ïyyä sära new bäbet wïsT. ïyyä mäshaf aKnäbä new ïna ïyyä sïranun yikätatäl new. biru Tärra “zännäbïm indehon ayzännïbïm indehon wädä sïra tïhedalläh?” bïla. ïssu “minimmalil mähed allä” alä. “yimäTTam indehon yimäTTa indehon, ïne mähediñ new.” ïyyä Täbbäsačč näbbär birtu, gïn ïssu ïnätänagäru. “minimmalil sïra yissäral” alä. ïssua ïyyä särračč näbbär ïnQa “ïshi, minimmalil ïnätäraddalän” alläčč.

Translation: Ato Bekele is working at home. He is reading a book and continuing his work. His wife asked, “Whether it rains or not, are you going to work?” He said, “No matter what, I must go.” “Whether he comes or not, I am supposed to go.” His wife was cooking, but they talked to each other. “No matter what, the work will be done,” he said. She was also working and said, “Okay, no matter what we’ll help each other.”