How to say .............. in Amarinya/Amharic

Noun phrase

Gender
Amharic nouns are marked for two genders: masculine and feminine. The feminine gender can also be used to express smallness, e.g. bet-it-u (house + feminine marker -it- + definite article -u). It can also be used to express intimacy.There are special words that indicate gender for people and animals, e.g., wänd hakim "male doctor," and set hakim "female doctor," awra doro "rooster" and set doro "hen."

Word order
Typical word order in Amharic is Subject - Object - Verb.

 

 

Pronunciation

e’: as in the ‘a’ in ago
ai: like bait
ie: like pie
o’: cross between the ‘oa’ in coat and ‘au’ in haul.
g: like the ‘g’ in Gweneth
kw: like ‘q’ in quick
ny: like the ‘ni’ in onion

Basics

Hello / Bye: teanaste’lle’n
Hello: Selam/tadiyass (informal)
How are you?: dehna neh? (m) / nesh (f) / nachu (pl)
I’m fine: dehna
See you: ciao (informal) Dehna hun (m) Dehna hugn (f) Dehna hunu (pl)
Yes: awo
OK: e’shi
No (not true): ie or idelem
No (not there): yellem
Please: e’bake’h (m) / e’bake’sh (f) / e’bakachu (pl)
Thank you: amesege’nallo’
Excuse me: yike’rta
Sorry: aznallo’
My name is…: se’mea…no’
I don’t understand: algebanye’m

Transport

Where is the…?: yeat…new’?
Airport: awroplan marefiyaw
Bus station: awtobe’s tabiyaw
City centre: mehal ketemaw
Train station: bebur tabiyaw
What time does the…arrive/leave?: … mechea yidersal/yinesal?
Boat: jelba Ship: merkeb
Bus: awtobus
Car: mekina
Train: babur

Around Town

Where is a/the…?: … yeat no’?
How do I get to…?: wede..e’ndeat e’headallo’?
Bank: bank
Hotel: hoteal
Market: gebeya
Post office: posta beat

Food

Breakfast: kurs
Lunch: me’sa
Dinner: e’rat
Bread: dabbo
Salad: selata
Soup: merek/soup
Water: wuha
Milk: wetet
Tea: shai
Coffee: buna
Sugar: se’kuar

Numbers

1: and
2: hulett
3: sost
4: arat
5: ame’st
6: se’de’st
7: sebat
8: se’me’nt
9: zeteny
10: asse’r

 Around the house

 

Kids/Children: Lijoche

Boy: wende lig

Girl: seth lig

Man: Wende

Woman: seth

Please: enakesh (f) ebakhe(m) ebakachehu (pl)

Enough: beka

Stop: erefie(f) erefe(m) erefu(pl)

Come: neye(f) na(m) nu(pl)

Eat: beye(f) bela(m) belu(pl)

Bed: alga

Dress: kemise

Pant: surie

Undergarment: yewest surie

Good-night: dehna ederie(f) dehna edere(m) dehnaederu(pl)

Good-morning: dehna adershe(f) dehna aderke(m) dehna aderachehu(pl)

Good-afternoon: dehna arefedshe(f) dehna arefedke(m) dehna arefedachehu(pl)

Home-work: yebate sera

School: timehert bate

Home: bate

I love you: ewedshalehu(f) ewedehalhu(m) ewedachehualhu(pl)

I love you (opposite sex) afekreshalhu(f) afekrehalhu(m)

Love: fikere

Joy: desta

Tears:emba

Birthday: Lideat

Happy Birthday:  Melkam Lideat

Church: Bate Christian

New: addis

Old: aroge

Nice: tiru

Mother: enat

Father: abat

Sister:ehete

Brother: wendem

Uncle: agot

Aunt: akiste

Baby: hesan(hetsan)

Mommy: emaye/ema/emama/mamma/

Daddy: abaye/aba/ababa/ababie