In af somali we don't have "please"..
Something as simple as inquiring about the translation of a word can open a pandora's box of cultural nuances.
This is one of them.
the common Somali word for please, "fadlan", is in fact not Somali. It's from Arabic (فضلاً, fadlán.)
Does that mean that Somalis are by nature ingrates or unhelpful to each other? Of course not!
It's just that Somalis tend to be very egalitarian and communal. Favor is not perceived as a social debt solicited by the receiver, but as a shouldering of responsibility carried out by the helper.
Let me repeat that again; you don't ask for a favor in Somali culture, you address your needs, knowing full well that you will be helped.
So in spoken Somali, to ask for a favor one simply establishes "kinship", then airs their need.
walaal shaqada qof i geeya ayaan u baahnahay…
"Bro/sis, I need someone to drive me to work".
maacane(masc)/macaaneey(fem) qalin kale ma haysaa..
"Sweetie do you have a spare pen?"
And so on.
So enduring words are used in place of please
Something as simple as inquiring about the translation of a word can open a pandora's box of cultural nuances.
This is one of them.
the common Somali word for please, "fadlan", is in fact not Somali. It's from Arabic (فضلاً, fadlán.)
Does that mean that Somalis are by nature ingrates or unhelpful to each other? Of course not!
It's just that Somalis tend to be very egalitarian and communal. Favor is not perceived as a social debt solicited by the receiver, but as a shouldering of responsibility carried out by the helper.
Let me repeat that again; you don't ask for a favor in Somali culture, you address your needs, knowing full well that you will be helped.
So in spoken Somali, to ask for a favor one simply establishes "kinship", then airs their need.
walaal shaqada qof i geeya ayaan u baahnahay…
"Bro/sis, I need someone to drive me to work".
maacane(masc)/macaaneey(fem) qalin kale ma haysaa..
"Sweetie do you have a spare pen?"
And so on.
So enduring words are used in place of please