 | Chapter 37 - The irregular verb AHAAN |
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General Information:
In this chapter, we study the conjugation of the irregular verb AHAAN = to be.
In some grammars, it can also be found under the infinitive AH or YAHAY.
This verb has the particularity of having subject prefixes in the General Present tense, in addition to or in place of the usual markers of tense, number, and person suffixed at the end of the verb.
AFFIRMATIVE FORMS:
| AHAAN - GENERAL PRESENT | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject Pronoun | Verb | Translation |
| Waan | ahay | I am |
| Waad | tahay | You are |
| Wuu | yahay | He is |
| Way | tahay | She is |
| Waynu / Waannu | nahay | We are |
| Waydiin | tihiin | You are |
| Way | yihiin | They are |
The forms of the General Present have the peculiarity of being suffixed to common adjectives such as wanaagsan = good, well; fiican = well; xun = bad; ladan = well, better (after an illness); furan = open; harradsan = thirsty; gajaysan = hungry; or to form the present of verbs such as ogid = to know or deggid = to live, to reside.
Examples:
| Adjective / Verb | Simplified Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Wanaagsan (good) | Waan wanaagsanahay | I am well |
| Fiican (well) | Waad fiicantahay | You are well |
| Ladan (better) | Wuu ladanyahay | He is better |
| Furan (open) | Gacantu way furantahay | The hand is open |
| Harradsan (thirsty) | Waanu harradsannahay | We are thirsty |
| Gajaysan (hungry) | Waydiin gajaysantihiin | You are hungry |
| Deggid (reside) | Way deggenyihiin London | They reside in London |
| Kulul (chaud) | Biyo ma kulula (negative) | The water is not hot |
| AHAAN - PRESENT PROGRESSIVE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject Pronoun | Verb | Translation |
| Waan | ahaanayaa | I am |
| Waad | ahaanaysa | You are |
| Wuu | ahaanayaa | He is |
| Way | ahaanaysaa | She is |
| Waynu / Waannu | ahaanaynaa | We are |
| Waydiin | ahaanaysaan | You are |
| Way | ahaanayaan | They are |
| AHAAN - GENERAL PAST | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject Pronoun | Verb | Translation |
| Waan | ahaa | I was |
| Waad | ahayd | You were |
| Wuu | ahaa | He was |
| Way | ahayd | She was |
| Waynu / Waannu | ahayn | We were |
| Waydiin | ahaydeen | You were |
| Way | ahayeen | They were |
| AHAAN - IMPERATIVE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Translation |
| Ahow ! | Ahada ! | be ! / be ! |
NEGATIVE FORMS :
| AHAAN - PRESENT GENERAL NEGATIVE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pronoun subject | Verb | Translation |
| Ma | ihi | I'm not |
| Ma | tihid | you are not |
| Ma | aha | he is not |
| Ma | aha | she is not |
| Ma | nihin | we are not |
| Ma | tihidin | you are not |
| Ma | aha | they are not |
| AHAAN - PAST GENERAL NEGATIVE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pronoun subject | Verb | Translation |
| Maan | ahayn | I was not |
| Maad | ahayn | you were not |
| Muu | ahayn | he was not |
| May | ahayn | she was not |
| Maynu / Maannu | ahayn | we were not |
| Maydiin | ahayn | you were not |
| May | ahayn | they were not |
A particular use of the verb AHAAN:
"How are you?"
The verb AHAAN = to be, is used in greetings, as in English:
- Sidee tahay? = How are you? (how are you?)
- Waan fiicanahay or - Waan wanaagsanahay = I am fine (I am good)
- Sidee tihiin? = How are you all? (addressing multiple people: how are you?)
- Waa la fiicanahay or - Waa la wanaagsanahay = We are fine (we are good)
or: - Waannu fiicannahay or - Waannu wanaagsannahay = We are fine (we are good)
Note:
Do not confuse Waan = I, and Waa, focus of the impersonal pronoun la = on. Agreement of the latter is made in the 3rd person singular.
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