Imperfective Constructions

This unit expands on imperfective verb constructions. You will learn how verb suffix pronouns work with the imperfective to express object agreement, and how to say “had” and “had not” in Amharic using past-tense existential forms. These structures let you describe habitual actions with objects and past possession.

Basic Sentences (መሠረታዊ ዓረፍተ ነገሮች)

Amharic	English
ıwəddəhallehu	I like you (masc.)
ıwəddəšallehu	I like you (fem.)
yıwəddəñal	He likes me
tıwəddıñalləš	You (fem.) like me
yayyəwal	He sees him
ayəñallahu	She sees me
mekina nəbbərəñ	I had a car
bet nəbbərəw	He had a house
mekina alnəbbərəñim	I didn’t have a car
bet alnəbbərəwim	He didn’t have a house
bunnna ıTeTTallahu	I drink coffee
ınjəra yıbəlal	He eats injera

Key Vocabulary

Amharic	English
wəddədə	he liked/loved
ayyə	he saw
rəddda	he helped
nəggərə	he told
səTTə	he gave
nəbbərə	he had (past existential)
alnəbbərəm	he did not have
wədaj	friend
lıj	child
sıra	work
ıngıda	guest
ınnat	mother
abbat	father
wəndımm	brother
ıhıt	sister

Grammar Notes

Verb Suffix Pronouns with Imperfective

Object pronouns are suffixed between the verb stem and the imperfective ending. The object suffixes in the imperfective:

Object	Suffix	Example (wəddədə = like)
me	-əñ-	yıwəddəñal (he likes me)
you (m.)	-əh-	ıwəddəhallehu (I like you)
you (f.)	-əš-	ıwəddəšallehu (I like you)
him	-əw-	yıwəddəwal (he likes him)
her	-at-	yıwəddatal (he likes her)
us	-ən-	yıwəddənal (he likes us)
you (pl.)	-aččıhu-	yıwəddaččıhwal (he likes you all)
them	-aččəw-	yıwəddaččəwal (he likes them)

“Had” — Past Existential /nəbbərə/

The word nəbbərə functions as “had” or “there was.” It conjugates with suffix pronouns:

Person	Affirmative	Negative
1sg	nəbbərəñ (I had)	alnəbbərəñim (I didn’t have)
2sg m.	nəbbərəh (you had)	alnəbbərəhim
2sg f.	nəbbərəš (you had)	alnəbbərəšim
3sg m.	nəbbərəw (he had)	alnəbbərəwim
3sg f.	nəbbərat (she had)	alnəbbəratim
1pl	nəbbərən (we had)	alnəbbərənim
2pl	nəbbəraččıhu	alnəbbəraččıhum
3pl	nəbbəraččəw	alnəbbəraččəwim

”Had Not”

The negative of nəbbərə is formed with the prefix al- and the suffix -m:

• mekina alnəbbərəñim — I didn’t have a car

Drills (ልምምዶች)

Drill 1: Object Suffix Practice

Add the correct object suffix:

Subject	Object	Verb (wəddədə)
I	you (m.)	ıwəddəhallehu
he	me	?
she	him	?
we	her	?

Drill 2: Had / Didn’t Have

Respond with the negative:

Affirmative	Negative
bet nəbbərəñ	bet alnəbbərəñim
mekina nəbbərəw	?
məsahıf nəbbərəš	?
sıra nəbbərən	?

Drill 3: Sentence Building

Create full sentences with the imperfective + object suffix:

English	Amharic
He sees me	yayyəñal
I help him	?
She tells us	?
They like her	?

Narrative

Kebede wədaje new. ıwəddəwallehu. ıssu dəgmo yıwəddəñal. bəfit bet nəbbərəw. ahun addis bet alləw. yə-Kebede ınnat-inna abbat bə-gondar nəbbəru. ahun bə-addis abeba naččəw. Kebede bəyyə Kən yayyəñal. bunnna ınnaggəralləhu.

Kebede is my friend. I like him. He also likes me. Before, he had a house. Now he has a new house. Kebede’s mother and father were in Gondar. Now they are in Addis Ababa. Kebede sees me every day. We drink coffee.