ነበሩ
/neberu/
How to say "they were / he was (polite)" in Amharic
The Amharic word for "they were / he was (polite)" is ነበሩ, pronounced neberu.
Dictionary form
ነበሩ is a form of መሆን (mehon) — “to be”. Amharic verbs and nouns change shape by person, gender, number, and tense; look up the dictionary form to see the full set.
Word details
- Ge’ez script
- ነበሩ
- Transliteration
- neberu
- Part of speech
- verb
- English meaning
- they were / he was (polite)
Related forms
ሁን/hun/be! (imperative)ሆን/hon/be! / exist! (let it be)ብሎኛል/blonyal/(he) has told me / he says to me (reported)ነበርኩና/neberkuna/but I wasይሆናልህ/yhonalh/you (m.sg) will beመሆኑም/mehonum/also the fact that it is/wasነበራቸው/neberachew/they were (for them) / he was for themነበረ/nebere/he was / it wasነበረዋል/neberewal/she was / it was (her)ነበራት/neberat/she was / it was (for her)ነበረኝ/nebereny/it was me / it was (to) meነበርና/neberna/because it wasአልሆንም/alhonm/I am not / I did not becomeነበረም/neberem/he was also / he was (indeed)አሉ/alu/they are / there areሆኑ/honu/they becameነበረባቸው/neberebachew/they had it / he had them (polite)ነበራቸውም/neberachewm/they also had / they had it tooሆኖታል/honotal/it has become (and is so)ነበረብኝ/neberebny/I had itነዎት/newot/you are (polite)ሆነዋል/honewal/they/it have becomeመሆናችሁ/mehonachhu/your (pl) beingሆነኝ/honeny/it became (for) meነበረባችን/neberebachn/we had itሆነና/honena/it became (for) usነበረባችሁ/neberebachhu/you (pl) had itነበረብሽ/neberebsh/you had it (to a woman)መሆናት/mehonat/to beነበርህ/neberh/you were (m.sg.)ነበርክህ/neberkh/you were (m.sg., alt.)ነበርኩ/neberku/I wasነበርክሽ/neberksh/you were (f.sg., alt.)ነበርን/nebern/we wereነኝም/nenym/I am tooነበርሽ/nebersh/you were (f.sg.)ነበረበት/neberebet/it was there/at himከሆነውም/kehonewm/even from what happenedከሆነው/kehonew/from what happened / from what isሆኖም/honom/even though (it) was / although beingእንሆን/inhon/let’s be / we will beትሆናለህ/thonaleh/you (m.sg.) will beሊሆንም/lihonm/even to be / even to becomeትሆናለች/thonalech/she will beይሆናሉ/yhonalu/they will beእሆናለሁ/ihonalehu/I will beእንደሆነ/indehone/as it was / as it happenedትሆናለሽ/thonalesh/you (f.sg.) will beሊሆኑ/lihonu/to be / to become (they)ነበረችው/neberechw/she was (him/it)ነበርላችን/neberlachn/it was for usነበራቸውልኝ/neberachewlny/they were them for meነበርለማንኛውም/neberlemannyawm/there was none at allነበርው/neberw/it was for himነበርንም/nebernm/yet it existedነበራቸውለት/neberachewlet/they were them for herነበራትም/neberatm/she had it (too)ነበራቸውላቸው/neberachewlachew/they were them for themነበርዎ/neberwo/it was for you (polite)ነበራቸውላችሁ/neberachewlachhu/they were them for you (pl)ትሆናለዎት/thonalewot/she will be for you (formal)እሆናል/ihonal/I will beትሆናላችሁ/thonalachhu/she will be for you allትሆናለችም/thonalechm/she will not beእሆናለን/ihonalen/we will beእሆናለች/ihonalech/she will beትሆናለው/thonalew/she will be for himእሆናለው/ihonalew/he will beነበርዋለት/neberwalet/she has had it (for her)እሆናለት/ihonalet/she will be (for her)እንሆናለዎት/inhonalewot/we will be (for you, formal)ትሆናለት/thonalet/she will be for herይሆናሉና/yhonaluna/they will be, indeedእሆናለህ/ihonaleh/you will