Afaarmiša has a sentence order of SOV.
The order of components in a noun phrase goes like this:
1. Nouns in genitive case, possessives
2. Adverbs modifying adjectival verbs
3. Adjectival verbs, (in relative clause)
4. Adjectival verbs with subject and object, (in relative clause)
5. Other relative clauses
6. Noun adjuncts
7. Prepositional phrase
8. Phrase head
Bayai uru saistisaža gonokin činyas sapaiya depolamčaroboža duirokin rum.
bad red DEF-bird-LOC rock-ACC throw-PPFV DEF-person DIST-house-LOC apple-ACC eat
The bad person who threw a rock at the red bird is at that house over there, eating an apple.
The question marker, yu, is placed at the beginning of a question clause. However, in casual speech this marker may be omitted. Any interrogative can be placed in the space that would normally be occupied by a subject or object.
Hamocasušahlun, čaroža korušas.
hungry-GER-ABL home-LOC go-PPFV
I went home because I was hungry.
Yu bahanhlun čaroža korušas?
Q why-ABL home-LOC go-PPFV
Why did you go home?
Negatives are formed by placing nuu(k) before a verb as a prefix.
Balsaža nuukoruško.
shop-LOC NEG-go-FUT
I will not go to the store.
Relative clauses are formed with the relative clause preceding the head noun.
Šomin rumalhurum sadamoč šoprotocaža korušahlurum.
meat-ACC eat-HAB DEF-man butcher-LOC go-HAB
The man who eats meat regularly goes to the butcher.
Time clauses are ended with the ablative suffix, -hlun, and place clauses are ended with the locative suffix, -(a)ža.
Haylosancamohlun, erenyataža gimgimuulas.
one_before_last_one-day-ABL stage-LOC dance-PIMPV
On the day before yesterday, I was dancing on a stage.
Conditionals are formed by placing the dependent clause, with a verb in the conditional mood, before the main clause, with a verb in future tense. This construction can be used for deductions or counterfactuals.
Vasaraža nuučirikukorušas, yu čam kokoruš?
outside-LOC NEG-cold-COND Q you go-FUT.PFV
If it's not cold outside, will you go?
Causatives are formed by placing an auxillary verb after the main verb. The auxillary verb to be used depends on the manner that the causer causes the object to perform an action.
Causer advises object: uracoio
→ Li unin barbacalin komiyoruracoias "I advised him to carry a weapon"
Causer forces object: jahunim
→ Li unin haplanuyahunimas "I forced him to jump"
Causer accidentally causes object: birayat
→ Li unin dihinbirayatas "I accidentally made him write"
Causer intentionally causes object: (u)labijat
→ Li unin dihinulabiyatas "I made him write on purpose"
Causer naturally causes object: bokatok
→ Li unin dihinbokatokas "I naturally made him write"
Causer causes object with effort: ganaric
→ Li unin dihinganaricas "I got him to write"
Subordinate conjunctions are placed after the gerund of the verb of the subordinate clause, followed by the main clause.
In the example below, the subordinate conjunction will be in bold.
Lim yayukarukin rumša bakhloro, patalanokin rumšunkin.
1PL.IN sweetsACC eat-GER before vegetableACC eat-NEC
Before we eat sweets, we should eat vegetables.