Useful Ethiopian Words and Phrases to Know (Amharic Travel Guide)
Learning a new language is not always easy, but even a small effort to learn basic greetings in Amharic can go a long way. Locals truly appreciate it, and it often earns you a warm smile and a friendlier experience throughout your trip in Ethiopia.
Below is a simple, practical guide to essential Amharic words and phrases you can use while traveling.
🙋♂️ Basic Greetings & Everyday Phrases
- Hello = Selam
- Yes = Awo
- No = Aydelem
- Thank you = Ameseginalew (Ame-seginalew)
- Sorry = Aznalehu
- I don’t understand = Alegebagnim
- You are welcome = Minim Aydel
- Excuse me = Yikirta
- Please = Ebakih (male) / Ebakish (female)
- No problem = Chigr Yelem
How are you?
- How are you? = Dehina neh? (male) / Dehina nesh? (female)
- I’m fine = Dehina Negni
- I’m not well = Dehina Aydelehum
🌅 Time-Based Greetings
- Good morning = Dehina Aderu
- Good afternoon = Dehina Walu
- Good evening = Dehina Ameshu
- Good night = Dehina Eder
- Goodbye = Dehina Hunu
🗣️ Basic Conversation
- What is your name? = Simih manew? (male) / Simish manew? (female)
- My name is… = Sime ___ new
- Do you speak English? = Englizegna tichilaleh? (male) / tichiyalesh? (female)
- I don’t speak Amharic = Amharigna menager alichilm
- Where are you from? = Yet hager neh?
- I come from… = Ke ___ new yemetahut
❓ Useful Question Words
- Where? = Yet?
- What? = Mini?
- When? = Meche?
- How? = Endet?
- Why? = Lemin?
🚗 Travel & Places
- Hotel = Hotel
- Airport = Awroplan marefiya
- Market = Gebeya
- Church = Bete Kirstian
- Museum = Museum
- Police station = Police Tabiya
- Bus station = Awtobus Tera
- Bathroom = Mestedaja / Metatebiya
- Restaurant = Migb Bet
- Post office = Posta Bet
⏰ Time Words
- Now = Ahun
- Today = Zare
- Tomorrow = Nege
- Morning = Tewat
- Afternoon = Ke seat
- Night = Mata
- Sun = Stehay
- Rain = Zinab
- Rainy season = Kiremt
- Dry season = Bega
👨👩👧 People & Family
- I = Ene
- You = Ante
- He = Esu
- She = Esua
- They = Enesu
- Man = Wend
- Woman = Set
- Baby = Lij
- Father = Abat
- Mother = Enat
- Person = Sew
- King = Nigus
- Husband = Bal
- Wife = Mist
🧭 Directions & Transport
- Where is ___? = ___ yet new?
- Go straight = Ketita hid
- Go left = Wede gira hid
- Go right = Wede k’egni hid
- Stop = Kum
- Nearby = Kirb
- Bus = Autobis
- Car = Mekina
- Bicycle = Bisklet
- Airplane = Auroplan
- Minibus = Minibus
🛍️ Shopping & Prices
- How much is this? = Sint new?
- Very expensive = Wid new
- Can you reduce the price? = Kenis
- I want this = Yihen efeligalehu
- I like it = Wedjewalehu
- I don’t like it = Alwededkutim
- It’s too small = Tinish new
- It’s too big = Tilk new
- That’s cheap = Erikash new
- Just a moment = Yikirta and gize
🔢 Basic Numbers
- 1 = And
- 2 = Hulet
- 3 = Sost
- 4 = Arat
- 5 = Amist
- 6 = Sidist
- 7 = Sebat
- 8 = Simint
- 9 = Zetegni
- 10 = Asir
- 20 = Haya
- 30 = Selasa
- 40 = Arba
- 50 = Hamsa
- 100 = Meto
- 1,000 = And Shi
🍽️ Restaurants & Food
- Restaurant = Migb Bet
- Café = Café
- Water = Wiha
- Bread = Dabo
- Meat = Siga
- Chicken = Doro
- Egg = Enkulal
- Rice = Ruz
- Vegetarian = Atkilt bicha
- Salt = Chew
- Oil = Zeit
- Sugar = Sikuar
- Milk = Wetet
- Beer = Birra
- Cheers = Le tenachin
- Hungry = Erabegni
🚨 Emergency Phrases
- Help me = Erdata efelgalhu
- I’m lost = Tefabigni / Tefahu
- I’m hurt = Gudat
- Call an ambulance = Ambulance dewil
- Where is the hospital? = Hospitalu yet new?
- Where is the police station? = Police Tabiya yet new?