beትሆኑኝ/thonuny/you (pl) will be for meትሆናለኝ/thonaleny/she will be for meይሆናሉት/yhonalut/they will be itትሆኑለው/thonulew/you (pl) will be for himትሆኑ/thonu/you (pl) will be / they will beትሆኑን/thonun/you (pl) will be (object marker)ይሆናልና/yhonalna/for it will beትሆናሉ/thonalu/you (pl/formal) will beትሆኑለት/thonulet/you (pl) will be for herትሆኑላችሁ/thonulachhu/you (pl) will be for you (pl)ትሆናለን/thonalen/she will be for usትሆናልህ/thonalh/you (m) will beይሆናሉም/yhonalum/they will be (indeed)ይሆናሉናም/yhonalunam/and they will be (indeed)ይሆናልም/yhonalm/it will (indeed) beይሆኑናም/yhonunam/and they will be (indeed)ይሆኑለው/yhonulew/they will be for himይሆኑለን/yhonulen/they will be for usይሆናለት/yhonalet/she will be / for herይሆኑም/yhonum/they will (indeed) beይሆናለን/yhonalen/we will beይሆኑላቸው/yhonulachew/they will be for themይሆናልዎት/yhonalwot/you will be (polite)ይሆናልኝ/yhonalny/it will be for meይሆኑን/yhonun/they will be (object‑focused)ይሆናለው/yhonalew/he will be / it will beይሆናላችሁ/yhonalachhu/you (pl) will beእሆንም/ihonm/I will be (indeed)እሆንብለህ/ihonbleh/I will be for youእሆንብለው/ihonblew/I will be for himእንሆንናም/inhonnam/we will be then (indeed)እሆንልህ/ihonlh/I will be for you (m.sg.)እሆንልሃለሁ/ihonlhalehu/I will be for youእሆንለት/ihonlet/I will be for herእንሆንማ/inhonma/shall we be then?እሆንለው/ihonlew/I will be for himእሆንለን/ihonlen/I will be for usእንሆንም/inhonm/we will be (indeed)እሆንናም/ihonnam/I will be then (indeed)እሆንና/ihonna/I will be thenእሆንላቸው/ihonlachew/I will be for themሆናሉ/honalu/they will be / they becomeሆኑና/honuna/and they became / and they didሆናለች/honalech/she will be / she becomesሆናለት/honalet/he will be / he becomesሆናለን/honalen/we will be / we becomeሆንኩ/honku/I became / I wasሆንህ/honh/you became (m.sg.)ሆኖአለን/honoalen/we have been / turned outሆኖነበረ/hononebere/it had been (he)ትሆን/thon/you will be / she will beሆንኩት/honkut/I did it / I made him/it becomeእሆንለዎት/ihonlewot/I will be for you (pl./pol.)ሆኖአልን/honoaln/we have been / turned outሆንሽ/honsh/you became (f.sg.)ሆኖአል/honoal/he has become / it has becomeእሆንለሁ/ihonlehu/I will be forእሆንለች/ihonlech/I will be for herናችን/nachn/we areትሆንለታለች/thonletalech/she will be for herናቸውም/nachewm/they are also / they are tooነውክን/newkn/are we?እንዳለሁ/indalehu/as I saidእንዲህሆኖ/indihhono/thusእንዳሉ/indalu/as they sayትሆናለችሁ/thonalechhu/you (pl.) will beነበሮት/neberot/it was for herእንዳይሆን/indayhon/so that it won’t beስንትሆናለች/snthonalech/how old will she beእንሆናለንም/inhonalenm/we will be (indeed)ሆነች/honech/she becameበመሆኑ/bemehonu/thereforeነበርአት/neberat/it was her / she wasከሆነማ/kehonema/if it is thenየሆነ/yehone/which is / that isየሚሆኑ/yemihonu/that will be (pl.)የሚሆን/yemihon/that will be / that can beቢሆናም/bihonam/even if it isከሆነም/kehonem/even if it is / if it is alsoሊሆናል/lihonal/it may beእስከሚሆን/iskemihon/until it becomesይሆኑና/yhonuna/for they will beሚሆን/mihon/that is/which isየሚሆኑት/yemihonut/those that areእሆናላቸው/ihonalachew/they will beስለሆነ/slehone/thereforeነበራትን/neberatn/but she had itይሁን/yhun/let it be / may it beስለነበር/sleneber/because it wasእንዳይሆናቸው/indayhonachew/so that they won’t becomeእየሆነ/iyehone/while becomingአሁንምሆኖ/ahunmhono/even now beingመሆናቸውን/mehonachewn/their beingለመሆን/lemehon/to beአይደለምና/aydelemna/because it is notትሆንለት/thonlet/she will be for himይሁንና/yhunna/however / but thenነበርኩህ/neberkuh/I was (to you)ነበርኩን/neberkun/we were / I was (emph.)