Phrases

100 everyday phrases, each at a slow and a natural pace
Draft phrasebook — pending native-speaker review. Wording and translations may still change.
Greetings & farewells
ሰላም
suh-lahm
sälam
hello
እንደምን አደርክ
ihn-duh-mihn uh-duh-rihk
əndämən adärk
good morning (to a man)
እንደምን አደርሽ
ihn-duh-mihn uh-duh-rihsh
əndämən adärsh
good morning (to a woman)
እንደምን አደሩ
ihn-duh-mihn uh-duh-roo
əndämən adäru
good morning (polite)
እንደምን ዋልክ
ihn-duh-mihn wah-lihk
əndämən walk
good afternoon (to a man)
እንደምን ዋልሽ
ihn-duh-mihn wah-lihsh
əndämən walsh
good afternoon (to a woman)
እንደምን አመሸህ
ihn-duh-mihn uh-muh-shuh
əndämən amäshäh
good evening (to a man)
ደህና ነህ?
duh-nah nuh?
dähna näh?
how are you? (to a man)
ደህና ነሽ?
duh-nah nuhsh?
dähna näsh?
how are you? (to a woman)
ደህና ነዎት?
duh-nah nuh-woht?
dähna näwot?
how are you? (polite)
ደህና ነኝ
duh-nah nuhny
dähna näny
I'm fine
አንተስ?
uhn-tuhs?
antäs?
and you? (to a man)
አንቺስ?
uhn-chees?
anchis?
and you? (to a woman)
ደህና ሁን
duh-nah hoon
dähna hun
goodbye (to a man)
ደህና ሁኚ
duh-nah hoo-nyee
dähna hunyi
goodbye (to a woman)
በኋላ እንገናኝ
buh-hwah-lah ihn-guh-nahny
bähwala ənəgänany
see you later
Meeting people
ስምህ ማን ነው?
sih-mih mahn nuhw?
səməh man näw?
what's your name? (to a man)
ስምሽ ማን ነው?
sih-mihsh mahn nuhw?
səməsh man näw?
what's your name? (to a woman)
ስሜ — ነው
sih-may — nuhw
səmé — näw
my name is — (say your name in the gap)
ከየት ነህ?
kuh-yuht nuh?
käyät näh?
where are you from? (to a man)
ከየት ነሽ?
kuh-yuht nuhsh?
käyät näsh?
where are you from? (to a woman)
ደስ ብሎኛል
duhs bih-loh-nyahl
däss bəlonyal
I'm happy; I'm pleased
ደክሞኛል
duhk-moh-nyahl
däkmonyal
I'm tired
እወድሃለሁ
ih-wuhd-hah-luh-hoo
əwädəhallähu
I love you (to a man)
እወድሻለሁ
ih-wuhd-shah-luh-hoo
əwädəshallähu
I love you (to a woman)
በጣም ጥሩ ነው
buh-t'ahm t'ih-roo nuhw
bät'am t'əru näw
that's very good
Courtesy
አመሰግናለሁ
uh-muh-suhg-nah-luh-hoo
amäsägənallähu
thank you
በጣም አመሰግናለሁ
buh-t'ahm uh-muh-suhg-nah-luh-hoo
bät'am amäsägənallähu
thank you very much
እባክህ
ih-bah-kih
əbakəh
please (to a man)
እባክሽ
ih-bah-kihsh
əbakəsh
please (to a woman)
እባክዎ
ih-bahk-woh
əbakəwo
please (polite)
ይቅርታ
yih-k'ihr-tah
yəqərta
sorry; excuse me
ምንም አይደለም
mih-nihm uhy-duh-luhm
mənəm aydälläm
you're welcome; it's nothing
ችግር የለም
chih-gihr yuh-luhm
chəgər yälläm
no problem
እንኳን ደህና መጣህ
ihn-kwahn duh-nah muh-t'ah
ənkwan dähna mät'ah
welcome (to a man)
እንኳን ደህና መጣሽ
ihn-kwahn duh-nah muh-t'ahsh
ənkwan dähna mät'ash
welcome (to a woman)
Food & restaurant
ሜኑ እባክዎ
may-noo ih-bahk-woh
ménu əbakəwo
the menu, please (polite)
ምን አለ?
mihn uh-luh?
mən allä?
what do you have?
