How To Be Polite In English

Sida Loola Dhaqmo Ingiriisiga

Hi everyone, Anna English here, if you are passionate about learning English, click subscribe

Dhamaantiin waad salaaman tihiin, Anna Ingiriis halkan, haddii aad u jeceshahay barashada Ingiriisiga, guji rukumadda

and let’s do this together.

oo aan wada qabanno tan.

To be ‘polite’ means to have or show behaviour that is respectful and considerate to other

Inaad 'edeb leh' macnaheedu tahay inaad yeelato ama muujiso dabeecad xushmad iyo tixgelin ku leh

people. Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is a very basic way of being polite but as

dadka kale . Ku dhaha 'fadlan' iyo 'mahadsanid' waa hab aasaasi ah oo edeb leh laakiin sida

usual for the English language, it’s not always so simple.

caadiga ah luuqadda Ingiriiska, had iyo jeer ma aha wax fudud.

There are many situations, like at work or on the phone, when you might need to be polite

Waxaa jira xaalado badan, sida shaqada ama taleefanka, marka aad u baahan tahay inaad edeb ku

in English. Today, we’re going to focus on one a tense which you can use in these

muujiso Ingiriisiga. Maanta, waxaan diiradda saari doonnaa mid xiisad leh oo aad ugu adeegsan karto

situations. Now if tenses make you tense. Don’t panic, I have something special for

xaaladahaas. Hadda haddii xiisaduhu kaa dhigaan mid kacsan. Ha nixin, waxaan kuu hayaa wax qaas ah oo

you to relieve that tension. I have a FREE MINI COURSE: English Tenses 101, just provide

aad xiisaddaas ka yareyso. Waxaan haystaa KOORSAN MINI OO BILAASH AH: Ingiriisiga Saacadaha 101, kaliya ku bixi

your name and email address via the link below and I will send the course to you.

magacaaga iyo cinwaanka iimaylka adoo adeegsanaya xiriirka hoose waxaan kuu soo diri doonaa koorsada.

Right let’s look at how to be polite.

Xuquuqda aan eegno sida loo noqdo edeb.

Person 1: “Did you want sugar in your tea?” Person 2: “Did you need help with anything?”

Qofka 1: "Ma waxaad rabtay sonkor sonkorta ku jirta?" Qofka 2: "Wax caawimaad ah ma u baahnayd?"

Person 3: “Did you want to order a drink?”

Qofka 3: "Ma waxaad dooneysay inaad dalbato cabitaan?"

The past simple tense is used to discuss things that have already happened; they happened

Waqtiga fudud ee la soo dhaafay waxaa loo isticmaalaa in lagu gorfeeyo waxyaabaha horey u dhacay; waagii hore

in the past and are now finished. The past simple tense is formed using the past tense

ayay dhaceen hadana waa dhamaadeen. Waqtiga fudud ee la soo dhaafay ayaa la sameeyay iyadoo la adeegsanayo qaabkii hore

version of verbs. Here are some regular examples: 
Walk becomes

ee shaqalka. Waa kuwan qaar ka mid ah tusaalooyinka caadiga ah: Socodku wuxuu noqdaa

walked. “We walked around the park.” 
Live becomes lived. “I lived in London for a

socod. “Waxaan ku dhex lugeynay jardiinada.” Noloshu waxay noqotaa nolol. "Waxaan ku noolaa London muddo hal

year.”
Wait becomes waited. “I waited for the postman but he did not arrive.”

sano ah." Sug noqo mid la sugo. "Waxaan sugayay nin boosta ah laakiin ma uusan imaan."

