Soft drink bottles in Ethiopia often have their names written in Amharic. This Coca-Cola bottle demonstrates how each Amharic character corresponds to a consonant and vowel pair in English. ኮ="co" ካ="ca" ኮ="co" ላ="la".

Amharic is the main language of north central Ethiopia.

Phrase list

Basics

Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice Just for the sake of being "friendly," please do not use the informal greetings with the elderly, dignitaries or generally with people who are not your friends. Respect for elderly and people with authority is paramount in Ethiopia. Therefore, in order not to give your acquaintance a wrong impression of yourself, make sure you adjust your behaviour according to the circumstances.

Hello. (formal)

Tena yistilign. (ጤና ይስጥልኝ )

Hello. (informal)

Selam. (ሰላም )

Hello. (informal between friends)

Halo. (ሃይ )

How are you? (respectful to elder)

Dehina newot? (ደህና ነዎት?)

How are you (informal, to a man)

Endemin-neh? (እንደምን ነህ? )

How are you (informal, to a woman)

Endemin-nesh? ( )

Fine, thank you.

Dehna Negn. ( )

What is your name? (to a man)

Simeh man naw? (ስምህ ማን ነው?)

What is your name? (to a woman)

Simish man naw? (ስምሽ ማን ነው?)

My name is ______ .

Sime ______ yibalal. ( _____ .)

Pleased to meet you.

siletewaweqin dess bilognal . (ስለተዋወቅን ደስ ብሎኛል)

Please.

Ebakih. (to a man) (እባክህ)

Please.

Ebakish. (to a woman) (እባክሽ)

Thank you (very much).

(Betam) ahmesugenalew. ((በጣም) አመሰግናለሁ )

You're welcome.

Minem Aydelem. (meaning 'no problem' 'ምንም አይደለም')

Yes.

awo. (አዎ )

No.

aye; aydelem. (አይ አይደለም)

OK.

ishi (እሺ )

Excuse me. (getting attention)

Yiqirta. (ይቅርታ )

Excuse me. Do you have a minute

Yiqirta, anda gazay ( ?)

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

Yiqirta. (ይቅርታ )

I'm sorry.

Yiqirta. (ይቅርታ )

Goodbye

Dehna hun. (to a man)

Goodbye

Dehna hugni. (to a woman)

Goodbye (informal)

Ciao. (Taken from Italian)

I can't speak name of language [well].

[ ]. ( [ ])

Do you speak English?

Englizegna tichilaleh? (to a man) (እንግሊዘኛ ትችላለህ ?)

Do you speak English?

Englizegna tichiyalesh? (to a woman) (እንግሊዘኛ ትችያለሽ ?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Englizegna yemichel sew ale? (እንግሊዘኛ የሚችል ሰው አለ ?)

Help!

! ( !)

Look out!

! ( !)

Good morning.

Dehna aderk (to a young man) (ደህና አደርክ?): Dehna aderu (Elderly man/ more formal) (ደህና አደሩ?)

Good morning.

Dehna adersh (to a woman) (ደህና አደርሽ?):Dehna aderu (Elderly woman/ more formal) (ደህና አደሩ?)

Good morning.

Dehna aderachu ( more than one person) (ደህና አደራቹ?)

Good evening.

Dehna ameshachu ( more than one person) (ደህና አመሻቹ?)

Good night.

Dehna eder. (pronounced Denadur)(to a man) (ደህና እደር)

Good night.

Dehna ederee. (pronounced Denaduree)(to a woman) (ደህና እደሪ)

Good night (to sleep)

. ( )

I don't understand.

Algebagnem. (አልገባኝም )

Where is the toilet?

Metatebiya bet yet new? (?)

Numbers

0 = Zero

1 = And

2 = Hoolet

3 = Sost

4 = Arat

5 = Amest

6 = Sidist

7 = Sebat

8 = Sement

9 = ZeTegn

10 = Aser

11 = Asra-and

12 = Asra-hoolet

20 = Haya

21 = Haya-and

30 = Selasa

40 = Arba

50 = Hamsa

60 = Silsa

70 = Seba

80 = Semanya

90 = ZeTena

100 = Meto

200 = Hoolet-meto

300 = Sost-meto

1000 = Shee

2000 = Hoolet-shee

Time

Clock time

The day starts at 1 se'at ke tewatu(o'clock in the morning) = 7am

2 se'at = 8am

3 se'at = 9am

4 se'at = 10am

5 se'at = 11am

6 se'at = 12pm

7 se'at = 1pm

8 se'at = 2pm

9 se'at = 3pm

10 se'at = 4pm

11 se'at = 5pm

12 se'at = 6pm

1 se'at ke'mishitu (o'clock in the evening) = 7pm

2 se'at = 8pm

3 se'at = 9pm

4 se'at = 10pm

5 se'at = 11pm

6 se'at ke'lelitu (o'clock in the night) = 12am

7 se'at = 1am

8 se'at = 2am

9 se'at = 3am

10 se'at = 4am

11 se'at = 5am

12 se'at = 6am

Days

Sunday = Ehood

Monday = Segno

Tuesday = Maksegno

Wednesday = Erob

Thursday = Hamoos

Friday = Arb

Saturday = Qdame

Months

September = Meskerem

October = Tikimt

November = Hidar

December = Tahisas

January = Tir

February = Yekatit

March = Megabit

April = Miyaziya

May = Ginbot

June = Senay

July = Hamle

August = Nehasie

Colors

Black = Tiqoor

White = NeCH

Red = Qey

Blue = Semayawi

Green = Arengwade

Yellow = BiCHa

Brown = Buna'aynet/Buna'ma

Purple = WeynTej

Pink = Rose

Orange = Bertukan

Baby blue = Wuhama semayawi

Dark blue = DemaQ semayawi

Transportation

Directions

Right = Qegn

Left = G'ra

Straight ahead = QeTita menged

Opposite = TeQarani/Feet'lefeet

Adjacent = ATegeb/Gon

Turn left = wede g'ra taTef(to a guy)/taTefi(to a girl)/taTefu (to more than one person or to an elderly)

Turn right = wede Qegn taTef(to a guy)/taTefi(to a girl)/taTefu (to more than one person or to an elderly)

Money

How much?

Sint new?

fifty c entice: hamsa santim money: genzeb

Eating

Bread (Ethiopian)

dabo

Curry

wet

Meat (red)

siga

Chicken

doro

Vegetable

ataklt

Spicy

qmemama

Mild

aletcha

Coffee shop

bunna bet

I am a vegetarian

Siga albuelam (literally, "I don't eat meat")

coffee with milk

Buna b'Wetet