Amharicአማርኛ

selam

Hello; peace

The universal Amharic greeting, literally meaning peace.

tena yistilign

Hello (formal)

A formal greeting, literally may He give you health on my behalf.

endemen neh

How are you? (m)

Asking a man how he is; to a woman say endemen nesh.

dehna negn

I am fine

The standard reply to how are you.

dehna hun

Goodbye (be well)

A farewell to a man, literally be well; to a woman, dehna hugni.

chaw

Bye

A casual goodbye borrowed from Italian ciao, very common in Ethiopia.

ameseginalehu

Thank you

The standard expression of gratitude.

minim aydelem

You're welcome

The reply to thanks, literally it is nothing.

yikirta

Sorry; excuse me

An apology, also used to get someone's attention politely.

awo

Yes

An affirmative answer.

aydelem

No; it is not

A negative answer.

ishi

Okay

The all-purpose Ethiopian word for okay, agreed, fine.

simie ... new

My name is

Used to introduce yourself by name.

des bilognal

Pleased to meet you

Said when meeting someone, literally it has pleased me.

enkuan dehna metah

Welcome

Welcoming a man; to a woman, enkuan dehna metash.

melkam edil

Good luck

A wish for success, literally good fortune.

letenachin

Cheers

A toast, literally to our health.

algebagnem

I don't understand

A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.

and

One

The number one.

hulet

Two

The number two.

sost

Three

The number three.

arat

Four

The number four.

amist

Five

The number five.

sidist

Six

The number six.

sebat

Seven

The number seven.

simint

Eight

The number eight.

zetegn

Nine

The number nine.

asir

Ten

The number ten.

meto

Hundred

The number one hundred.

shi

Thousand

The number one thousand.

zare

Today

The present day.

nege

Tomorrow

The day after today.

tilant

Yesterday

The day before today.

ahun

Now

At the present moment.

se'at

Hour; clock; time

An hour or clock; Ethiopian time counts from sunrise, six hours apart from Western time.

dekika

Minute

A period of sixty seconds.

samint

Week

A period of seven days.

amet

Year

A period of twelve months; the Ethiopian calendar has thirteen months.

beteseb

Family

A group of people related by blood or marriage.

inat

Mother

A female parent.

abat

Father

A male parent.

wendim

Brother

A male sibling.

ihit

Sister

A female sibling.

wend lij

Son; boy

A male child.

set lij

Daughter; girl

A female child.

ayat

Grandparent

A grandfather or grandmother; gender is added when needed.

bal

Husband

The man a woman is married to.

mist

Wife

The woman a man is married to.

lij

Child

A young person; plural lijoch.

gwadegna

Friend

A person you know well and like.

wend

Man; male

An adult male person.

set

Woman; female

An adult female person.

astemari

Teacher

A person who teaches.

temari

Student

A person who studies at school or university.

gorebet

Neighbor

A person who lives next to or near you.

sew

Person

A human being; plural sewoch.

wiha

Water

The clear liquid essential for life.

shay

Tea

A hot drink made from tea leaves, often spiced.

buna

Coffee

Coffee — born in Ethiopia; the coffee ceremony is the heart of hospitality.

injera

Injera

The spongy teff flatbread that is Ethiopia's staple, plate, and cutlery in one.

dabo

Bread

A baked food made from flour and water.

ruz

Rice

A grain eaten as food.

siga

Meat

The flesh of animals; kitfo and tibs are famous meat dishes.

doro

Chicken

A chicken; doro wat, spicy chicken stew, is the festive national dish.

asa

Fish

An animal that lives in water, eaten as food.

inkulal

Egg

An egg laid by a hen.

atkilt

Vegetables

Plants grown for food; fasting days make Ethiopia rich in vegetable dishes.

frafre

Fruit

Sweet plant foods such as mangoes and bananas.

mango

Mango

A sweet tropical fruit.

wetet

Milk

A white drink produced by cows.

chimaki

Juice

A drink made from pressed fruit; layered avocado juice is a treat.

sikuar

Sugar

A sweet substance added to food and drinks.

chew

Salt

A white substance used to season food.

kurs

Breakfast

The first meal of the day.

misa

Lunch

The meal eaten in the middle of the day.

irat

Dinner

The meal eaten in the evening.

tej

Honey wine (tej)

Ethiopia's golden honey wine, served in round flasks called berele.

ayer marefia

Airport

A place where airplanes take off and land.

awroplan

Airplane

A flying vehicle with wings and engines.

babur

Train

A connected line of carriages; Addis Ababa has Africa's first light rail.

tabiya

Station

A place where trains or buses stop for passengers.

awtobus

Bus

A large road vehicle; blue-and-white minibuses rule Addis streets.

taksi

Taxi

A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.

hotel

Hotel

A place where travelers pay to stay overnight.

