-kii / -tii

Previously Known Referents

Level 4

Masculine -kii and feminine -tii have sound-dependent variants, including -gii and -dii.

How It Works

The initial consonant follows the noun’s article pattern: buugga/buuggii, bisadda/bisaddii. Across h, i assimilates a preceding a in forms such as guryihii.

A referent can be familiar through earlier mention, shared experience, or the speaker’s assumption that it is known. Documented conventional uses also include past-time phrases, current clock time, general time reference, frequency, and fixed expressions.

Following adjective modifiers take contracted reduced past copular forms: -aa for masculine singular and plural, -ayd for feminine singular. That modifier requirement does not force the main predicate into past tense. A familiar book can be sought now or read tomorrow.

Examples (4)

  1. Waxaan raadinayaa buuggii.

    I am looking for the book we know about.

    Familiar reference accompanies present progressive.

  2. Waxaan sawiray bisaddii yarayd.

    I drew the little cat we know about.

    The feminine adjective modifier takes -ayd.

  3. Waa lixdii.

    It is six o’clock.

    Current clock time also uses -ii.

  4. Waxaan akhrin doonaa buuggii.

    I will read that familiar book.

    The main event is future.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-kii / -tiiLevel 4Previously Known Referents

Learn This First

Recognize gender-conditioned articles before introducing the previous-reference suffixes -kii and -tii.