Giving Instructions
Compare sawir / sawira, akhri / akhriya, and booqo / booqda.
How It Works
An affirmative imperative clause has no particle phrase with waa. The singular has no person ending; the plural takes -a. Class-one pairs include sawir / sawira “draw!” Class-two vowel stems insert y before the plural ending: akhri / akhriya “read!”
Class-three verbs use a vowel stem in the singular and a consonant stem in the plural: booqo / booqda “visit!” Their singular commonly ends in -o. Learn stem alternations such as orod / orda “run!” and bilow / bilaaba “begin!” The -ow pattern does not apply to every verb ending in -aab.
Coming has northern kaalay / kaalaya and southern imow / imaada pairs, both standard regional variants. Most imperatives have high tone on the second-to-last vowel position; class-three singulars have final high tone. Ordinary spelling leaves tone unmarked. Negative commands require prohibitive forms.
Examples (3)
- Sawir geed.
Draw a tree.
Sawir addresses one listener.
- Akhriya warqadda.
Read the letter.
Akhriya addresses several listeners, with y before -a.
- Booqda ayeeyadiin.
Visit your grandmother.
Booqda addresses several listeners; ayeeyadiin has the short plural possessive ending.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Recognize class membership before comparing singular and plural imperative forms.
Related Patterns
- ha + prohibitiveTelling Someone Not to Do It
Supplies negative instructions.
Level 3 - Verbs With an -i StemVerbs with an I Stem
Explains vowel stems and plural buffer y.
Level 3 - Verbs With an -o StemVerbs with an O Stem
Explains the two imperative stems.
Level 3 - Sound Changes in Class One Verbs
Explains pairs such as orod/orda.
Level 3 - yimaaddaaForms of Coming
Provides regional imperatives for coming.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice Giving Instructions in Bubblegum
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