ውሃ እፈልጋለሁ
wih-hah ih-fuhl-gah-luh-hoo
wəha əfälləgallähu
I'd like water
አንድ ውሃ እባክዎ
uh-nihd wih-hah ih-bahk-woh
and wəha əbakəwo
one water, please (polite)
አንድ ቡና እባክህ
uh-nihd boo-nah ih-bah-kih
and buna əbakəh
one coffee, please (to a man)
ሻይ እባክሽ
shahy ih-bah-kihsh
shay əbakəsh
tea, please (to a woman)
እንጀራ እፈልጋለሁ
ihn-juh-rah ih-fuhl-gah-luh-hoo
ənjära əfälləgallähu
I'd like injera
ስጋ አልበላም
sih-gah uhl-buh-lahm
səga albälam
I don't eat meat
የጾም ምግብ አለ?
yuh-ts'ohm mih-gihb uh-luh?
yäts'om məgəb allä?
is there fasting (vegan) food?
በጣም ጣፋጭ ነው
buh-t'ahm t'ah-fahch' nuhw
bät'am t'afach' näw
it's delicious
ራበኝ
rah-buhny
rabäny
I'm hungry
ጠማኝ
t'uh-mahny
t'ämany
I'm thirsty
በቃኝ አመሰግናለሁ
buh-k'ahny uh-muh-suhg-nah-luh-hoo
bäqany amäsägənallähu
I've had enough, thank you
ሂሳቡን እባክዎ
hee-sah-boon ih-bahk-woh
hisabun əbakəwo
the bill, please (polite)
Making yourself understood
አማርኛ አልችልም
uh-mahr-nyah uh-lih-chih-lihm
amarənya alchələm
I don't speak Amharic
ትንሽ አማርኛ እችላለሁ
tih-nihsh uh-mahr-nyah ihch-lah-luh-hoo
tənish amarənya əchəlallähu
I speak a little Amharic
አማርኛ እየተማርኩ ነው
uh-mahr-nyah ih-yuh-tuh-mahr-koo nuhw
amarənya əyätämarku näw
I'm learning Amharic
እንግሊዝኛ ትችላለህ?
ih-nihg-leez-nyah tihch-lah-luh?
ənglizənya təchəlalläh?
do you speak English? (to a man)
እንግሊዝኛ ይችላሉ?
ih-nihg-leez-nyah yihch-lah-loo?
ənglizənya yəchəlallu?
do you speak English? (polite)
አልገባኝም
uhl-guh-bah-nyihm
algäbanyəm
I don't understand
ገባኝ
guh-bahny
gäbany
I understand; got it
እባክህ ቀስ ብለህ ተናገር
ih-bah-kih k'uhs bih-luh tuh-nah-guhr
əbakəh qäs bəläh tänagär
please speak slowly (to a man)
እባክዎ ቀስ ብለው ይናገሩ
ih-bahk-woh k'uhs bih-luhw yih-nah-guh-roo
əbakəwo qäs bəläw yənagäru
please speak slowly (polite)
እባክህ ድገመው
ih-bah-kih dih-guh-muhw
əbakəh dəgämäw
please say it again (to a man)
ይህ ምን ማለት ነው?
yih mihn mah-luht nuhw?
yəh mən malät näw?
what does this mean?
በአማርኛ እንዴት ይባላል?
buh-uh-mahr-nyah ihn-dayt yih-bah-lahl?
bä-amarənya əndét yəbalal?
how do you say it in Amharic?
Getting around
የት ነው?
yuht nuhw?
yät näw?
where is it?
መጸዳጃ ቤቱ የት ነው?
muh-ts'uh-dah-jah bay-too yuht nuhw?
mäts'ädaja bétu yät näw?
where is the toilet?
አውቶቡስ ጣቢያው የት ነው?
uhw-toh-boos t'ah-bee-yahw yuht nuhw?
awtobus t'abiyaw yät näw?
where is the bus station?
