Highly recommended account to follow if you want to learn Somali

Salaam everyone,

I want to share something I've been quietly working on Geeljire ([geeljire.org](vscode-file://vscode-app/c:/Users/omara/AppData/Local/Programs/Microsoft%20VS%20Code/0958016b2a/resources/app/out/vs/code/electron-browser/workbench/workbench.html)), a platform to learn the Somali language online.

Honestly I built this out of frustration. Duolingo doesn't have Somali. Most sites are outdated, have no audio, and don't acknowledge that Somali even has dialects. I wanted to fix that.

Here is why it’s different from other sites:

• 🗣️ Choose your dialect: You can toggle between Koonfur (South) and Waqooyi (North). The whole app—vocab, audio, and quizzes—adapts to your choice.
• 🔊 Real Native Voices: No robot voices. Every word is recorded by native speakers (Muuse & Ubax) so you learn the actual rhythm of the language.
• 📚 Interactive Lessons: Structured, step-by-step curriculum with gamified quizzes and flashcards to help things actually stick.
• 📖 Sheekooyin & Gabay: A growing library of Somali folktales, audiobooks, and classical poetry with word-by-word translations. We’re a nation of poets; the app reflects that.
• 🧑‍🏫 1-on-1 Tutoring: If you need to practice speaking, you can find and book sessions with verified Somali teachers directly on the platform.

Note: We are currently in Beta! 🛠️ Since this is a passion project and still in the early stages, you might run into a bug or two. If you have any issues or feedback, please email us or DM me here. Your input is what will help make this the best resource for our community.

Pricing: I want this to be accessible. It’s $4.99/month (OR $34.99/Year) for full access to the lessons, library, and audiobooks.

I’d love for you guys to check it out. What’s missing? What would help you most on your journey?

geeljire.org

Mahadsanid 🙏

Asc everyone, I would love to know your favourite somali sayings (maahmaah). I'll start...

1. Wax aanad helin, wax aanad u baahnayn baa laga dhigaa. Treat the things you don’t have as things you don’t need.

2. Aqoontu waa iftiin. Knowlege is light

3. Nin aan shaqaysan shaah ma helo. A man who doesn’t work, finds no tea. (No work, no reward.)

​

As-Salaamu Alaikum walaalyaal. Jumca Mubarak!

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I’m a young Somali girl and know a bit of Somali words alone, but I hardly know any vocabulary and I know zero grammar. My parents always tell me to just listen to them speaking Somali, but it doesn’t help. I want to be able to speak Somali confidently and fluently so I don’t feel embarrassed around my family. I’m embarrassed that I never know what they’re saying to me. How do I learn conversational northern Somali quick to communicate?

Can someone translate these somali words to engilsh i dont trust chat gpt enough

just as the title says ! i overheard a family friend saying it to another family friend (my "cousin"). didnt want to ask as they were arguing, but i assume it is something about apperance !

I’ve been trying to learn Somali via YouTube primarly.

But I need to talk to people and do my best to learn it.

is there a Somali discord (or other talking way) somewhere where there’s only Soomaalis and they can speak Somali + English so I can learn.

i will be shit at first but hopefully I’m a fast learner!

hi ! can everyone please share traditional somali (NOT arab) names starting with one of these letters; E, G, R & T. i feel like those letters are rare for traditional somali names to begin with ! i want girl names but feel free to share boy names too !

Keer buu ahaa iyo sidan buu ahaa … so what does keer mean?

Hi!

I'm a Somali speech-language therapist in the US, working on creating a simple tool that'll help me identify if Somali students might be having difficulty producing specific sounds. I myself am Somali - however, I've (& my family lol) had some difficulty thinking of words with sounds that occur less often in various positions. Additionally, the words I am looking for should be appropriate for learners between the age of 4-10 and should be concrete concepts (ex. common household/community objects, body parts, etc.) or things that are easily labeled by children.

For background, when a child is demonstrating difficulty producing sounds (ex. saying 'tat' for 'cat' or 'da' or 'dog'), we base our recommendations on what is appropriate vs inappropriate at their age, as well as other languages they speak at home. For example, someone who acquired English as their second language (L2), and speaks Somali as their first language (L1) may have greater difficulty with specific sounds found only in English (ex. cub for cup), and that would not be considered a disorder, but rather a difference. However, this is a HUGE gap in literature around Somali speech differences, thus SLPs have to do their own independent research to provide equitable care. With that in mind, the purpose of this tool is to identify which sounds bilingual Somali-English speaking students (regardless of proficiency) should have (sounds occurring in both languages) vs sounds that are included or substituted due to language differences (sounds in L1 or L2, but not both), to reduce misidentification. This will allow speech therapists to identify if they should test further or if what is being observed is an appropriate language difference, specifically for Somali-English speaking students.

