Language/Amharic/Vocabulary/How-to-Say-Hello-and-Greetings

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🤗 Amharic Greetings for Everyday Life

ጤና ይስጥልኝ! Amharic Learners! 😃

➡ Do you want to learn how to say “Hello” in Amharic?

Greetings are an important part of any language because they allow you to connect and communicate with others. If you’re planning a trip to the country or are trying to learn Amharic, keep reading to discover some of the most important greetings.

Greeting plays a critical role in speeding up your assimilation to the community. Even though the way Ethiopians greet each other might differ slightly from region to region or place to place, it is always an important part of social interaction. Sometimes the greeting may extend to asking after families, cattle, sheep, crop yield, weather conditions, etc. It is also common, particularly in the countryside, to greet someone who you don’t know.

While greeting and taking leave, bowing, shaking hands and removing hats are common. Kissing one another’s cheeks is also practiced, especially upon meeting after an extended period of time. Using both hands when shaking hands with elders and officials indicates respect (the left hand to support the right forearm OR put both hands on the elder’s hand). Young people in Ethiopia will typically greet each other by shaking hands and bumping shoulders.

Raising the eyebrows is sometimes used to greet someone in a situation in which someone doesn’t want or is unable to talk, or in a situation in which the two people are very familiar with one another.

Upon the entry or arrival of elders or officials, it is customary to stand and say, nor (signifying welcome and respect). The person arriving would respond, በግዜር bägzer (lit. “by God”). Not leaving a seat for respected or elder people shows disrespect. Also, putting hands in your pockets while talking with elders shows disrespect.

Greetings can be replied to by saying እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን ïgziabher yïmmäsgän. A person will be happy if you call her or him by name while greeting.

Let’s get started! 🤗

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Time, Geometry, Time Words & Fruits.

Greetings[edit | edit source]