ቀጥታ ይሂዱ
k'uht'-tah yih-hee-doo
qät'əta yəhidu
go straight (polite)
ወደ ቀኝ
wuh-duh k'uhny
wädä qäny
to the right
ወደ ግራ
wuh-duh gih-rah
wädä gəra
to the left
ቅርብ ነው?
k'ih-rihb nuhw?
qərb näw?
is it near?
ሩቅ ነው?
rook' nuhw?
ruq näw?
is it far?
እዚህ ያቁሙ
ih-zeeh yah-k'oo-moo
əzih yaqumu
stop here (polite — for a taxi)
ጠፋሁ
t'uh-fah-hoo
t'äfahu
I'm lost
Shopping & bargaining
ስንት ነው?
sih-niht nuhw?
sənt näw?
how much is it?
ዋጋው ስንት ነው?
wah-gahw sih-niht nuhw?
wagaw sənt näw?
what's the price?
ውድ ነው
wihd nuhw
wədd näw
it's expensive
እባክህ ቀንስ
ih-bah-kih k'uh-nihs
əbakəh qänəs
bring the price down, please (to a man)
እወስደዋለሁ
ih-wuhs-duh-wah-luh-hoo
əwäsdäwallähu
I'll take it
አልፈልግም
uhl-fuh-lih-gihm
alfälləgəm
I don't want it
እየተመለከትኩ ነው
ih-yuh-tuh-muh-luh-kuht-koo nuhw
əyätämäläkätku näw
I'm just looking
ገንዘብ የለኝም
guhn-zuhb yuh-luh-nyihm
gänzäb yällänyəm
I don't have money
Time & plans
ስንት ሰዓት ነው?
sih-niht suh-aht nuhw?
sənt sä'at näw?
what time is it?
ዛሬ ምን ቀን ነው?
zah-ray mihn k'uhn nuhw?
zaré mən qän näw?
what day is it today?
ነገ እንገናኝ
nuh-guh ihn-guh-nahny
nägä ənəgänany
see you tomorrow
አሁን መሄድ አለብኝ
uh-hoon muh-hayd uh-luh-bihny
ahun mähéd alläbəny
I have to go now
ቆይ እባክህ
k'ohy ih-bah-kih
qoy əbakəh
wait, please (to a man)
ዘግይቻለሁ
zuh-gihy-chah-luh-hoo
zägyəchallähu
I'm running late
ጊዜ አለህ?
gee-zay uh-luh?
gizé alläh?
do you have time? (to a man)
በኋላ እመጣለሁ
buh-hwah-lah ih-muh-t'ah-luh-hoo
bähwala əmät'allähu
I'll come later
Emergency & health
እርዳታ!
ihr-dah-tah!
ərdata!
help!
እባክዎ ይርዱኝ
ih-bahk-woh yihr-doony
əbakəwo yərduny
please help me (polite)
ሐኪም እፈልጋለሁ
huh-keem ih-fuhl-gah-luh-hoo
hakim əfälləgallähu
I need a doctor
ሆስፒታሉ የት ነው?
hohs-pee-tah-loo yuht nuhw?
hospitalu yät näw?
where is the hospital?
ታምሜያለሁ
tahm-may-yah-luh-hoo
tamméyallähu
I'm sick
ፖሊስ ይደውሉ
poh-lees yih-duhw-loo
polis yədäwlu
call the police (polite)
አደጋ ነው
uh-duh-gah nuhw
adäga näw
it's an emergency
መድኃኒት እፈልጋለሁ
muhd-hah-neet ih-fuhl-gah-luh-hoo
mädhanit əfälləgallähu
I need medicine
Phone & internet
ዋይፋይ አለ?
wahy-fahy uh-luh?
wayfay allä?
is there Wi-Fi?
የዋይፋይ የይለፍ ቃል ምንድን ነው?
yuh-wahy-fahy yuhy-luhf k'ahl mih-nih-dihn nuhw?
yäwayfay yäyəläf qal məndən näw?
what's the Wi-Fi password?
ስልክ ቁጥርህ ስንት ነው?
sih-lihk k'oo-t'ih-rih sih-niht nuhw?
səlk qut'ərəh sənt näw?
what's your phone number? (to a man)
ባትሪዬ አልቋል
baht-ree-yay uhl-k'wahl
batriyé alqwal
my battery is dead