50 Essential Amharic Phrases Every Traveler Should Know
Planning a trip to Ethiopia? Master these essential Amharic phrases to navigate greetings, food ordering, directions, shopping, and emergency situations with confidence.
Why Learn Amharic for Your Ethiopia Trip?
Ethiopia is a land of incredible diversity, ancient history, and warm hospitality. While English is spoken in major tourist areas, knowing some Amharic phrases will transform your travel experience. Locals deeply appreciate when visitors make an effort to speak their language, and even basic phrases can open doors to authentic interactions, better prices at markets, and unforgettable connections.
Amharic (አማርኛ) is Ethiopia's official language, spoken by over 30 million people as their first language and many more as a second language. The phrases in this guide will help you in Addis Ababa, the Omo Valley, Lalibela, Gondar, and throughout most of Ethiopia.
Greetings & Basic Courtesy
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ሰላም | Selam | Hello / Peace |
| ታዲያስ | Tadyas | Hi (informal) |
| እንደምን አደርክ/አደርሽ | Endemin aderk/adersh | How are you? (m/f) |
| ደህና ነኝ | Dehna negn | I am fine |
| አመሰግናለሁ | Ameseginalehu | Thank you |
| እባክህ/እባክሽ | Ebakeh/Ebakesh | Please (m/f) |
| ይቅርታ | Yikirta | Sorry / Excuse me |
| ምንም አይደል | Minem aydel | You're welcome / No problem |
| ደህና ሁን/ሁኚ | Dehna hun/hugn | Goodbye (m/f) |
| እንዴት ነህ/ነሽ? | Endet neh/nesh? | How are you? (casual m/f) |
Directions & Transportation
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ወዴት ነው? | Wedet new? | Where is it? |
| ቀኝ | Qegn | Right |
| ግራ | Gira | Left |
| ቀጥ ብለህ/ብለሽ ሂድ | Qet bileh/bilesh hid | Go straight (m/f) |
| ቅርብ ነው? | Qirb new? | Is it close? |
| ሩቅ ነው? | Ruq new? | Is it far? |
| ታክሲ | Taksi | Taxi |
| አውቶቡስ | Awtobus | Bus |
| አየር ማረፊያ | Ayer marefia | Airport |
| ሆቴል | Hotel | Hotel |
Food & Dining
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| እርቦኛል | Irbognal | I am hungry |
| ጠማኝ | Temmagn | I am thirsty |
| ምግብ ቤት | Migib bet | Restaurant |
| ሜኑ አለ? | Menu ale? | Is there a menu? |
| ኢንጀራ | Injera | Injera (Ethiopian bread) |
| ውሃ | Wiha | Water |
| ቡና | Buna | Coffee |
| ጣፋጭ ነው! | Tafach new! | It's delicious! |
| ሂሳብ | Hisab | Bill / Check |
| ቅምሻ | Qimsha | Tip |
Shopping & Numbers
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ስንት ነው? | Sint new? | How much is it? |
| ውድ ነው | Wid new | It's expensive |
| ቅናሽ አለ? | Qinash ale? | Is there a discount? |
| እወዳለሁ | Ewedalehu | I like it |
| አልፈልገውም | Alfeligewim | I don't want it |
| ይሄን እፈልጋለሁ | Yihen ifelgalehu | I want this |
| ብር | Birr | Birr (currency) |
| ገበያ | Gebeya | Market |
| ሱቅ | Suq | Shop / Store |
| መቀየሪያ | Meqeyeriya | Change (money) |
Emergency & Help
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| እርዳታ! | Irdata! | Help! |
| ዶክተር | Dokiter | Doctor |
| ሆስፒታል | Hospital | Hospital |
| ፖሊስ | Polis | Police |
| አደጋ! | Adega! | Danger! |
| ታመምኩ | Tamemku | I am sick |
| ጠፋሁ | Tefahu | I am lost |
| ኢምባሲ | Imbasi | Embassy |
| ስልክ | Silk | Phone |
| ፋርማሲ | Farmasi | Pharmacy |
Numbers 1-10
አንድ
And
ሁለት
Hulet
ሶስት
Sost
አራት
Arat
አምስት
Amist
ስድስት
Sidist
ሰባት
Sebat
ስምንት
Simint
ዘጠኝ
Zetegn
አስር
Asir
Tips for Speaking Amharic
Gender Matters
Many Amharic words have different forms for male (m) and female (f) addressees. When in doubt, the male form is often used as a default in casual situations.
Emphasize Respect
Using "እባክህ" (please) and "አመሰግናለሁ" (thank you) frequently shows respect and will make your interactions much smoother.
Don't Fear Mistakes
Ethiopians are incredibly patient and encouraging with language learners. Your effort to speak Amharic will be met with warmth, not criticism.
Practice the Script
While you can get by with transliteration, learning to recognize Ge'ez letters will help you read signs, menus, and directions.
Start Practicing Today
The best way to learn these phrases is through regular practice. Use our free Amharic keyboard to practice typing these phrases, or try our typing testto build muscle memory. The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel using Amharic during your travels.
Remember, language learning is a journey, not a destination. Even knowing just a few phrases will make your Ethiopia trip more meaningful and memorable. መልካም ጉዞ! (Melkam guzo! - Have a good trip!)
Practice Amharic Typing
Use our free online keyboard to practice typing these phrases and build your Amharic skills.
Try the Keyboard