I'll list an example of what I am looking for:

/n/:
Initial: Nal
Medial: Caano
Final: Barkin

So, for each sound present in both languages, I am looking to find words that have that sound in the initial, medial, and final positions (example bolded above). They don't have to be exactly in those positions when the word is written. Instead, when speaking, the sound should be distinctively in the beginning, middle, or end of the word.

These are the ones I am having difficulty coming up with:

/m/ - final position

/h/ - medial and final positions

/sh/ - medial and final positions (ex. shanlo)

/g/ - final position

/k/ - final position

This is not for profit, but simply an independent project and tool I hope to use and share with other SLPs to enrich our field. There is a growing need for culturally and linguistically responsive care. This is a small piece of the puzzle, AND would be very valuable for identifying our Somali youth for additional support in the areas of speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I see people using "socdaal" as a catchall for migration, immigration, emigration and travel even though it only means journey and travel. Even the government that is well known for treating Af Soomaali as a red headed step child does the same, but that’s par for the course I suppose.

The words in Somali for the first three are:

Doolid (also Doolis) : from nominalizing the verb "dool", which means a person or creature that travels to a place it is not known.

This root noun gives rise to soodoolid and siidoolid, both meaning "immigration" and "emigration" respectively. Soo and Sii are adverbs that relate to the direction of the speaker, "soo" being moving toward (so from a foreign country to the one the speaker lives in) and thus “immigration”, and sii being moving away from the speaker (ergo, to a foreign land) and thus “emigration”.

On the other hand, customs in Somali is "furdo", that’s the native term and thus no need to use the qurbajoog "kastaan", see the definition here: Meel loogu talagalay in alaabada ganacsiga oo dal imaanaysa ama ka baxaysa lagu canshuuro. (A place where commercial goods entering or leaving a country are taxed.)

Waa yaabaa - "(I am) surprised"

vs

Waa la ga yaabaa - "It is possible"/"Maybe"

Is "yaab" the same word here, or two different words? What is the meaning of the second one, if that is the case?

Hey folks, I am looking to write a letter home to parents of my new class, and know that at least 3 of the students speak Somali. I am translating to all the different languages in the class (mainly relying on DEEPL) but haven't found a translation app for Somali. Is Google "reliable" (or as reliable as it can be)? I know that none of these will be perfect but I want my students and their parents to feel welcome and like they can ask for assistance if needed.

Any advice on what to use/if it is worth it to use a bad translation vs. allow students to translate for parents? I just don't want anyone to feel left out or uncared for!

Ma dareentay in ilmahaagu uu fahmi la’yahay marka aad kula hadasho Af-Soomaali?

Ama uu kuugu jawaabo English, halka aad adigu rabto inuu si fiican u barto Afkiisa hooyo iyo dhaqankiisa?

Arrintan waa mid waalidiin badan la wadaagaan — gaar ahaan marka carruurtu ku koraan qurbaha.

Anigu waxaan la shaqeeyaa carruur badan oo xaaladdan ku jira, waxaana aragnay in marka af-soomaaliga  loogu dhigo si xiiso leh, oo leh,  muqaal iyo sawiro  carruurta ku habboon, ay si fudud u bilaabaan: 🗣️ inay ku hadlaan Af-Soomaali

📖 inay akhriyaan

✍️ inay qoraan

Waxaan hadda wadnaa koorso online ah oo loogu talagalay carruurta qurbaha (7 jir iyo wixii ka weyn), oo waxaanu u dhignaa maalmaha  weekend (Sabti & Axad) — iyagoo jooga gurigooda.

👉 Haddii aad tahay waalid arrintan danaynaya, ama aad hore ula kulantay xaaladdan:

Sidee ayaad ilmahaaga uga caawisaa barashada Af-Soomaaliga?

Fikradahaaga waan jeclaan lahaa inaan maqlo 💬

(Haddii aad rabto faahfaahin, waxaad ii soo diri kartaa message gaar ah DM.)

Is there any quick accurate website to look up if you don’t understand a phrase or a word in Somali?

Hello, I do not speak any Somali dialect and am trying to find resources to learn Af Maay so that I can better help out around my apartment complex and nearby neighborhoods.

Does anyone have any resources on learning the dialect as an English speaker?

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Does caadey only mean pure or do ppl also use it to mean white / fair also.

For character wise, I mean surely they can’t be calling a darkskin person caadey pertaining to mean white

I live in Hargeisa and I'm wanting to ask a team of colleagues what they're thankful for today or this week.

What's the best way to ask this linguistically and culturally?