Ethiopia: The Amharic Language

Amharic is the national language of Ethiopia. It belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family which includes Arabic, Hebrew and Assyrian. Although other languages are spoken in Ethiopia Amharic is the most widely used and understood.

It is always a great sign of respect and courtesy for visitors to make an attempt to learn the local language.   So we are strongly encouraging you to learn as much of the language as possible for you.  We all learn languages at different levels of effort so to give you some motivation...

We are having a "Learn Amharic" contest!

The rules are simple:

1. learn as many USEFUL phrases as possible
2. upon arrival in the initial parts of the project the leadership team will judge who has come equipped with the most useful phrases in Amharic.

The Prize is a $25 iTunes gift card  (you can download some of your favorite Ethiopian music)

So get buzy!  We have provided numerous resources-phrase lists, links to audio/video Amharic learning tools, and of course the motivation - no not the prize - the amazing reaction you will be sure to get when you speak your perfect Amharic to your new local friends!

Amharic Resources

Getting started...

Amharic phrase list

Amharic links:

• Here is an instructive youtube video (it takes a little bit to start up)    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=512Y81UG71E
• Also there are many other related videos listed to the right of this one.
• Here is a website that has a newsletter and sells learning products:   http://www.amhariconline.com/
• An Amharic on-line dictionary  http://www.amharicdictionary.com/2.0/Default.aspx
• http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/language/ethiopian-amharic-phrases.html

Amharic music links:

http://www.addiszefen.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cve6yEW1OFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBK-UWI8q2k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpibZLbCdDU&feature=related

 

Amharic spiritual phrase/words

Amharic / English Four-Spiritual Laws booklet (pdf) ; this booklet is in a pdf format.  If you print it out front and back it will create 3 booklets with English on the left page and Amharic on the right page.  We don't expect you to learn the Amharic but we do want you to be very familiar with the English Four-Laws.

Hello- salam

Good bye- chow

 

Thank you- ahm’a’say gen’a’low

I thank you too- ah’nem am’a’say gen’a’low

My name is- sem’ee

What is your name- sem’ee manu (when asking male)

sem’esh manu (when asking female)

 

What do you study- yim’in tam’ari’neh (for male)

yim’in tam’ari’nesh (for female)

 

Excuse me- yiK’ir’tah (hit the k sound hard)

No problem- chiger’yell’um

I don’t understand- ah’low’K

 

Yes- ah’woo

No- i’del’em

Here-zee

There- zah

Now- ah’hoon

Later- boh’halah

 

Not Interested- ah’fell’eh’goom

Too much- beh’tam beh’zoo (has strong emphasis)

Don’t want- yell’yell’ew

My/mine- yeh’neh

All- hoo’loo

None- man’im

*good to know when shopping, or trying to avoid buying something

 

I like- wha’del’oh

I don’t like- ah’wah’dem

Beautiful- Kon’jo (hard k)

God- Ex’ah’bih’er

Jesus- Yah’soos

Holy Spirit- Man’fess Ked’oos

Savior- Ah’dang

Friend- Gwad’enya

Is- now

Jesus is my friend – Yah’soos (Jesus) yeh’neh (my) gwad’enya (friend) now (is)

Love- fliK’er

God is love- Ex’ah’bir’er (God) fliK’er (love) now (is)

Heart-lip/b (the p and b sound are mixed together, starts sounds like p, ends like b)

Relationship- gen’yoon’yan’et

Sin-had’yet

All People- sah’hoo’loo

World- ah’lem

Separated- tal’ey’ya (male)

tal’ey’ech (female)

Church- be’tah Christian

Christian- Christian