English	Amharic script	Latin script
general greeting	ጤና ይስጥልኝ	teanastëllën
informal greeting	ታዲያስ	tadiyaas
informal greeting	ሰላም	selam
morning greeting (respectful)	አንደምን፡አደሩ	indemin adderu
morning greeting, spoken to a man	እንደምን፡አደርክ	indemin adderk
morning greeting, spoken to a woman	እንደምን፡አደርሽ	indemin addersh
indet adderk: morning greeting, spoken to a man	እንዴት፡አደርክ?	indet adderk
morning greeting, spoken to a woman	እንዴት፡አደርሽ?	indet addersh
afternoon greeting (respectful)	አንደምን፡ዋሉ?	indemin walu
afternoon greeting, spoken to a man	እንደምን፡	indemin walk
afternoon greeting, spoken to a woman	እንደምን፡ዋልሸ?	indemin walsh
afternoon greeting, spoken to a man	እንዴት፡ዋልክ?	indet walk
afternoon greeting, spoken to a woman	እንዴት፡ዋልሸ?	indet walsh
evening greeting (respectful)	አንደምን፡አመሹ	indemin ameshu
evening greeting, spoken to a man	አንደምን፡አመሸህ?	indemin amesheh
evening greeting, spoken to a woman	አንደምን፡አመሸሸ?	indemin ameshesh
evening greeting, spoken to a man	እንዴት፡አመሸህ?	indet amesheh
evening greeting, spoken to a woman	እንዴት፡አመሸሸ?	indet ameshesh
how are you? spoken to a man	እንደምን፡አለህ፧	indemin alleh
how are you? spoken to a woman	እንደምን፡አለሸ፧	indemin allesh
how are you? spoken to a group	እንደምን፡አላችሁ፧	indemin allachihu
reply to እንደምን አለህ፧, እንደምን አለሸ፧, and እንደምን አላችሁ፧	ደህና፡ነኝ	dehna nenye
thank you	አመሰግናለሁ	ameseginalehugn
thank you very much	ጣም አመሰግናለሁኝ	betam ameseginalehugn
how are you? spoken to a man	ደህና፡?	dehina neh
how are you? spoken to a woman	ደህና፡ነሸ?	dehina nesh
how are you? spoken to a group	ደህና፡?	dehina newot
how are you? informal, spoken to a man	እንደምን፡ነህ?	indemin neh
how are you? informal, spoken to a woman	እንደምን፡ነሸ?	indemin nesh
how are you?, informal	እንዴት፡ነህ?	indet neh
welcome greeting spoken to a man	እንኳን፡ደህና፡መጣህ	inkuan dehna metah
welcome greeting spoken to a woman	እንኳን፡ደህና፡መጣሸ	inkuan dehna metash
welcome greeting spoken to a group of people	እንኳን፡ደህና፡መጡ	inkuan dehna metachu
name	ስም	səm
My name is ...	የኔ ስም... ነው	yäne səm ... näw
My name is ...	ስሜ ... ነው።	səme ... näw
madam	እሜቴ , እመቤት	əmäbet
miss	ወይዘሪት	wäyzärit
mister, sir	ጌታዬ , አቶ	ato
goodbye	ደኅና ይዋሉ , ቻው	chaw
best wishes	መልካም ምኞት
kiss	ሳመ	samä
kiss	መሳም	mäsam
please [for male]	እባክህ(ን)	ehbakahen
please [for female]	እባክሽ	ehbakesh
thanks	ምስጋና	amesegenalehu
yes	አዎ , አዎን	awon
no	አይ	ay
sorry	ይቅርታ	yəqərəta
Long time no see	ረጂም ጊዜ ከተለያየን።	räǧǧim gize kätäläyayän
Where are you from? spoken to a man	ከየት ነህ፧	käyät näh?
Where are you from? spoken to a woman	ከየት ነሽ፧	käyät näš?
Where are you from? formal	ከየት ኖት፧	käyät not?
Where are you from? spoken to a man	አንተ ከየት ነህ፧	antä käyät näh?
Where are you from? spoken to a woman	አንቺ ከየት ነሽ፧	anchi käyät näš?
Where are you from? formal	እርስዎ ከየት ኖት፧	ərswo käyät not?
I'm from ...	እኔ ከ ... ነኝ።	əne kä ... näň
I'm from ...	ከ ... ነኝ።	kä ... näň
Pleased to meet you	ስለተዋወቅን ደስ ብሎኛል	səlätäwawäqən däs bəloňňall
Goodbye informal	ቻው	chaw
Goodbye spoken to a man	ደህና ሁን	dähna hun
Goodbye spoken to a woman	ደህና ሁኚ	dähna hunyi
Goodbye spoken to a group of people	ደህና ሁኑ	dähna hunu
Good luck!	መልካም እድል - inf	mälkam əddəl
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	ለጤናችን	läṭenaččən
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	ለፍቅራችን	läfəqraččən
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	ለጓደኛነታችን	lägwadäňňannätaččən
Have a nice day	መልካም ቀን።	mälkam qän
Have a nice day - spoken to a man	መልካም ቀን ይሁንልህ።	mälkam qän yəhunəlləh
Have a nice day - spoken to a woman	መልካም ቀን ይሁንልሽ።	mälkam qän yəhunəlləš
Have a nice day - spoken to a group of people	መልካም ቀን ይሁንላችሁ።	mälkam qän yəhunəllaččhu
Have a nice meal - spoken to a man (eat!)	ብላ	bəla
Have a nice meal - spoken to a woman (eat!)	ብዪ	biy
Have a nice meal - spoken to a group of people (eat!)	ብሉ	bəlu
Have a nice meal (good feasting)	መልካም ምግብ	mälkam məgəb
Have a good journey	መልካም ጉዞ።	mälkam guzo
Have a good journey - spoken to a man	መልካም ጉዞ ይሁንልህ።	mälkam guzo yəhunəlləh
Have a good journey - spoken to a woman	መልካም ጉዞ ይሁንልሽ።	mälkam guzo yəhunəlləš
Have a good journey - spoken to a group of people	መልካም ጉዞ ይሁንላችሁ።	mälkam guzo yəhunəllaččhu
Christmas greetings	መልካም ገና	melikami gena
New Year greetings - spoken to a man	እንኳን አደረሰህ	ənkwan adärräsäh
New Year greetings - spoken to a woman	እንኳን አደረሰሽ	ənkwan adärräsäš
New Year greetings - formal	እንኳን አደረሱ	ənkwan adärräsu
New Year greetings - spoken to a group of people	እንኳን አደረሳችሁ	ənkwan adärräsaččhu
New Year greetings	እንኳን አብረው አደረሰን	ənkwan abräw adärräsän
Easter greetings	መልካም ፋሲካ	mälkam fasika
Birthday greetings	መልከም ልደት	mälkam lədät
Congratulations!	እንኳን ደስ አለዎ!	Inikwani desi ālewo!