/r/LearnSomali

Photograph via snooOG

A place for students of the Somali language to ask questions and contribute answers.

A place for students of the Somali language to ask questions and contribute answers. All levels of fluency are welcome.

/r/LearnSomali

4,435 Subscribers

3

Help translating Somali song ; the song is called Ogadenia Dhaanto by Nur Caraale. I really want to know is being said in the song! Someone sent this to me the other day and I would love to know what it means

0 Comments
2025/01/31
22:31 UTC

3

Jahawareer = disorientation

Jahawareer means disorientation, being disoriented/confused

It's 2 words that are put together: jaho = direction wareer = confusion

I learned jaho recently and these are related words: jahaysan der. adj. directed, oriented, turned

jahee v. direct; orient

0 Comments
2025/01/31
08:10 UTC

5

Any book recommendations for someone who is barely intermediate?

Title says it. My parents are native somali speakers and so are many of my other relatives. I can understand it a little bit, like I’d catch words and phrases that I recognize, but I was never actually fluent…I’d like to learn the grammar and vocabulary more!

I am not a beginner at all

3 Comments
2025/01/30
05:38 UTC

13

Xasil - stability

5 Comments
2025/01/30
00:27 UTC

1

Where do I learn af reer xamar?

Does anybody know any good online resources or videos for learning xamar dialect from english? Jazakallah kheyr.

2 Comments
2025/01/29
20:39 UTC

3

'Legend' in afsomali

Does anyone know if there is afsomali word for legend? We only seem to use lejen which we lazily coined from legend

3 Comments
2025/01/28
10:48 UTC

7

Phrases of Comfort

I'm a writer looking for help with some dialogue.

If I, an English-speaker, were to try to comfort a distressed person, I might use sentences like, "it's okay," or "You're safe."

What stock phrases do Somali-speakers use to convey comfort?

1 Comment
2025/01/27
04:01 UTC

6

Would writing short stories help improve my somaali?

I can speak somali fluently, but when I'm telling a story, I have to stop and find the word I'm looking for. Sometimes, I even have to think about the best way to articulate what I wanna say. Would writing help fix this problem?

1 Comment
2025/01/26
13:55 UTC

15

Importance of learning our mother language.

Assalaamu aleykum walaalayaal!

Growing up in the diaspora, I struggled to put together even simple sentences in Somali. The more I lived abroad, the more I felt disconnected from my roots, and it made me realize how easy it is to lose our language and culture.

But I believe our Somali language is a treasure—it connects us to our history, our identity, and to each other. And if we don’t teach it to our children, we risk losing something that defines us.

My wife and I are here to help you reconnect. I offer a Somali language course to help us rebuild our roots and pass on our language to the next generation. We also offer group sessions where you can make fellow Somali friends for life, strengthening our community while learning together. • For brothers: I teach the lessons. • For sisters: My wife teaches the lessons, bringing a comfortable and supportive learning environment.

My course is in high demand, and I came to this post simply to share and add positive knowledge to our people. It’s time we reclaim our language, culture, and identity.

What you get: • Free 45-minute trial session • Personalized 1-on-1 lessons • Group sessions to meet fellow Somalis and grow together

If you’re interested, DM me for more info. For the sisters, I’ll forward your message to my wife, insha Allah.

Jazakallah kheyr for your time, and let’s keep our heritage alive together.

2 Comments
2025/01/26
11:59 UTC

2

'Dhiggal' Word for book

I recently learn the word for book in afaomali and it's 'dhig'gal/dhiggal

buuggii aaway ? Dhiggalkii aaway?

Ma soo ilowday buugagtaadii Ma soo ilowday dhiggalkaagii?

5 Comments
2025/01/24
07:48 UTC

2

Are both phrases, caleen shaah or shaah caleen correct or just the first one is.

Cause i think i remember my ayeeyo and my habaryaro used to say shah caleen but my dad said it's caleen shaah. So I'm i tripping?

4 Comments
2025/01/22
18:04 UTC

4

Is there any kind-hearted stranger generous enough to help me with a microphone to start a Somali learning YouTube channel. DM me.

I helped you guys with learning Somali vocabulary now it is the time you pay back the favor or if you haven't benefited from my free vocabulary images that i used to post daily here on this subreddit, then help your brother in Somalia to launch a Youtube Somali learning Channel. A microphone won't cost much.

0 Comments
2025/01/21
17:37 UTC

7

Somali shows with English subtitles

Does anyone know of any Somali shows or even Somali YouTube videos with English subtitles. Just thinking it may help me pick up the language faster. Thanks

8 Comments
2025/01/21
11:06 UTC

15

Learning Somali

Asc. I really want to learn the language. I am Somali and my parent speak it but I always respond back in English. I went to Somalia twice in hopes to learn the language but was being laughed at when trying so I stopped completely. Now, it’s a little embarrassing that I don’t know and would really love to learn. I have some books and notes I wrote but what’s the best way to learn?

4 Comments
2025/01/21
05:32 UTC

1

Hi I'm looking for qaamuus.net owner , hope someone knows them .

4 Comments
2025/01/15
02:55 UTC

1

How do I say

How do I say “I am very disappointed in you” and “you’ve been neglecting my needs”. In a reer xamar dialect.

4 Comments
2025/01/14
20:18 UTC

10

Preserving the Somali language

‏سلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Does anyone know of a center or institute that offers programs teaching the Somali language and history to the diaspora?

