Hotel

1. Qol bannaan ma haysaa?

   Do you have a room available?

   Usage

   The basic question for checking whether a hotel or guesthouse has a free room.

   Grammar Note

   The adjective bannaan "vacant" follows the noun qol. Ma ... haysaa asks "do you have".

2. Qol musqul leh baan doonayaa

   I want a room with a toilet

   Usage

   Specifies a room feature. Musqul is the small washroom, that is the toilet.

   Grammar Note

   "Noun + leh" means "having": qol musqul leh is "a room having a toilet".

3. Habeen walba waa immisa?

   How much is it per night?

   Usage

   Checks the nightly rate before you check in.

   Grammar Note

   Walba follows a noun and means "every": habeen walba is "every night".

4. Tuwaal iyo saabuun ayaan u baahan ahay

   I need a towel and soap

   Usage

   Asks the front desk or staff for toiletries.

   Grammar Note

   "U baahan ahay" means "I need". The needed things come first and take the focus particle ayaa.

5. Qolka waa immisadii laga baxaa?

   What time is check-out?

   Usage

   Asks when you have to leave the room. Literally "at what hour is the room left?".

   Grammar Note

   The impersonal la plus ka gives laga, "one leaves from it". Immisadii is the form used to ask the hour.

6. Qolka korontadu ma jirto

   There is no electricity in the room

   Usage

   Reports a problem in the room. Replace korontada with other things such as biyaha (the water).

   Grammar Note

   Ma jirto means "there is none". Koronto is feminine and takes -u as a subject: korontadu.

7. Fure kale ma heli karaa?

   Can I get a spare key?

   Usage

   Asks the front desk for an extra key.

   Grammar Note

   Kale follows the noun and means "another". Heli karaa is "can get", expressing ability or permission.

8. Fadlan qolkayga nadiifi

   Please clean my room

   Usage

   Asks for housekeeping. Fadlan can be left out.

   Grammar Note

   Nadiifi is the imperative of "clean". The suffix -kayga "my" attaches to qol.

9. Maqaayaddu waa halkee?

   Where is the restaurant?

   Usage

   Asks where to eat in the hotel. Maqaayad is the word for a restaurant or eating room.

   Grammar Note

   The pattern for "where is X" is "X (subject form) + waa halkee?". The feminine maqaayad becomes maqaayaddu as a subject.

10. Hal habeen oo dheeraad ah ayaan doonayaa

    I would like to stay one more night

    Usage

    Used to extend a stay. Literally "I want one additional night".

    Grammar Note

    Before a noun "1" is hal. "Oo dheeraad ah" describes the noun that precedes it as "additional".

11. Tuwaal

    Towel

    Usage

    Show this word to ask for a towel in your room.

    Grammar Note

    A loanword noun; with the definite suffix it becomes tuwaalka "the towel".

12. Barkin

    Pillow

    Usage

    Ask for an extra pillow with this word. Keep it to the room context, as the dictionary also lists another sense.

    Grammar Note

    A masculine noun; with the definite suffix it becomes barkinka.

13. Buste

    Blanket

    Usage

    Ask for a blanket on a cold night. The dictionary describes it as a large soft cloth that is put over a bed.

    Grammar Note

    A masculine noun; the dictionary says it is made of soft wool or fur.

14. Saabuun

    Soap

    Usage

    Show this to ask for soap.

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary lists it with both genders; a common definite form is saabuunka.

15. Buraash ilkaha

    Toothbrush

    Usage

    Show this to ask for a toothbrush. Literally "brush of the teeth".

    Grammar Note

    Two nouns are placed side by side: buraash ilkaha, "tooth brush".

16. Qol aamusan baan doonayaa

    I would like a quiet room

    Usage

    Said at check-in to avoid a room on a busy road or next to noise.

    Grammar Note

    The adjective aamusan follows qol. The wanted thing, qol aamusan, takes the focus particle baa.

17. Buuq badan baa jira

    It is very noisy

    Usage

    Complains about noise and leads into a request to change rooms.

    Grammar Note

    "X baa jira" means "there is X". The focus falls on buuq badan "a lot of noise".

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