Prepositional Suffixes (Applicatives)
Chapter in 30 Seconds
Master the art of integrating relationships directly into your Amharic verbs for fluid, natural speech.
- Construct verbs that include 'for' someone using the -ll- suffix.
- Integrate locative or negative relational meaning using the -bb- suffix.
- Apply these applicatives to common daily verbs to save time and increase fluency.
چی یاد میگیری
Adding '-llät' and '-bbät' to verbs. These suffixes incorporate 'for him' or 'with it' into the verb itself.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
-
1
By the end you will be able to: Use -ll- to express actions done for someone else, like 'he bought for me' (ገዛልኝ).
-
2
By the end you will be able to: Use -bb- to describe actions occurring on or against someone, like 'he is angry with me' (ተቆጣብኝ).
نکات و ترفندها (1)
Listen for the 'l'
واژگان کلیدی (5)
Real-World Preview
Helping a Friend
Review Summary
- Verb + ll + object_pronoun
- Verb + bb + object_pronoun
اشتباهات رایج
You cannot use a separate pronoun after the suffix; the suffix already contains the person.
Applicative suffixes replace the need for prepositions like 'for' or 'to'.
Confusing the benefactive and malefactive suffixes changes the entire meaning of the sentence.
Next Steps
You have mastered a very unique part of the Amharic language. Keep practicing and your speech will sound more natural every day!
Listen to Amharic dialogue and identify -ll- and -bb- suffixes.
تمرین سریع (6)
Find and fix the mistake:
እሷ ጻፍልኝ።
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Benefactive Suffix (-ll-)
Find and fix the mistake:
መኪናው ተበላሸልኝ (when it broke down).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Malefactive/Locative Suffix (-bb-)
መኪናው ተበላሸ___
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Malefactive/Locative Suffix (-bb-)
እሱ ወንበሩ ላይ ___
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Malefactive/Locative Suffix (-bb-)
Which is correct?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Benefactive Suffix (-ll-)
እሱ መጽሐፍ ____ (bought for me).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Benefactive Suffix (-ll-)
Score: /6