migib bet

Restaurant

A place where you pay to eat, literally food house.

ketema

City; town

A large town where many people live and work.

geter

Countryside; village

Rural areas outside the city.

menged

Road; way

A way for vehicles and people.

pasport

Passport

An official document needed for traveling abroad.

tiket

Ticket

A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.

karta

Map

A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.

bank

Bank

A place where people keep and borrow money.

gebeya

Market

A place where goods are sold; Merkato in Addis is Africa's largest open market.

guzo

Journey; trip

The act of traveling to a place.

tsehay

Sun

The star that gives Earth light and warmth.

chereka

Moon

The bright object seen in the sky at night.

kokeb

Star

A point of light visible in the night sky.

semay

Sky

The space above the earth where clouds and stars appear.

baher

Sea; lake

A large body of water; Bahir Dar means sea shore, on Lake Tana.

wenz

River

A large natural stream; the Blue Nile springs from Ethiopia.

terara

Mountain

A very high hill; the Simien Mountains are a world heritage site.

den

Forest

A large area covered with trees.

zaf

Tree

A tall plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves.

abeba

Flower

The colorful blossom of a plant; Addis Ababa means new flower.

zinab

Rain

Water that falls from clouds; the big rains come June to September.

beredo

Snow; ice

Frozen water; hail and ice share the same word in Amharic.

nefas

Wind

Moving air that you can feel.

ayer

Weather; air

The condition of the air, or the air itself.

insisa

Animal

A living creature; Ethiopia has unique wildlife like the gelada and walia ibex.

anbessa

Lion

The lion, a national symbol of Ethiopia.

sewinet

Body

The whole physical structure of a person.

ras

Head

The top part of the body; also a historic noble title.

ayn

Eye

The part of the body used for seeing.

joro

Ear

The part of the body used for hearing.

afincha

Nose

The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.

af

Mouth

The part of the face used for eating and speaking.

ij

Hand; arm

The upper limb; eating injera by hand makes this word essential.

igir

Leg; foot

The lower limb; Ethiopia is famous for its long-distance runners.

lib

Heart

The organ that pumps blood, also used for feelings and courage.

tsegur

Hair

The hair on a person's head.

hod

Stomach; belly

The front part of the body below the chest.

hakim

Doctor

A person trained to treat sick people.

hospital

Hospital

A place where sick people are treated.

medhanit

Medicine

Something you take to treat an illness.

tena

Health

The condition of the body and mind; it greets you inside tena yistilign.

beshitegna

Sick person; patient

An ill person; amognal means I feel sick.

sira

Work; job

A job, or the activity of working.

dirijit

Company; organization

A business or organization.

biro

Office

A room or building where people work at desks.

aleka

Boss

The person in charge at work.

yesira balderaba

Colleague

A person you work with.

sibseba

Meeting

An occasion when people come together to discuss something.

genzeb

Money

Coins and banknotes; the Ethiopian currency is the birr.

demoz

Salary

The money you receive regularly for your work.

computer

Computer

An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.

silk

Telephone; phone

A device used for calling and messaging people.

muya

Profession; skill

The type of work a person is trained to do.

project

Project

A planned piece of work with a clear goal.

denbegna

Customer

A person who buys goods or services; also a loyal regular.

wul

Contract

A formal written agreement.

astedadari

Manager; administrator

The person who leads a company, office, or team.

fabrika

Factory

A building where goods are made with machines.

bahil

Culture

The art, customs, and traditions of a society.

tarik

History; story

The study of past events; Ethiopia's recorded history spans 3,000 years.

kwankwa

Language

A system of words; Ethiopia has more than 80 languages.

metsihaf

Book

Written pages bound together; Ge'ez manuscripts are centuries old.

muzika

Music

Sounds arranged in a pleasing way; Ethio-jazz is loved worldwide.

film

Film; movie

A story shown in moving pictures.

tibeb

Art; wisdom

Creative work; the same word means wisdom.

bete mezekir

Museum

A building where important objects are shown; Lucy lives in the National Museum.

be'al

Festival; holiday

A special day of celebration; Timkat and Meskel draw huge crowds.

haymanot

Religion

Belief in and worship of a god or gods.

mengist

Government

The group of people who rule a country.

zena

News

Reports about recent events.

hibreteseb

Society

People living together in an organized community.

limad

Custom; tradition

A custom passed down through generations.

mehon

To be; to become

To exist or to become something.

alegn

I have

Expresses possession; literally it exists to me.

mehed

To go

To move from one place to another.

memtat

To come

To move toward the speaker or a place.

meblat

To eat

To put food in your mouth; sharing from one plate is gursha culture.

metetat

To drink

To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.

mayet

To see

To notice something with your eyes.

mesmat

To hear; to listen

To notice sounds with your ears.

menager

To speak

To say words, to talk.

