Signification
Urgent request to come.
Contexte culturel
When the third round of coffee (Baraka) is served, it is common to hear 'Ahun na' to ensure everyone is present for the blessing. In the busy 'Merkato', vendors use short imperatives like 'Na' to call customers over to their stalls. Because of the relaxed view on punctuality, 'Ahun na' is often used with extra emphasis to signal that this time, the speaker really means 'now'. Younger siblings are expected to respond immediately to an 'Ahun na' from an older sibling as a sign of respect for age.
Gender Check
Always check if you are talking to a man or a woman before using 'Na'.
Urgency Boost
Use 'አሁኑኑ' (Ahununu) if they don't come the first time you call.
Signification
Urgent request to come.
Gender Check
Always check if you are talking to a man or a woman before using 'Na'.
Urgency Boost
Use 'አሁኑኑ' (Ahununu) if they don't come the first time you call.
Politeness
When in doubt, use 'Nu' (polite) to avoid offending elders.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of 'come' for a male friend.
ዮናስ፣ አሁን ___።
Since Yonas is a male name, we use the masculine singular imperative 'ና'.
Which phrase is the most urgent?
Which of these means 'Come right this second'?
Adding '-unu' to 'ahun' creates the meaning of 'right now' or 'immediately'.
Match the phrase to the person you are talking to.
You are talking to your grandfather.
Grandfathers require the polite/plural form 'ኑ'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ምሳ ቀርቧል። B: እሺ፣ ___።
B should respond with 'I am coming' (እየመጣሁ ነው) rather than commanding themselves to come.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
The 'Come' Command Grid
Male
- • አሁን ና (Ahun na)
Female
- • አሁን ነይ (Ahun ney)
Polite/Plural
- • አሁን ኑ (Ahun nu)
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesዮናስ፣ አሁን ___።
Since Yonas is a male name, we use the masculine singular imperative 'ና'.
Which of these means 'Come right this second'?
Adding '-unu' to 'ahun' creates the meaning of 'right now' or 'immediately'.
You are talking to your grandfather.
Grandfathers require the polite/plural form 'ኑ'.
A: ምሳ ቀርቧል። B: እሺ፣ ___።
B should respond with 'I am coming' (እየመጣሁ ነው) rather than commanding themselves to come.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, you must use 'Ahun ney' for any female.
It is not rude between friends, but it is rude to use with elders.
'Na' is the command (Come!), while 'Met'a' is the base verb (To come).
You use 'አሁን ኑ' (Ahun nu).
Yes, but 'አሁን ና' is much more common.
Say 'ቶሎ ና' (Tolo na).
Yes, 'ክሰት' (Kiset) is sometimes used among youth to mean 'show up'.
Yes, it is the standard word for 'now' in Amharic.
It is a soft 'h' like in 'house'.
No, it is too informal. Use 'እባክዎን ይምጡ'.
Expressions liées
አሁን ነይ
similarCome now (to a female)
አሁን ኑ
similarCome now (plural/polite)
ቶሎ ና
synonymCome quickly
አሁኑኑ ና
specialized formCome right this second
ወደዚህ ና
builds onCome here
