How to Say “What” in Somali
The Somali word for “what” is maxay. maxay is an interrogative pronoun used to ask “what?” when referring to a subject that is either plural or feminine.
About Somali
Somali is the official language of Somalia, together with Arabic, and is also spoken in Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia and northeastern Kenya, with about 16 million native speakers. It belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic family.
Somali has been written in the Latin alphabet since 1972, and a few letters work differently from English. X is a strong breathy h. C is a sound made deep in the throat, like the Arabic ʿayn. Q is a k said further back in the mouth. A doubled vowel is long, as in aabo (father). A friendly way to ask how someone is doing is iska warran?
| Family | Afroasiatic, Cushitic |
|---|---|
| Native speakers | about 16 million (2019) |
| Official in | Somalia |
| Script | Latin alphabet (since 1972) |
| Codes | so (ISO 639-1), som (ISO 639-3) |
Speaker number: Ethnologue (2019), via Wikidata. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
How to Say “Police” in Somali
The Somali word for police is booliis. booliis refers to a local or general law enforcement agency.
How to Say “Monkey” in Somali
The English word monkey is translated into Somali as daanyeer. daanyeer is a noun used to refer to a primate.
How to Say “Banana” in Somali
The Somali word for banana is moos. moos refers to the fruit known as banana.
How to Say “How Are You?” in Somali
The English phrase “how are you?” is translated into Somali as Sidee tahay? Sidee tahay? is a common greeting used to ask someone about their well-being.
How to Say “Bear” in Somali
The English word “bear” (the animal) is translated into Somali as orso. orso is a noun used to refer to the large mammal of the family Ursidae.
How to Say “Wait” in Somali
The Somali verb for ‘wait’ is sug. The verb means to delay until some event (verb).
How to Say “Hurry Up” in Somali
To say “hurry up” in Somali, use dhaqso. dhaqso can be used as an adverb to mean “fast” or “quickly”, or as an imperative command meaning “hurry up”.
How to Say “Tuesday” in Somali: A Comprehensive Guide
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How to Say “Yellow” in Somali
The Somali word for yellow is jaalle. jaalle is an adjective used to describe something that has the color yellow.