manbeb

To read

To look at words and understand them.

metsaf

To write

To form letters and words; Amharic uses its own fidel script.

megzat

To buy

To get something by paying money.

meshet

To sell

To give something in exchange for money.

madreg

To do; to make

To perform an action or create something.

mesrat

To work; to make

To do a job, or to make something.

masseb

To think

To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.

mefeleg

To want; to look for

To desire something, or to search for it — one verb for both.

mewded

To love; to like

To feel deep affection for someone or enjoy something.

memar

To learn

To gain knowledge or skill.

maweq

To know

To have information or skill in your mind.

mestet

To give

To hand something to someone.

mewsed

To take

To pick something up or accept it.

maginyet

To find; to get

To find something or obtain it.

merdat

To help

To make something easier for someone.

mejemer

To begin

To start doing something.

mecheres

To finish

To bring something to an end.

metegnat

To sleep

To rest with your eyes closed at night.

mekemet

To sit; to stay

To rest on a seat, or to stay somewhere.

tiru

Good

Of high quality or pleasant.

metfo

Bad

Of poor quality or unpleasant.

tilik

Big

Of great size.

tinish

Small; a little

Of little size; also means a little bit.

addis

New

Recently made; Addis Ababa means new flower.

arogit

Old (things)

Having existed for a long time; an old person is shimagile.

wetat

Young

Not old; also a noun meaning a youth.

rejim

Tall; long

Of great height or length.

achir

Short

Of little height or length.

muk

Hot; warm

Having a high temperature.

kezkaza

Cold

Having a low temperature; Addis nights are surprisingly cold.

fetan

Fast

Moving or happening quickly — like Ethiopia's marathon champions.

zegemtegna

Slow

Moving or happening without speed.

wid

Expensive; dear

Costing a lot; also means beloved in letters.

rikash

Cheap

Costing little money.

konjo

Beautiful

Very pleasing to look at — one of Amharic's favorite words.

kelal

Easy; light

Not difficult, or not heavy.

kebad

Difficult; heavy

Hard to do, or weighing a lot.

asfelagi

Important; necessary

Having great value or significance.

nitsuh

Clean; pure

Free from dirt.

tafach

Sweet; delicious

Having a pleasant taste.

tenkara

Strong; hard

Having great strength, or hard-working.

min

What

Used to ask about things.

man

Who

Used to ask about people.

yet

Where

Used to ask about places.

meche

When

Used to ask about time.

lemin

Why

Used to ask about reasons, literally for what.

indet

How

Used to ask about manner; also part of greetings.

sint

How much; how many

Used to ask about quantity or price.

yetinyaw

Which

Used to ask about a choice between things.

yeman

Whose

Used to ask about ownership.

ende

Really? (surprise particle)

Expresses surprise or asks for confirmation.

bet

House; home

A building where people live; appears in many compounds like migib bet.

kifil

Room; class

A room in a building, or a classroom.

wet bet

Kitchen

The room where food is prepared, literally stew house.

metatebia bet

Bathroom

The room for washing, literally washing house.

megnta kifil

Bedroom

The room where you sleep.

ber

Door; gate

The entrance to a room or building.

meskot

Window

An opening in a wall with glass that lets in light.

terepeza

Table

A piece of furniture with a flat top.

wenber

Chair

A seat with a back for one person.

alga

Bed

A piece of furniture for sleeping.

libs

Clothes

Things you wear; the white shamma is traditional dress.

chama

Shoes

Footwear.

kulf

Key

A metal object used to open locks.

televizhin

Television

A device for watching programmes and films.

mebrat

Light; lamp

A device that gives light; also electricity in everyday talk.

borsa

Bag

A container with handles for carrying things.

mestawet

Mirror; glass

A mirror, or glass as a material.

mabsel

To cook

To prepare food by heating it.

gizha

Shopping; purchase

The activity of buying things.

yesamint mecheresha

Weekend

The end of the week, Saturday and Sunday.

destegna

Happy

Feeling pleasure and joy.

desta

Joy; happiness

The feeling of being happy; also a popular name.

hazen

Sadness; grief

The feeling of being unhappy.

nidet

Anger

The feeling of strong displeasure.

firhat

Fear

The feeling of being afraid.

dikam

Tiredness

The state of needing rest; dekmognal means I am tired.

rehab

Hunger

The need to eat; rabegn means I am hungry.

tim

Thirst

The need to drink; temagn means I am thirsty.

chinket

Worry; anxiety

The feeling of being anxious.

meselchet

Boredom

The feeling that something is not interesting.

gugut

Eagerness; excitement

The feeling of eager anticipation.

megerem

Surprise; amazement

The feeling of wonder at something unexpected.

fikir

Love

A deep feeling of affection; fikir eskemekabir means love unto the grave.

tesfa

Hope

The feeling that something good will happen; also a common name.