Here are some irregular examples: 
Go becomes went. “We went to the cinema.”
Give

Waa kuwan tusaalayaal aan caadi ahayn: Go wuxuu noqdaa mid la tegey. "Waxaan aadnay shineemo." Bixinta

becomes gave. “I gave her my phone to call her dad.”
Do becomes did. “He did his

ayaa la siiyaa. "Waxaan siiyay taleefankayga si aan ugu waco aabaheed." Ma noqdaa ayaa la qabtay. Wuxuu qabtay shaqadiisii

homework.”

guriga. ”

This verb is the one that we’re going to be focusing on today: Did. ‘Did’ can be

Ficilkani waa midka aan maanta diirada ku saari doono: Ma sameysay. 'Did' ayaa loo

used in the interrogative form of the past simple tense. For example: “Did you see

isticmaali karaa qaabka su'aalaha ee xilligii fudud ee la soo dhaafay. Tusaale ahaan: “Ma aragtay

anything suspicious?”. That would refer to whether or not you have seen anything suspicious

wax laga shakiyo?”. Taasi waxay tilmaamaysaa haddii aad horay u aragtay wax shaki leh

in the past. However, sometimes this same sentence structure is used to ask about things

iyo in kale. Si kastaba ha noqotee, mararka qaarkood isla qaab-dhismeedka weedhan ayaa loo adeegsadaa in wax laga weydiiyo waxyaabaha

in the present. Person 1: “Did you want sugar in your tea?”
Person

xilligan jira. Qofka 1: "Ma waxaad rabtay sonkor sonkorta ku jirta?" Qofka

2: “Yes, I do.” Do you see the problem? The question is in

2: "Haa, waan sameeyaa." Dhibaatada ma aragtaa? Su'aashu waxay ku

the past tense, as if it is referring to a decision which was made earlier, but it really

jirtaa waqtigii la soo dhaafay, sida haddii ay u jeeddo go'aan horay loo gaadhay, laakiin dhab ahaantii

means ‘Do you want sugar in your tea?’. This happens a lot in English when somebody

macnaheedu waa 'Ma rabtaa sonkor ku jirta shaahaaga?'. Tani wax badan ayey ku dhacdaa Ingiriisiga marka qof

would like to be polite while asking someone if they ‘want’ or ‘need’ something.

jeclaan lahaa inuu edeb yeesho isagoo weydiinaya qof kale inuu 'doonayo' ama 'wax u baahan yahay'.

It can be used when talking about a desire or preference one has in the present.

Waa loo isticmaali karaa marka laga hadlayo rabitaan ama doorbid mid ka mid ah xilligan la joogo.

Person 1: “Did you need help with anything?”
Person 2: “No thank you. I think I understand.”

Qofka 1aad: "Wax caawimaad ah ma u baahnayd?" Qofka 2: “Maya mahadsanid. Waxaan u maleynayaa inaan fahmay. ”

Person 1: “Did you want to order a drink?”
Person 2: “Yes please. I’ll have a cup of coffee.”

Qofka 1: "Ma waxaad dooneysay inaad dalbato cabitaan?" Qofka 2: “Haa fadlan. Waxaan heli doonaa koob bun ah. ”

So why do we do it? Unfortunately, this is one of those times in the English Language

Marka maxaan u sameynaa? Nasiib darrose, tani waa mid ka mid ah waqtiyadaas Luqadda Ingiriisiga

when ‘we just do’! There is no logical or concrete reason why so many people do this

markii 'aan uun qabanno'! Ma jirto sabab macquul ah ama la taaban karo oo dad badani sidan u sameeyaan

but here is my guess and what many linguists believe to be true.

laakiin halkan waa malahayga iyo waxa ay aqoonyahanno badan oo afafku aaminsan yihiin inay run yihiin.

Often, when trying to be polite in British culture, we try to be as indirect as possible.

Badanaa, markaan isku dayeyno inaan edeb ku lahaanno dhaqanka Ingiriiska, waxaan isku dayeynaa inaan noqono dadban sida ugu macquulsan.

Saying ‘What do you want?’ is very direct. It puts a lot of emphasis on making an immediate

Isagoo leh 'Maxaad doonaysaa?' waa mid toos ah. Waxay culeys badan saareysaa sameynta go'aan

decision and on the listener being responsible or at fault. Instead you could say ‘Did

deg deg ah iyo dhagaystaha inuu mas'uul yahay ama khalad ku jiro. Taabadalkeed waxaad oran laheyd 'Wax ma

you want anything?’ Or ‘Did you need anything?’. Placing the question in the past tense makes

rabtay?' Ama 'Waxba ma u baahnayd?'. Ku dhajinta su'aasha waqtigii la soo dhaafay waxay ka dhigeysaa

it feel less immediate or pressing. By making the question less direct, you also make it

mid deg deg ah ama cadaadis la'aan ah. Adiga oo su'aasha ka dhigaya mid aan toos aheyn, waxaad sidoo kale ka dhigeysaa mid

feel less confrontational and more polite.

dareensiinaysa iskahorimaad la'aan iyo edeb badan.