ስላለ/slale/because there isሳይሆን/sayhon/instead of beingሆናል/honal/it has becomeእንደሌለ/indelayle/as if there is notነበርበት/neberbet/it was in/at itይሆን/yhon/it may beመሆናቸው/mehonachew/their beingመሆንና/mehonna/and/because beingእያለሁ/iyalehu/while I amካልሆነ/kalhone/if not / if it is notቢሆንም/bihonm/even ifባይሆን/bayhon/if it were notእሆናለዎት/ihonalewot/I will be for you (polite)ትሆኑለን/thonulen/you (pl) will be for usነበረን/neberen/we wereነበርች/neberch/she wasቢሆን/bihon/if it isሆኖአለች/honoalech/she has becomeሆኑት/honut/they became him/it / they did itአልነበረችም/alneberechm/she was notነበርላት/neberlat/she had it / it was for herነበርላቸው/neberlachew/she had them / it was for themነበርለት/neberlet/he had her / he had it (f.)ነበርለን/neberlen/we had it / it was for usነበርለው/neberlew/it was for himነበረባት/neberebat/she used to haveነውናቸው/newnachew/it is theyእያለች/iyalech/while she isእያሉ/iyalu/while they areትሆኑልኝ/thonulny/you (pl) will be for meእያለን/iyalen/while we areእያሉት/iyalut/while they/you (pol.) are itእያልተው/iyaltew/while they said/left itእየሆነኩ/iyehoneku/as I am becomingነበራችን/neberachn/we hadናት/nat/she isይሆኑኝ/yhonuny/they will be for meነበር/neber/wasአልሆንም/alhonm/I am not / it is notናቸው/nachew/they areነው/new/isሆነ/hone/becameመሆን/mehon/to beነበር/neber/he was / it wasነዎትም/newotm/you are (polite) tooእንዴትሆነ/indaythone/how is itእሆንበት/ihonbet/I will be in/at itነበርዎት/neberwot/you were (polite) / he was (polite)ይሆናላቸው/yhonalachew/they will be (polite/for them)ሆነ/hone/became / happenedነበረችን/neberechn/she was (we)እንዳልነበረ/indalnebere/as it wasn’tይሆኑ/yhonu/they will beትሆናላቸው/thonalachew/she will be for themነበርዋል/neberwal/she has had itነውና/newna/because it isሆናለሁ/honalehu/I will be / I becomeእሆናላችሁ/ihonalachhu/you will be (pl.)ነውታ/newta/is it she? / is she the one?ነበርነው/nebernew/it was him/itሆኖ/hono/being / having becomeነበራቸሁ/neberachehu/I had them / they hadይሆናል/yhonal/it will beሆኖች/honoch/they have becomeእሆናለሁም/ihonalehum/I will be (indeed)ነበርላችሁ/neberlachhu/it was for you (pl)ሆንኩኝ/honkuny/I became (myself) / I did (it to myself)ነበርም/neberm/it was also / it was (indeed)ነበራችንም/neberachnm/she was also us / she was ours tooትሆኑና/thonuna/you (pl) will be, you knowይሆኑላችሁ/yhonulachhu/they will be for you (pl)እንሆናላችሁ/inhonalachhu/we will be (for you pl.)እሆንልሽ/ihonlsh/I will be for you (f.sg.)ይሆናለች/yhonalech/she will beነውም/newm/it is alsoእሆን/ihon/I will beነበረች/neberech/she wasእንሆንና/inhonna/we will be thenትሆኑላት/thonulat/you (pl) will be for herሆኗል/honwal/has becomeመሆናችን/mehonachn/our beingሆኖነበር/hononeber/it had been (I)ነዉ/newu/isይሆናሉልህ/yhonalulh/they will become for youነበረው/neberew/he was / it was (him)ነበርክ/neberk/you were (m.)