Signification
Asking about a person.
Contexte culturel
Asking 'Who?' often implies asking about someone's family. It's common to follow up with 'Whose son/daughter are you?' to find a common connection. The use of plural pronouns with 'ማን' (e.g., ማን ናቸው?) is mandatory when referring to elders, priests, or officials. When someone knocks and you ask 'ማን ነው?', the answer is often 'እኔ ነኝ' (It's me). In a close-knit neighborhood, people recognize voices, and the 'Who' is a formality before the 'Welcome'. Since Ethiopians don't have family surnames in the Western sense, 'ማን' is the primary way to navigate the system of [First Name] [Father's Name].
The 'Man' Rule
Always use 'Man' for people, never for things. If it has a heartbeat, use 'Man'.
Respect the Plural
When asking 'Who' about an elder, always use 'ማን ናቸው?' (Man nachew) instead of 'ማን ነው?' (Man new).
Signification
Asking about a person.
The 'Man' Rule
Always use 'Man' for people, never for things. If it has a heartbeat, use 'Man'.
Respect the Plural
When asking 'Who' about an elder, always use 'ማን ናቸው?' (Man nachew) instead of 'ማን ነው?' (Man new).
The List Trick
If you want to know all the people who went to a party, ask 'ማን ማን ነበሩ?' (Who and who were there?).
Phone Manners
When you don't know the caller, 'ማን ልበል?' is the most sophisticated way to ask who is calling.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'ማን'.
ይሄ መጽሐፍ ____ ነው? (Whose is this book?)
To ask 'Whose', you must add the prefix 'የ-' to 'ማን'.
Choose the correct question for the situation.
You see a stranger in your house. What do you ask?
'ማን ነህ?' means 'Who are you?', which is appropriate for a person.
Match the Amharic word to its English translation.
Match the following:
These are the four basic case forms of 'ማን'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ማን መጣ? B: _________.
The question asks 'Who came?', so the answer must identify a person (Abebe).
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Man vs. Min
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesይሄ መጽሐፍ ____ ነው? (Whose is this book?)
To ask 'Whose', you must add the prefix 'የ-' to 'ማን'.
You see a stranger in your house. What do you ask?
'ማን ነህ?' means 'Who are you?', which is appropriate for a person.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the four basic case forms of 'ማን'.
A: ማን መጣ? B: _________.
The question asks 'Who came?', so the answer must identify a person (Abebe).
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsUsually, no. You use 'ምን' (what) or 'የትኛው' (which one). However, if you treat your pet like a person, you might hear people use 'ማን' jokingly.
Add the prefix 'የ' to get 'የማን' (Ye-man).
'ማን' is the subject (Who did it?), while 'ማንን' is the object (Whom did you see?).
The word itself is neutral. The verb that follows it determines the formality.
Use 'ማን ልበል?' (Who shall I say?) or 'ማን ይባላሉ?' (What are you called?).
No, 'ማን' is the same for male and female. Only the verb changes (e.g., 'ማን ነው' for male, 'ማን ናት' for female).
Yes, when you add '-ም' to get 'ማንም'.
You can say 'ሌላ ማን?' (Lela man?).
You can repeat it: 'ማን ማን' to imply plurality.
It means 'Who knows?', often used like 'Maybe' or 'God knows'.
It's an informal, sometimes slightly rude way of saying 'Who are you?' or 'Hey you!'.
No, use 'የትኛው ድርጅት' (Which organization).
Expressions liées
ማንኛውም
specialized formAnyone / Whosoever
ማንነት
builds onIdentity
ማን ማን
similarWho (plural/list)
ማንም
specialized formNo one / Anyone
እንደ ማን?
similarLike whom?