There are other times when we use the past tense for present events in order to sound

Waxaa jira waqtiyo kale markaan u adeegsanno xiisadihii hore dhacdooyinka hadda taagan si aan uga dhawaajinno

more polite. Now we are talking about the past continuous tense.

edeb badan. Hadda waxaan ka hadleynaa waagii hore ee joogtada ahaa.

Person 1: “I was wondering if you could give me some advice.”

Qofka 1aad: "Waxaan isweydiinayay inaad talo isiin karto."

Person 2: “We were hoping you would stay for dinner.”

Qofka 2: "Waxaan rajeynaynay inaad casho sii joogi doontid."

Person 3: “I was thinking you could go to London.”

Qofka 3aad: "Waxaan filayay inaad London aadi karto."

The past continuous tense is made up of the pronoun, the verb ‘to be’ in the past

Xilligii la soo dhaafay ee isdaba jooga ah wuxuu ka kooban yahay magac u yaalka, falka 'to be' ee

tense (was or were) and a verb in the gerund form with an -ing ending. This is used to

waqtigi la soo dhaafay (wuxuu ahaa ama ahaa) iyo ficil ku jira qaabka 'gerund' oo leh dhammaad-dhamaadka. Tan waxaa loo adeegsadaa in

discuss something which is ongoing and temporary. Again, it is effective in ensuring politeness

laga wada hadlo wax socda oo ku meel gaar ah. Mar labaad, waxay wax ku ool u tahay hubinta edeb la'aanta

because it makes the sentence feel far less direct or the demand to feel less confrontational.

maxaa yeelay waxay ka dhigeysaa xukunka mid aad uga hooseeya tooska ama dalabka ah in la dareemo iska hor imaad yar.

For example: “Give me some advice” is a command, whereas “I was wondering if you

Tusaale ahaan: “talo isii” waa amar, halka “Waxaan isweydiinayay inaad

could give me some advice” is far more polite and indirect. Yes, it uses many more words

talo isiin karto” ayaa edeb iyo anshax la’aan ka sii fog. Haa, waxay isticmaashaa ereyo

and is more difficult to say but if you can master this lesson and use it in your everyday

badan oo ka adag wayna adagtahay in la dhaho laakiin hadaad casharkaan baran karto oo aad u adeegsan karto erayadaada maalinlaha

vocabulary, it will help you to sound more natural and polite.

ah, waxay kaa caawin doontaa inaad ka dhawaajiso dabiici iyo edeb badan.

Before you go, you’ve got some homework to do. I’d like you to write a short story,

Kahor intaadan aadin, waxaa lagaa rabaa cashar shaqo oo aad qabato. Waxaan jeclaan lahaa inaad qorto sheeko gaagaaban,

just one paragraph, which uses 3 examples of the past simple tense or the past continuous

hal cutub oo keliya, oo adeegsanaysa 3 tusaale oo ka mid ah waqtigii fudud ee la soo dhaafay ama waqtigii la soo dhaafay ee isdaba jooga ah ee

tense being used to make something sound more polite. I can’t wait to read your answers.

loo isticmaalay in wax ka muuqan edeb badan. Ma sugi karo inaan akhriyo jawaabahaaga.

Don’t forget to enrol on my FREE MINI COURSE: English Tenses 101 you will find the link

Ha iloobin inaad iska qorto koorsadayda MINI OO BILAASH AH: Ingiriisiga Saacadaha 101 waxaad ka heli doontaa xiriirka

below. You have been awesome, now have a great day.

hoose. Waad fiicneyd, hadda maalin fiican ayaad leedahay.