i don't speak somali, how long do you think it might take to learn it

[Jake from State Farm]

I grew up around it but never caught on with learning to speak it. my mother spoke English and somali to me as a kid, my father mostly English. I am really interested in learning the language now. I was never really speaking the language at home.
I can understand some somali. Most situations where I land in a conversation with a somali person I can understand honestly like 25% in fact maybe even 50% depending of what they are saying. a lot of times i just nod and act like i know what they are saying. i can speak, and understand the most basic stuff, but i cant hold complex conversations with people.
for example i can understand when someone asks"where is your father or mother", i can respond with school, work,home and etc.

but if someone comes up to me and just start talking about life and etc, a majority of that conversation I'm not gonna know what they are talking about.

 

[KULTA]

It would take you about 6 months

 

[somaliaristocrat]

quite the predicament you got going there mi amigo. still doe how much somali can you string in a sentence that is coherent and makes sense.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

quite the predicament you got going there mi amigo. still doe how much somali can you string in a sentence that is coherent and makes sense.

A little bit. I can answer simple question with ease. though. I can't read somali at all.

 

[somaliaristocrat]

A little bit. I can answer simple question with ease. though. I can't read somali at all.

?!:siilaanyosmile: OK heres how 'reading somali' actually works. As long as you can speak somali and hold a conversation and understand what someone says even if they are as random as that odhey in the maqaayad chewing khat off his head. You Will struggle to string words at first but you should be able to read. Just remember doe

X= ح
C= ع
And that's all ya need

Reading somali 101

Oh yea and get some somali mates you tight with to speak somali constantly with. You Better hope they speak better somali than you so they can correct you. Also watch lots of somali news sometimes with subtitles and mostly with no subtitles. Sit and watch it with your dad or Mum

 

[bluebird]

Here are some of the things I learned, althoug I still have a looooot to learn I'm better now.

Visit somali forums and read somali news, looking up words you don't understand but do this one when you are more advanced

Learn common conjunctions and how to say them basically any small word you need to know to connect a sentence together

Learn a little bit about the grammar and how to do plurals. I still make mistakes with this one since our plurals are so complex but I listen for how others say it and ask them to correct me

If I can't find a word, I quickly go to google translate to find it or I ask someone.

Learn words in categories, like fruits one week, animals another, etc

Like I said I'm still learning but I'm better now.

 

[somaliaristocrat]

oh yea one important thing that people always forget to mention.....GO BACK HOME FOR REAL. Seriously one year minimum. I speak somali but EVERYONE TELLS ME THIS ONE THING. Somali language has flow And when one places words in wrong places it fucks up the flow of the sentence...flow is important. Even if you make sense if you have no flow....PREPARE FOR the torrents of insults from your habaryars and adheers

 

[government]

?!:siilaanyosmile: OK heres how 'reading somali' actually works. As long as you can speak somali and hold a conversation and understand what someone says even if they are as random as that odhey in the maqaayad chewing khat off his head. You Will struggle to string words at first but you should be able to read. Just remember doe

X= ح
C= ع
And that's all ya need

Reading somali 101

Oh yea and get some somali mates you tight with to speak somali constantly with. You Better hope they speak better somali than you so they can correct you. Also watch lots of somali news sometimes with subtitles and mostly with no subtitles. Sit and watch it with your dad or Mum

You assume he knows Arabic alphabet when he doesn't know Somali

 

[Jiron]

Practice practice practice both written and spoken Somali. Challange urself, don't be afraid to pronounce words incorrectly. Rome was not built over night

 

[somaliaristocrat]

You assume he knows Arabic alphabet when he doesn't know Somali

I mean... Somalis go to dugsi at some point right? Like come on alif baa taa?

 

[government]

I mean... Somalis go to dugsi at some point right? Like come on alif baa taa?

Sorry I thought you were some dhaqan celis that always lived among whites
I apologise

 

[somaliaristocrat]

Sorry I thought you were some dhaqan celis that always lived among whites
I apologise

Apology accepted.
Your sarcasm however