Questions are how children take control of a conversation, and Somali question words are wonderfully consistent: goorma (when), xagee or intee (where), yaa or kumaa (who), maxaa (what), sidee (how). Learn those and you can build most of the sixteen questions in this topic yourself.
Tap a card for the meaning, examples and a native recording.
| Somali | English | Say it | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waa immisa saacaddu? | What time is it? | waa IM-mi-sa saa-'AD-du | |
| Goorma ayaad imaaneysaa? | When are you coming? | GOOR-ma a-YAAD i-maa-ney-SAA | |
| Ilaa goorma ayaad joogeysaa? | Until when will you stay? | i-LAA GOOR-ma a-YAAD joo-gey-SAA | |
| Goorma la furayaa? | When does it open? | GOOR-ma la fu-ra-YAA | |
| Intee ku nooshahay? | Where do you live? | in-TEE ku noo-SHA-hay | |
| Halkee u socotaa? | Where are you going? | hal-KEE u so-'o-TAA | |
| Intay ku taalaa? | Where is it located? | in-TAY ku taa-LAA | |
| See halkaas loo tagaa? | How do you get there? | see hal-KAAS loo ta-GAA | |
| Kumaa jooga halkaas? | Who is there? | ku-MAA JOO-ga hal-KAAS | |
| Yaad la hadlaysaa? | Who are you talking to? | yaad la had-lay-SAA | |
| Yaa ku caawiyay | Who helped you? | yaa ku 'AA-wi-yay | |
| Yaa kula shaqeeyo? | Who works with you? | yaa KU-la sha-QEE-yo | |
| Maxaad rabta? | What do you want? | ma-HAAD RAB-ta | |
| Sidee tahay? | How are you? | si-DEE TA-hay | |
| Maxaa dhacay? | What happened? | ma-HAA DHA-'ay | |
| Maxaad sameyneysaa? | What are you doing? | ma-HAAD sa-mey-ney-SAA |
The phrases are grouped by what they ask about: time (waa immisa saacaddu?), location (intee ku nooshahay?), people (kumaa jooga halkaas?) and information (maxaa dhacay?). Every page gives the question, a natural answer, and the grammar behind it.
Asking is an advanced topic in the app, outside the guided path, and one of the most useful for heritage speakers rebuilding their Somali.
16 entries in the Asking topic, each with a picture, native-speaker audio and a quiz in the app.
Yes. Every entry on this page plays a recording by a Somali speaker; nothing is synthesized.
Tap each word to hear it, say it back together, then take the Asking quiz in the Luuqad app.
Waa immisa saacaddu?, Goorma ayaad imaaneysaa?, Ilaa goorma ayaad joogeysaa?, Goorma la furayaa?, Intee ku nooshahay?, Halkee u socotaa? and more. Then take the quiz in the app.