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Session 8
Listen to find out how to talk about being ill.
Waa’ee dhukkubsachuu akkatti dubbattu hubachuuf caqasi.
Activity 1
How do I talk about being ill?
Sagantaa har’aa keessatti waa’ee dhukkubsachuu dubbachuuf jirra.
Deebiiwwankee mirkaneeffachuuf caqasi. Ittaansuun barruu kanaa gadii wajjin walbira qabii ilaali.

Firaol
Asham! Gara sagantaa barnootaa How do I…tti baga nagaan dhufte! An Firaoldha. Shaan na waliin jirti.
Sian
Hi, everybody!
Firaol
Kutaa kana keessatti, waa'ee dhukkubuu 'ill' akkatti dubbatan ilaalla. Guutummaatti hubachuun yoo sirakkisi hinyaadda'iin; gara boodaara si gargaarra. Ammaaf namoonni meeqa fayyaa akka qaban qalbeeffadhu.
I've got a cold.
I have a sore throat and a cough.
I have a headache.
Firaol
Tole egaa, namni fayyaan itti dhagahamu hinjiru.
Sian
Yes, the first person said 'I've got a cold'. So if you have an illness, you can say 'I've got…' and then give the name of the illness.
Firaol
Yes, so 'a cold' jechuun 'qufaa' jechuudha – akkasumas qubee footuu 'a' itti makuu hindagatiin.
Sian
Yes, although if you have 'the flu', we use 'the' not 'a'. So we say 'I've got a cold' but we say 'I've got the flu'.
Firaol
That's right. 'Flu' jechuun 'qufaa ykn utaalloodha'. Now shall we look at some of the 'symptoms' – 'mallattoowwan' – of a cold or the flu?
Sian
Yes, so speaker two says 'I have a cough' – and 'a cough' is this.
Let's practise the pronunciation:
a cough
I have a cough.
Firaol
Akkasumas qoonqoonsaanii 'throat' rakkina qaba. Akka qoonqoonsaanii madaa'e himuuf maqibsa itti fayyadaman yaadachuu dandeessaa?
I have a sore throat.
Sian
Yes, we use the adjective 'sore' when we feel pain. So you can have 'a sore arm' or 'a sore leg', for example.
You can also use the verb 'hurt' – you can use 'hurt' with any body part where you feel pain. For example, 'my arm hurts', 'my head hurts', 'my legs hurt'.
Firaol
Eeyee egaa maqibsa 'miidhama' – 'sore' ykn gocha 'hubama' 'hurt' jedhan fayyadamuu dandeessa. Waa'ee kutaa qaamaa qeenxee ta'e tokko kan dubbattu yoo ta'e, gocha 'hubamaa' ramaddii nama sadaffaatiin –'hurts' fayyadamuu qabda.
Namni ittaanummoo dhukkubbii mataa keessaa 'head' dubbate. Can you remember how they said this?
I have a headache.
Sian
So with some body parts we use 'ache' to say that you have a continuous pain. So you can say 'I have a…' or 'I've got a…' and then the body part and the word 'ache'.
Let's practise the pronunciation. Repeat after me:
ache
I have a headache.
Firaol
Tole, baay'ee gaarii egaa akkasumas 'ache' – dhukuba ykn waraansa, kutaalee qaamaa kan akka 'head' 'mataa', 'tooth' 'ilkaan', 'back' 'dugda', yookaan 'ear' 'gurra' wajjin fayyadamuu dandeenya.
Sian
So, if you have a pain in your ear you can say 'I have an earache'.
Firaol
Amma akkatti dhukkuba ofii himatan baratteetta; amammoo yeroon kan shaakalaati.
Akkamitti dhibee garaafi qufaan qaba jette doktooratti himtaa? Ittaansuun deebiikee kan Shaan waliin walbira qabi ilaali.
Sian
I have a stomach ache and a cough.
Firaol
Atis akkasuma jette? Ammammoo hoganaakeetti bilbiltee akka hojii hindhufne himuufi. Akkamiin qufaa qabaachuukee itti himtaa? Qubee footuu eeggadhu.
Sian
I've got the flu.
Firaol
Ammammoo harkakee si dhukkuba. Kana akkamitti dubbattaa? 'Miidhama' ykn 'hubama' fayyadamuu dandeessa. Boodarra akkaataa itti dubbatan lama Shaan irra ni dhageessa.
Sian
I have a sore hand.
My hand hurts.
Firaol
Atillee akkasuma jette?
Sian
Well done! Hopefully you are all feeling well.
Firaol
Get well soon if not!
Sian
Bye, everyone!
Learn more!
1) Qufaa ykn utaalloo qabaachuukoo akkamittin dubbadhaa?
'I have...' ykn 'I've got...' eega jettee booda maqaa dhukkubichaa itti ida’uu dandeessa, garuu qubeewwan footuu eeggadhu.
• I've got a cold.
• I have the flu.
2) Dukkuba walirraa hincinne qabaachuu dubbachuuf, kutaa qaamaa kamin jecha 'ache' jedhu waliin fayyadamuu danda’aa?
Kan akka 'ilkaan' 'tooth', 'mataa' 'head', 'dugda' 'back', 'gurra' 'ear', fi 'garaa' 'stomach' fayyadamuu dandeessa.
• I've got a stomach ache.
• I have a toothache.
Mallattoowwan qufaa ykn utaalloon qabamuu akkamittin ibsuu danda’aa?
'I have...' ykn 'I've got...' eega jettee booda mallattoowwan itti ida’uu dandeessa.
• I've got a sore throat. (miidhama qoonqoon/laagaan qaba)
• I've got a cough. (qufaan qaba/ na qufaasisa)
• I've got a temperature. (qaama na guba)
Waa’ee dhukkubsachuu akkamittin dubbadhaa?
3 Questions
Choose the correct option to fill the gap.
Bakka hanqate guutuu filannoo sirrii ta’e fili.
Help
Activity
Choose the correct option to fill the gap.
Bakka hanqate guutuu filannoo sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Jecha ‘cold’ wajjin qubee footuu feena.Question 1 of 3
Help
Activity
Choose the correct option to fill the gap.
Bakka hanqate guutuu filannoo sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Afaan ingiliziitiin akkamitti ‘bowwoo mataa’ jennaa?Question 2 of 3
Help
Activity
Choose the correct option to fill the gap.
Bakka hanqate guutuu filannoo sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Hubama kutaa qaamaa dubbachuuf gocha fayyadamuu nu barbaachisa.Question 3 of 3
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
Come to our Facebook group to tell us how you feel.
Waan sitti dhagahamu nuuf ibsuuf gara garee Feesbuukii keenyaatti koottu.
Join us for our next episode of How do I…, when we will learn more useful language and practise your listening skills.
Qooqa daran faayida-qabeessa ta’an dabalataa kan keessatti barannuufi dandeettiiwwankee caqasuu kan ittiin shaakaltu sagantaa keenya How do I…'n yeroo ittaanu walitti deebina
Session Vocabulary
a cold
qufaa
the flu
qufaa/utaalloo
a cough
qufaa
a sore throat
miidhama qoonqoo/laagaa
a headache
bowwoo mataa
a stomach ache
dhukkuba/ciniinnaa garaa
a toothache
dhukkuba ilkaanii
an earache
dhukkuba gurraa
a backache
dhukkuba dugdaa