እንሆናለው/inhonalew/we will be (for him)ብሆን/bhon/if I amይሆኑለት/yhonulet/they will be for herእያለችሁ/iyalechhu/while you (pl.) areነበርለህ/neberleh/it was for you (m)እስከሆነ/iskehone/until (it) becameነበርኩት/neberkut/I was with him/her / I had him/herእሆንብለዋለሁ/ihonblewalehu/I will be for herነበርምም/nebermm/it existed (indeed)እያለ/iyale/while he is / as it isነበርዎም/neberwom/it was for you too (polite)ናችው/nachw/she is (polite)ነውናም/newnam/because it is alsoሆነውና/honewna/they have become (indeed)ሆነሽ/honesh/you became (f.sg.)እንሆናለት/inhonalet/we will be for herእንዳለ/indale/as it is saidነበረና/neberena/because he was / because it wasከሆነ/kehone/if it isስለሚሆን/slemihon/becauseእንዳልሆን/indalhon/so that I won’t beየሆንኩ/yehonku/that I wasትሆናልኝ/thonalny/you (m/f) will be for meይሆኑላት/yhonulat/they will be for herሆነህ/honeh/you became (m.sg.)ነበራችሁ/neberachhu/you (pl) hadትሆናል/thonal/she will be / it will beነበረብዎ/neberebwo/you had it (polite)ይሆኑታል/yhonutal/they will be (to her)እንዲሆኑ/indihonu/so that they becomeመሆንም/mehonm/also to beእንሆናላቸው/inhonalachew/we will be for themነበርልኝ/neberlny/I had it / it was for meእያሉኝ/iyaluny/while they/you (pol.) are to meበመሆኑም/bemehonum/thereforeትሆኑላቸው/thonulachew/you (pl) will be for themነበራቸውለን/neberachewlen/they were them for usይሆናልናም/yhonalnam/and it will be (indeed)እንድትሆን/indthon/so that you beነሱ/nesu/they areሊሆንልዎት/lihonlwot/may be for youትሆንላችሁ/thonlachhu/you (pl) will beነበረበትም/neberebetm/it was there/at him tooእንዴትሆናለታል/indaythonaletal/how will it beያልሆነ/yalhone/that is not / that which is notእያለኩ/iyaleku/while I was sayingነበርዋት/neberwat/she had it (emphatic)ሆነውም/honewm/and then they becameነበራችው/neberachw/she was them / it was (f.) themሆነ/hone/becameእሆናሉ/ihonalu/they will beሳለ/sale/while he wasእሆንልዎት/ihonlwot/I will be for you (polite/plural)ነበራቸውን/neberachewn/they were them (obj)ይሆኑት/yhonut/they will be it / for himይሆናሉኝ/yhonaluny/they will be for meእንዲሆንም/indihonm/so that it may beአይሆንም/ayhonm/it will not beነበርዋቸው/neberwachew/she had them / it was hers (pl.)ነበረብህ/neberebh/it was with you (m.sg.)እንሆናለን/inhonalen/we will beብትሆን/bthon/if you areነህ/neh/you are (to a man)ነህ/neh/you areነን/nen/we areነኝ/neny/I amነኝ/neny/I amነው/new/it is / isናችሁ/nachhu/you (pl.) areሆኜ/honyay/having becomeሆኖኛል/hononyal/it has become for meእሆንላችሁ/ihonlachhu/I will be for you allናት/nat/she is / it is (feminine form)
ነበሩ in example sentences
የሕዝቡ ድካም እና የጦርነት ርካሽ የቀኑ ነገር ነበሩ፣ ግን ተስፋ እንዳይጠፋ ይፈልግ ነበር።
The exhaustion of the people and the cheapness of war were the order of the day, but he wanted hope not to disappear.
ጨዋታዎቹ አስደሳች ነበሩ።
The games were exciting.
የተሰበሰቡ ሰዎች ብዙ ነበሩ።
The people who gathered were many.
ቀድሞ አዲስ አበባ ሲኒማ ብዙ ነበሩ።
There used to be many cinemas in Addis Ababa.
Frequently asked questions
What does ነበሩ mean in English?
ነበሩ (neberu) means "they were / he was (polite)" in English.
How do you pronounce ነበሩ?
ነበሩ is pronounced neberu.
What part of speech is ነበሩ?
ነበሩ is a verb in Amharic.
What is the dictionary form of ነበሩ?
ነበሩ is a form of መሆን (mehon), meaning "to be".
Learn ነበሩ in context.Gursha teaches Amharic through real conversations — script, sound, and the situations you'll actually use.