Short Imperfective Positive & Negative Conjugation

What is the short imperfective? It is an alternative present tense conjugation in Amharic, which is used in certain situations - these will be shown in the next section. This conjugation isn't very hard to learn, as it is very similar to the present-future tense conjugations we have already covered.

 

Here is the positive conjugation for the verbs መፈለግ and መሄድ:

 

እኔ: እፈልግ ïfällïg / እሄድ ïhed

አንተ: ትፈልግ tïfällïg / ትሄድ tïhed

አንቺ: ትፈልጊ tïfällïgi / ትሄጂ tïheji

እርስዎ: ይፈልጉ yïfällïgu / ይሄዱ yïhedu

እሱ: ይፈልግ yïfällïg / ይሄድ yïhed

እሷ: ትፈልግ tïfällïg / ትሄድ tïhed

እሳቸው: ይፈልጉ yïfällïgu / ይሄድ yïhedu

እኛ: እንፈልግ ïnnïfällïg / እንሄድ ïnnïhed

እናንተ: ትፈልጉ tïfällïgu / ትሄዱ tïhedu

እነሱ: ይፈልጉ yïfällïgu / ይሄዱ yïhedu

 

And here is the negative conjugation:

 

እኔ: አልፈልግ alfällïg / አልሄድ alhed

አንተ: አትፈልግ attïfällïg / አትሄድ attïhed

አንቺ: አትፈልጊ attïfällïgi / አትሄጂ attïheji

እርስዎ: አይፈልጉ ayfällïgu / አይሄዱ ayhedu

እሱ: አይፈልግ ayfällïg / አይሄድ ayhedu

እሷ: አትፈልግ attïfällïg / አትሄድ attïhed

እሳቸው: አይፈልጉ ayfällïgu / አይሄዱ ayhedu

እኛ: አንፈልግ annïfällïg / አንሄድ annïhed

እናንተ: አትፈልጉ attïfällïgu / አትሄዱ attïhedu

እነሱ: አይፈልጉ ayfällïgu / አይሄዱ ayhedu

 

Does this look familiar? It's the same as the present-future tense, just without the endings. Here are the two side-by-side conjugated for እኔ and እሱ:

 

እኔ: እፈልጋለሁ ïfällïgalläw / እፈልግ ïfällïg

እሱ: ይፈልጋል yïfällïgal / ይፈልግ yïfällïg

እኔ: እሄዳለሁ ïhedalläw / እሄድ ïhed

እሱ: ይሄዳል yïhedal / ይሄድ yïhed

 

And for the negative it's the same conjugation, but without the final -ም:

 

እኔ: አልፈልግም alfällïgïm / አልፈልግ alfällïg

እሱ: አይፈልግም ayfällïgïm / አይፈልግ ayfällïg

እኔ: አልሄድም alhedïm / አልሄድ alhed

እሱ: አይሄድም ayhedïm / አይሄድ ayhed

 

That's all there is to know about forming this aspect of verbs. In the following lessons, you will learn the ways in which it is used in Amharic.