This is a matter of great importance for us as Somali brothers and sisters to preserve our culture. Without such efforts, the next generation risks an even greater disconnect from our culture

5 Comments
2025/01/13
05:37 UTC

3

Isolated from language

Hello,

I am a diaspora kid who can speak Somali beyond basic greetings and basic conversations. Still, after a couple of COVID-19 illnesses, isolation due to depression and university (there are no Somalis in my uni town), I started to notice a decline in my language. I saw this while conversing with my grandmother this past week. I love my grandmother and my culture, but I feel so isolated from my language these past 4 years. Before leaving, my Somali was good (my grandmother raised me). When I spoke to my grandmother and mother, it was only Somali. Now, I can barely string a sentence without sticking English to structure what I am saying. Has anyone else in an English-speaking country experienced this? If so, do you have any ideas and resources to help with my situation?

2 Comments
2025/01/09
08:39 UTC

1

baraxtiran iyo iskanugulin ?

Wat do these words mean?

2 Comments
2025/01/07
22:25 UTC

3

Meaning of "hala shaqeysto tugsiga wa ceeb"

Some Mali figures I follow have shared a meme with this written on it.

Does it mean: "It's a shame you still work in school.", or is it something more poetic, like "It's a shame to work under pressure"? Thanks for your help

24 Comments
2025/01/07
18:54 UTC

3

Ayuuto etymology

Does the word Ayuuto have roots in the Italian word "aiuto" which means help in Italian??

I'm looking for an alternative afsomali word for ayuuto, and I think Hagbad is arabic

Edit: I didn't find hagbad in arabic sources so it's most likely a afsomali term

6 Comments
2025/01/07
11:01 UTC

45

Extend your Somali vocabulary.

17 Comments
2025/01/05
15:50 UTC

26

Students are excelling, so we raised the target to 100 words daily! 🔥

35 Comments
2025/01/03
14:04 UTC

29

Our bootcamp for Somali learners to memorize 50 words daily from various thematic vocabulary categories

5 Comments
2025/01/02
21:19 UTC

4

Looking for Somali YouTuber recommendations

I am trying to work on my accent and sentence constructions in Somali. To help with this, I am looking for some YouTubers that I can mimic.

Some criteria I have for the YouTuber:

  • They have a lot of content on their channel (e.g. 200+ videos)
  • They have good and clear audio quality.
  • They are male (20-60 years old)
  • They are doing most of the talking (They aren’t interviewers where they listen to others most of the time)
  • They are talking to at most 2 other people (So their voices aren’t overlapping each other)
  • They talk about a wide range of topics and not solely religion or politics.
  • They are from Somalia (preferably Northern Somalia).

It’s probably hard to find someone who fits all these checkboxes. So this is kinda just a “wishlist”. So, I am cool with getting recommendations of YouTubers who don’t fit all these checkboxes.

5 Comments
2025/01/01
15:56 UTC

5

The hidden world of baa!

Sannad wanaagsan everyone!

Waad ku mahadsantihiin 2024 wanaagsan !!! Thank you for a great 2024!

I have discovered something incredible and facinating:

This focus marker baa, you don’t see it often, you think it’s not used so often. But the truth is: it is there behind the scenes, it changes the focus and the meaning without you knowing.

If you have very trained eyes you may get a clue it is there. When you hear:

Anaa, it’s really Ani + baa

When you hear

Adaa, it’s really Adi + baa

It attaches to other words in its various forms!! Just look at this:

Ninkaad aragtay = Ninka + baad aragtay

But

Ninkaad aragtay? = Ninkee + baad aragtay?

Is it a spy? Is it a virus? It’s very clever, watch out, it can be right there without you ever noticing it!

3 Comments
2025/01/01
02:49 UTC

3

Is there a correlation between the af maay word “withayow” and af maxa tiri word “wadaagey” ?

They both mean the same thing brother/friend so could they have common root?

5 Comments
2024/12/31
00:17 UTC

5

Hanti or maal

Both of these words mean wealth

Which one is loaned ? Or are they both afsomali in origin?

If both are afsomali then are the words used in different context? Or same context

19 Comments
2024/12/28
01:40 UTC

2

How do you say 1st century BCE in somali?

So if 1st century CE is Qarnigii Kowaad would 1st century BCE be Qarni Horega Kowaad or something similar?

15 Comments
2024/12/25
18:26 UTC

24

Memrise Now Offers a Somali Course! 🎉

Big news for Somali language enthusiasts: Memrise has launched a Somali language course! 🌍🎓

While browsing their site, I stumbled upon this hidden gem and couldn’t wait to share it with this community. For those unfamiliar, Memrise has evolved from community-created courses to professionally developed, in-house language programs—and this Somali course is part of their premium lineup.

What makes this course special?
✅ Professionally designed by Memrise experts
✅ Includes engaging short videos featuring native Somali speakers to enhance your learning experience

For those who loved the community-created courses, don’t worry—Memrise will continue supporting them until the end of 2025. But to clarify, the Somali course I’m sharing here is a fully-fledged, Memrise-created program!

If you’ve ever wanted to dive into learning Somali, now’s the perfect time to start. Check it out on memrise.com and let me know your thoughts! 🌟

2 Comments
2024/12/24
10:22 UTC

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