The past simple tense describes actions that were completed in the past.
Kä past thi̱mpil tense (gua̱a̱th ëë ci̱ wä) latdɛ lät tëë ci̱ thuɔ̱k rɛy gua̱th ëë ci̱ wä.
Formula: Subject + verb (2nd form) + object.
Example: He visited his friend.
Nuer: Jɛn Cuɛ määthdɛ gui̱l. | Amharic: ጓደኛውን ጎበኘ። gwadenyawin gobenye
Example: We worked yesterday.
Nuer: ci nɛy lät pan.| Amharic: ትናንት ሠርተናል. tinaniti šeritenal
Example: He bought a new phone last week.
Nuer: Jɛn cuɛ phone mi pay ben kɔk kɛ juɔk ëë ci wä. | Amharic: ባለፈው ሳምንት አዲስ ስልክ ገዛ። balefewi saminiti ādīsi siliki geza.
6. Past Continuous
The past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past.
Kä past continuous tense latdɛ lät mi wë wë rɛy gua̱th mi̱ ca lɛy kɛ gua̱th ëë ci̱ wä.
Formula: Subject + helping verb (was/were) + verb (ing) + object.
Example: They were working
Nuer: Kɛn Cukɛ te lät . | Amharic: እየሰሩ ነበር። iyeseru neber.
Example: I was reading a book when he called.
Nuer: Ɣän tä kuenä bok mëë cɛ ciöt.| Amharic: ሲደውል መጽሐፍ እያነበብኩ ነበር። sīdewili mets’iḥāfi iyanebebiku neberi.
Example: She was cooking while it rained.
Nuer: Jɛn cuɛ ŋot kɛ mi̱ lätɛ mi̱eth kä tëë kɛ nhiaal. | Amharic: ዝናብ እየዘነበ ምግብ እያዘጋጀች ነበር። zinabi iyezenebe migibi iyazegajechi neberi.
7. Past Perfect
The past perfect tense indicates that an action was completed before another action in the past.
Kä past perfect tense nyothɛ ni̱ ɣöö ci̱ la̱t thuɔ̱k ɛ ŋot /kenɛ ni̱ cop kä la̱t mi̱ dɔ̱ŋ rɛy gua̱th ëë ci̱ wä.
Formula: Subject + had + verb (ed) + object.
Example: She had finished her work before dinner.
Nuer: Jɛn Cuɛ la̱tdɛ thuk a /ken mi̱eth thiaŋ ni cop. | Amharic: ከእራት በፊት ስራዋን ጨርሳለች። ke’irati befīti sirawani ch’erisalechi.
Example: They had left before I arrived.
Nuer: Kɛn Cukɛ jiɛɛn a /ka̱n ni cop. | Amharic: እኔ ከመድረሴ በፊት ሄዱ። inē kemediresē befīti hēdu
Example: I had never seen such a beautiful place.
Nuer: Ɣän /Ka̱n gua̱a̱th mi gɔaa mi ce̱tkɛ nɛmɛ met nɛn. | Amharic: እንደዚህ አይነት ቆንጆ ቦታ አይቼ አላውቅም። inidezīhi āyinet k’onijo bota āyichē ālawik’imi.
8. Past Perfect Continuous
The past perfect continuous tense emphasizes the duration of an action that was ongoing before another action in the past.
Kä past perfect continuous tense la nyoothɛ ni̱ gua̱a̱th ëë ci̱ la̱t ɛ naŋ ɛ ŋot /kenɛ ni̱ cop kä la̱t mi̱ dɔ̱ŋ rɛy gua̱th ëë ci̱ wä.
Formula: Subject + had been + Verb (ing) + object (optional) + time of action.
Example: I had been working for two hours when they arrived.
Nuer: Ɣän cuä te lät kɛ thaakni̱ da̱ŋ rɛw mëë ci̱kɛ cop . | Amharic: እነሱ ሲደርሱ ለሁለት ሰዓታት ያህል እየሰራሁ ነበር. inesu sīderisu lehuleti se‘atati yahili iyeserahu neberi
Example: They had been playing for three hours before they went home
Nuer: Kɛn Cukɛ te ŋarä kɛ thaakni̱ da̱ŋ diɔ̱k ɛ ŋot /ke̱nkɛ ni wä dhɔɔriɛn. | Amharic:ወደ ቤታቸው ከመሄዳቸው በፊት ለሦስት ሰዓታት ያህል ሲጫወቱ ቆይተዋል። wede bētachewi kemehēdachewi befīti lešositi se‘atati yahili sīch’awetu k’oyitewali
Example: We had been trying to open the door for five minutes when Bol found his key.
Nuer: Kɔn Cuɔ̱kɔ ɣɔ̱n i̱ bakɔ thi̱i̱k lɛp kɛ minitni̱ da̱ŋ dhie̱e̱c mëë ci Bol keydɛ jek. | Amharic: ለአምስት ደቂቃ ያህል በሩን ለመክፈት እየሞከርን ሳለ ቦል ቁልፉን አገኘ። le’āmisiti dek’īk’a yahili beruni lemekifeti iyemokerini sale boli k’ulifuni āgenye
9. Future Simple
The future simple tense describes actions that will happen in the future.
