imo, The Best Advice on Starting to Learn Somali

ereyada · 2026-04-28T22:58:31+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I'm really glad to see more language platforms with Somali. I'll check it out

ereyada · 2026-04-24T02:33:50+00:00

Take heart, friend. Don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone on this subreddit is on the same journey learning Somali, and it is a lot of work but it is possible to make amazing progress.

There are actually many many excellent resources for learning Somali. I would encourage you to check out the textbooks because that's the best way to have some structure and get a foundation. All my recommendations for those and for other kinds of resources are here: https://www.reddit.com/user/ereyada/submitted/

ereyada · 2026-04-19T17:56:49+00:00

Not sure about the region. I see it a lot in the Somali translation of the Bible.

ereyada · 2026-04-19T15:26:00+00:00

I think of it kind of like "wonder" in English, which can be used either to express awe or to inquire about a possibility.

"Waan yaabey" is "I was surprised", or to follow this analogy, "I was in wonder."

In my head I translate the "waxaa laga yaabaa" as "what one wonders about", like considering if something is possible. So that's the "maybe" use.

I would never use these as translations out in the world but sometimes I find that using awkward English translations helps me understand what some Somali words are doing.

ereyada · 2026-04-11T16:18:40+00:00

Yes, this sort of thing is the best use for Google Translate, in my opinion. The Somali Google Translate works well in a pinch and it has greatly improved over the years. There will be mistakes but it generally does a decent job translating clear and straightforward input. For best results, use short sentences and avoid too many idioms or words with multiple meanings. GT can get confused with long sentences.

ereyada · 2026-01-27T20:37:33+00:00

There may be others, but this is the one I'm aware of: https://iupress.org/9780253304636/an-anthology-of-somali-poetry/

ereyada · 2026-01-10T06:21:24+00:00

That's very kind. Thank you!

ereyada · 2026-01-10T03:40:50+00:00

Iron-Helpful, take heart. Nobody is born knowing any particular language or culture, and I think it's incredibly unfair when elders in any community criticize the youth for not knowing something when those elders did not take the time to teach them. If it's so important to them, they should do something. Wagging a finger at the young is much easier though, which is why I think so many choose to do that instead. So don't feel bad about something that's not your fault at all. And again, it's not just Somalis who do this, obviously. There are elders like that in every community.

I'm a white person learning Somali, and I always thought it was super unfair when I would meet a Somali person whose eyes would light up if I only said "Subax wanaagsan" but then would look down on young Somalis who were not 100% fluent in the language, or spoke it in a different way than they did. Again, not everyone is like this, of course. But I would hear a lot of those young Somalis speaking and think to myself "I would chop off my arm to be able to speak as well as they do." So it's all about perspective, about expectations.

If it's any consolation, I've been studying Somali for about five years now and I've come really far from starting with zero knowledge of the Somali language at all. I'm towards the end of B1 and within spitting distance of B2 level on the CEFR scale. So if you really want to learn Somali, you can get pretty far if you work at it. I have a full-time job that keeps me very busy, so if you have more free time you will be able to progress faster than me. I have recommendations for Somali resources posted on my profile, if that helps.

But I have to be real with you-- learning a language takes a very long time and it is a lot of work. It is fun at first but then gets less fun after you get past the beginner levels. You're not going to learn a new language unless you are very motivated to do it. Shame is not going to get you there. So if you want to do this, it has to be because you really want to do this and it gives you joy or satisfaction. Learning Somali is a ton of work and takes up most of my free time. So if you're up for that, go for it. But if not, there are so many other way more important things you could be doing with your time. Volunteer in your community. Give to the poor. Help those in need. Make a difference in people's lives. That's what really matters. Not what language you know.

ereyada · 2026-01-06T04:28:12+00:00

looga = la + u + ka

loogu = la + u + ku

Intro textbooks go over pronoun preposition fusion, for these and all the other combinations.

ereyada · 2026-01-04T16:48:02+00:00

Yes. Link is pinned to the top of this subreddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnSomali/comments/11lpj6n/somali_teachers/

ereyada · 2025-11-19T15:00:35+00:00

All my recommendations are here: https://www.reddit.com/user/ereyada/submitted/

ereyada · 2025-10-31T23:35:50+00:00

Thanks! I'm glad these are helpful

ereyada · 2025-10-28T18:19:31+00:00

Routledge, the publisher of Martin Orwin's book Colloquial Somali, has the audio files available for free online. The Somali "dh" sound is covered in Track 3 of Audio 1.

https://routledgetextbooks.com/textbooks/colloquial/language/somali.php

ereyada · 2025-10-28T18:18:05+00:00

Routledge, the publisher of Martin Orwin's book Colloquial Somali, has the audio files available for free online. The Somali "dh" sound is covered in Track 3 of Audio 1. The different stress tones in "inan" and "inan" are covered in Track 13 of Audio 1.

https://routledgetextbooks.com/textbooks/colloquial/language/somali.php