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Reviewed August 4, 2026Review record: Codex source audit
This entry has been checked against the references below, but a named Somali reviewer has not yet certified its dialect, register, and natural usage. Verify important communication with a qualified speaker.
Translation
Somali meanings
Useful combinations
Common phrases with drink
Real usage
Example sentences
I need to drink water.
healthWaxaan u baahanahay inaan biyo cabo.[1]
Drink this water.
instructionBiyahan cab.[1]
She is drinking tea.
present actionShaah bay cabaysaa.[1]
We drank coffee this morning.
past actionSubaxan qaxwo ayaan cabnay.[1]
Do you want something to drink?
offerMa rabtaa wax aad cabto?[1]
The child does not drink milk.
negative sentenceIlmuhu caano ma cabo.[1]
Grammar
Grammar notes
Verb stem
Cab is the verb stem. In full sentences it changes with subject and tense: waan cabaa means I drink, waan cabay means I drank, and waan cabayaa means I am drinking.[2]
Object before verb
Somali often places the object before the verb. Biyo cab follows a water drink pattern, while English says drink water.[2]
Accuracy
Common mistakes
Using the command form for every sentence
Avoid: Aniga biyo cab.
Use: Anigu biyo ayaan cabaa.[1]
Cab alone can sound like a command. Add the right subject and tense marker for a full sentence.
Translating a drink too literally
Use: wax aan cabo[1]
For something to drink, Somali commonly uses a phrase meaning something I can drink.
Keep learning
Related Somali words and phrases
Questions
Questions about drink in Somali
How do you say drink in Somali?
The basic Somali verb for drink is cab.
How do you say drink water in Somali?
Drink water is biyo cab. In a full sentence, I drink water can be biyo ayaan cabaa.
Is cab a command or a verb stem?
Cab is the verb stem and can also be used as a command meaning drink. Context and sentence markers show the intended meaning.
Evidence
References checked
[1] Somali-English Dictionary (R. David Zorc)
Checked the lexical entries for cab, cabbid, and related drinking forms.
Open source ↗[2] Somali Textbook, Chapters 1-5 (Zorc and Issa)
Checked basic Somali sentence order and verb-pattern explanations.
Open source ↗
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