Kä future simple tense latdɛ lät tin bi̱ tuɔɔk kɛ gua̱a̱th in bi ben.
Subject + shall/will+ verb (s/es) + object.
Example: I will call you tomorrow.
Nuer: Ɣän bä ji̱ cɔl i̱ruun. | Amharic: ነገ እደውልልሃለሁ። nege idewililihalehu.
Example: They will travel to khoatgar.
Nuer: Kɛn bikɛ wä jäl kä kɔatgar. | Amharic: ወደ ኳትጋር ይጓዛሉ። wede kɔatgar yigwazalu.
Example: She will come next year.
Nuer: jɛn bɛ ben kɛ ruɔ̱n in bi ben.| Amharic: በሚቀጥለው ዓመት ትመጣለች. bemīk’et’ilewi ‘amet timet’alech.
10. Future Continuous
The future continuous tense describes actions that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future.
Kä future continuous tense latdɛ lät tin bi̱ wä nhiam kɛ gua̱a̱th mi̱ ca lɛy rɛy gua̱a̱th in bi̱ ben.
Formula: Subject + shall/will be + verb (ing) + object.
Example: I will be studying at 8 PM.
Nuer: Ɣän bä te kuenä kɛ thaak 8 PM. | Amharic: ከቀኑ 8 ሰአት ላይ እማራለሁ. kek’enu 8 se’āti layi imaralehu
Example: They will be playing football tomorrow.
Nuer: kɛn bikɛ te ŋar kurɛ Kä i̱ ruun. | Amharic: ነገ እግር ኳስ ይጫወታሉ። nege igiri kwasi yich’awetalu.
Example: We will be working at that time.
Nuer: kɔn banɛ te lät kɛ jɛn gua̱a̱th ɛmɔ.| Amharic: በዚያን ጊዜ እንሰራለን. bezīyan gīzē iniseralen.
11. Future Perfect
The future perfect tense indicates that an action will be completed before a specific time in the future.
Kä future perfect tense nyothɛ jɛ ɛn ɣöö ba la̱t thuk ɛ ŋot /kenɛ ni̱ cop gua̱a̱th mi̱ ca lɛy rɛy gua̱a̱th in bi̱ ben.
Formula: Subject + shall/will + have + verb (3rd form) + object.
Example: He will have finished his work by noon.
Nuer: Jɛn bɛ la̱tdɛ thuk kɛ cäŋdäär. | Amharic: እኩለ ቀን ላይ ሥራውን ያጠናቅቃል. ikule k’eni layi širawini yat’enak’ik’ali
Example: She will have cleaned the house by 9pm.
Nuer: Jɛn Bɛ duel lak kɛ thaak 9pm. | Amharic: ከቀኑ 9፡00 ላይ ቤቱን ታጸዳለች። kek’enu 9 : 00 layi bētuni tats’edalechi.
Example: He will have arrived.
Nuer: Jɛn Bɛ cu cop.| Amharic: ይደርሳል። yiderisal
12. Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous tense emphasizes the duration of an action that will be ongoing before a specific time in the future.
Kä future perfect continuous tense latdɛ ni̱ gua̱a̱th in bi̱ la̱t ɛ naŋ ɛ ŋot /kenɛ ni̱ cop kä gua̱a̱th mi̱ ca lɛy rɛy gua̱th in bi̱ ben.
Formula: Subject + shall/will + have been + verb (ing) + object + time instant.
Example: By the end of the summer, I will have been saving money for five months.
Nuer: Kɛ thuɔ̱k tɔ̱ɔ̱tä, Ɣän bä te tɔ̱ɔ̱wä yio̱ni kɛ päth dhieec.| Amharic: በበጋው መጨረሻ, ለአምስት ወራት ገንዘብ እቆጥባለሁ. bebegawi mech’eresha, le’āmisiti werati genizebi ik’ot’ibalehu
Example:By next July, I will have been living in Gambella for two years.
Nuer: Kɛ Pay Bärɔw in bi ben, Ɣän bä cieŋ kä Gambella kɛ run da̱ŋ rɛw. | Amharic: በሚቀጥለው ሀምሌ ወር በጋምቤላ ለሁለት አመት እኖራለሁ። bemīk’et’ilewi hāmilē weri begamibēla lehulet āmet inoralehu.
Example: By the time I retire, I will have been working as an engineer for 40 years.
Nuer: Kɛ gua̱a̱th in bä la̱tdä päl, Ɣän bä lät ɛ la ɛnjinieer kɛ run ti 40.| Amharic: ጡረታ እስከወጣሁበት ጊዜ ድረስ ለ 40 ዓመታት በኢንጂነርነት እሠራለሁ። t’ureta isikewet’ahubeti gīzē diresi le 40 ‘ametati be’īnijīnerineti išeralehu
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