The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Somali language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Somali (Af-Soomaali) |
| I | aniga |
| you (singular) | adiga |
| he | asaga |
| we | anaga |
| you (plural) | idinka |
| they | ayaga |
| this | -kan |
| that | -kaas |
| here | inta |
| there | xaggaas |
| who | yaa kee |
| what | maxaa |
| where | xaggee |
| when | markee |
| how | see |
| not | ma- |
| all | dan |
| many | badan |
| some | xoogaa |
| few | wax yer |
| other | kale |
| one | kow hal |
| two | labo |
| three | sadex |
| four | afar |
| five | shan |
| big | weyn |
| long | dheer |
| wide | balaar |
| heavy | culeys |
| small | yar |
| short | gaaban |
| narrow | ciriiri |
| thin | caato |
| woman | naag |
| man (adult male) | nin |
| man (human being) | beni adam |
| child | cunug |
| wife | naag |
| husband | nin |
| mother | hooyo |
| father | aabo |
| animal | xoolo |
| fish | malay |
| bird | shimbir |
| dog | ay |
| louse | cinjir |
| snake | mas |
| tree | geed |
| forest | duur |
| stick | ul |
| fruit | miro furuut |
| seed | miro |
| leaf | caleen |
| bark (of a tree) | qolfo |
| flower | ubax |
| grass | caws |
| rope | xarig |
| skin | jir |
| meat | hilib |
| blood | diig |
| bone | laf |
| fat (noun) | baruur |
| egg | ukun |
| horn | gees |
| tail | seyn |
| feather | baal |
| hair | timo |
| head | madax |
| ear | deg |
| eye | il |
| nose | san |
| mouth | af |
| tooth | ilig |
| tongue (organ) | carab |
| fingernail | ciddi |
| foot | cag |
| leg | lug |
| knee | jilib |
| hand | gacan |
| wing | baal |
| belly | calool |
| neck | duun |
| back | dabar |
| breast | xabad |
| heart | wadno galb |
| liver | beer |
| to drink | cab |
| to eat | cun |
| to bite | qaniin |
| to suck | nuug |
| to spit | tuf |
| to vomit | matag |
| to blow | afuuf |
| to breathe | neefsan |
| to laugh | qosol |
| to see | arkid |
| to hear | maqlid |
| to know | ogaan |
| to think | fakarid |
| to smell | urin |
| to fear | baqid or baqdin |
| to sleep | hurdo |
| to live | noolaan |
| to die | diman |
| to kill | dilid |
| to fight | dagaal |
| to hit | ku dufan |
| to cut | jari |
| to split | qaybin |
| to stab | toogan |
| to scratch | xagan |
| to dig | qodid |
| to swim | dabaalan |
| to fly | duulid |
| to walk | socod |
| to come | imaan |
| to lie (as in a bed) | jiifsan |
| to sit | fariisan |
| to stand | staagin |
| to turn (intransitive) | leexan |
| to fall | daci |
| to give | siin |
| to hold | hay |
| to rub | marin |
| to wash | dhiqid |
| to wipe | tirtirid |
| to pull | jiidid |
| to push | riixi |
| to throw | tuuris |
| to tie | xirid |
| to sew | tolid |
| to count | tirin |
| to say | sheegid |
| to sing | heesid |
| to play | ciyaarid |
| to flow | soocan |
| to swell | barar |
| sun | qorrax cadceedeed |
| moon | dayax |
| star | xiddig |
| water | biyo |
| rain | roob |
| river | webi |
| sea | bad |
| salt | cusbo |
| stone | dagax |
| dust | bus |
| earth | caro |
| cloud | daruur cadhar |
| sky | cir samo |
| wind | dabayl |
| snow | baraf |
| ice | baraf |
| smoke | qiiq |
| fire | dab |
| ash | danbas |
| to burn | gubid |
| road | jid |
| mountain | buur |
| red | gaduud casaan |
| green | cagaar |
| yellow | huruud jaale |
| white | cadaan |
| black | madow |
| night | habeen |
| day | maalin |
| year | sanad |
| warm | dugsi |
| cold | qabow |
| full | buux |
| new | cusayb |
| old | duug |
| good | fiican |
| bad | xun |
| rotten | balal |
| dirty | wasakh |
| straight | toos |
| wet | qoyaan |
| dry | qalaayl |
| correct | sax |
| near | dhow |
| far | fog |
| right | midig |