goorma / imisa / meeqa

Time and Quantity Questions

Level 2

Goorma asks about time. Immisa and meeqa ask quantity and also occur in clock-time questions.

How It Works

Goorma can precede a focus particle and short subject pronoun: Goorma ayaad shaqaynaysaa?, “When are you working?” Ayaad combines ayaa and aad.

Immisa takes counting forms: buug remains singular-shaped, while bil becomes bilood. Object quantity phrases retain ordinary subject agreement. Focused subject quantity phrases take reduced agreement without a repeating pronoun: Immisa wiil ayaa halkan jooga?

Meeqa also asks quantity. Supported clock-time usage includes northern immisa and southern meeqa. In Hadda waa meeqa saac?, “What time is it now?”, meeqa and saac form a noun predicate. Final weeye variants also occur.

Prefer immisa for instruction. Single-m imisa is independently attested in professional writing; that observation establishes neither a general spelling-equivalence rule nor a pronunciation rule.

Examples (4)

  1. Goorma ayaad shaqaynaysaa?

    When are you working?

    Asks the time of an action.

  2. Immisa bilood ayaad joogtay Hargeysa?

    How many months did you stay in Hargeisa?

    Bilood is the counting form of bil.

  3. Immisa wiil ayaa halkan jooga?

    How many boys are here?

    The focused subject takes reduced jooga.

  4. Hadda waa meeqa saac?

    What time is it now?

    Uses the supported southern noun-predicate frame.

How It Connects

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goorma / imisa / meeqaLevel 2Time and Quantity Questions

Learn This First

Recognize clause roles and noun counting forms before distinguishing time questions from quantity questions with immisa or meeqa.

Words in This Pattern