Language/Amharic/Vocabulary/Time-and-Numbers

Amharic → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Everyday Life Vocabulary → Time and Numbers

Introduction

In this lesson, we will dive into the fascinating world of time and numbers in the Amharic language. Understanding how to tell time and count numbers is essential for everyday communication, whether you are planning a meeting, asking for directions, or simply trying to express quantities. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid foundation in both time-related vocabulary and numerical counting in Amharic.

Time and Numbers in Amharic

Telling Time

Telling time in Amharic follows a similar format to the English language. The basic structure is "hour + minutes + time indicator." Here are some examples:

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
አንድ ሰዓት	and sä'ät	one o'clock
ሁለት ሰዓት	hulet sä'ät	two o'clock
ሦስት ሰዓት	sost sä'ät	three o'clock
አራት ሰዓት	arat sä'ät	four o'clock
አምስት ሰዓት	amist sä'ät	five o'clock
ስድስት ሰዓት	sädissät sä'ät	six o'clock
ሰባት ሰዓት	säbat sä'ät	seven o'clock
ስምንት ሰዓት	s'imenät sä'ät	eight o'clock
ዘጠኝ ሰዓት	zet'egn sä'ät	nine o'clock
አስር ሰዓት	asirä'ät sä'ät	ten o'clock
አሥር ሰዓት	assir sä'ät	eleven o'clock
ደቂቃ ሰዓት	dek'iq sä'ät	twelve o'clock
ሃምሳ ሰዓት	hamsa sä'ät	one o'clock (afternoon)

To express minutes, simply add the number of minutes after the hour. For example:

• አንድ ሰዓት አንድ ደቂቃ (and sä'ät and dek'iq) - "one o'clock one minute"
• ሦስት ሰዓት አስር ደቂቃ (sost sä'ät asir dek'iq) - "three o'clock four minutes"

To indicate specific minutes, use the word " ደቂቃ" (dek'iq) for "minute" followed by the number of minutes.

For half past the hour, use the phrase " ስምንት ደቂቃ" (s'imenät dek'iq). For example:

• ሰባት ሰዓት ስምንት ደቂቃ (säbat sä'ät s'imenät dek'iq) - "seven o'clock thirty minutes"

To express quarter past the hour, use the phrase " ቀጠን" (ket'en). For example:

• ሁለት ሰዓት ቀጠን (hulet sä'ät ket'en) - "two o'clock fifteen minutes"

To express quarter to the hour, use the phrase " ቀኝ" (k'en). For example:

• ሰባት ሰዓት ቀኝ (säbat sä'ät k'en) - "seven o'clock forty-five minutes"

Counting Numbers

Counting numbers in Amharic is relatively straightforward. Here are the numbers from one to ten:

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
አንድ	and	one
ሁለት	hulet	two
ሦስት	sost	three
አራት	arat	four
አምስት	amist	five
ስድስት	sädissät	six
ሰባት	säbat	seven
ስምንት	s'imenät	eight
ዘጠኝ	zet'egn	nine
አስር	asirä	ten

To form numbers from eleven to nineteen, simply combine the number "ten" (አስር - asirä) with the number from one to nine. For example:

• አስር አንድ (asirä and) - "eleven"
• አስር ሁለት (asirä hulet) - "twelve"
• አስር ሦስት (asirä sost) - "thirteen"
• አስር አራት (asirä arat) - "fourteen"
• አስር አምስት (asirä amist) - "fifteen"
• አስር ስድስት (asirä sädissät) - "sixteen"
• አስር ሰባት (asirä säbat) - "seventeen"
• አስር ስምንት (asirä s'imenät) - "eighteen"
• አስር ዘጠኝ (asirä zet'egn) - "nineteen"

For multiples of ten, simply combine the number from two to nine with the word "አስር" (asirä). For example:

• ሁለት አስር (hulet asirä) - "twenty"
• ሦስት አስር (sost asirä) - "thirty"
• አራት አስር (arat asirä) - "forty"
• አምስት አስር (amist asirä) - "fifty"
• ስድስት አስር (sädissät asirä) - "sixty"
• ሰባት አስር (säbat asirä) - "seventy"
• ስምንት አስር (s'imenät asirä) - "eighty"
• ዘጠኝ አስር (zet'egn asirä) - "ninety"

To form numbers above twenty, simply combine the multiple of ten with the number from one to nine. For example:

• ሦስት አስር አንድ (sost asirä and) - "thirty-one"
• ስድስት አስር ሁለት (sädissät asirä hulet) - "sixty-two"

Cultural Insights

Amharic, as the official language of Ethiopia, plays a crucial role in the country's cultural heritage. The ability to tell time and count numbers in Amharic is not only practical but also allows for a deeper understanding of Ethiopian traditions and customs.

In Ethiopian culture, time is often perceived differently than in Western cultures. Punctuality is highly valued, especially in urban areas, where it is considered disrespectful to arrive late for appointments or meetings. However, in rural areas, time is often more fluid, and people may have a more relaxed attitude towards punctuality.

Numbers also hold cultural significance in Ethiopia. In Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, certain numbers are considered sacred. For example, the number seven symbolizes completion and perfection and is often associated with the creation of the world and the days of the week. The number twelve is significant in Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church liturgy, representing the twelve apostles.

Additionally, Ethiopian traditional beliefs and practices often incorporate numerology. Numbers are believed to have spiritual meanings and can influence various aspects of life, including relationships, health, and prosperity.

Practice Exercises

Now it's time to put your knowledge into practice! Complete the following exercises to reinforce your understanding of telling time and counting numbers in Amharic.

Exercise 1: Telling Time Translate the following times into Amharic:

1. Five o'clock 2. Ten thirty 3. Three fifteen 4. Seven forty-five 5. Twelve noon

Exercise 2: Counting Numbers Translate the following numbers into Amharic:

1. Twenty-two 2. Forty-eight 3. Sixty-five 4. Ninety-nine 5. One hundred

Exercise 1 Solutions: 1. አምስት ሰዓት (amist sä'ät) 2. አስር ሰዓት ስምንት ደቂቃ (asirä sä'ät s'imenät dek'iq) 3. ሦስት ደቂቃ ቀጠን (sost dek'iq ket'en) 4. ሰባት ሰዓት ቀኝ (säbat sä'ät k'en) 5. ደቂቃ ሰዓት (dek'iq sä'ät)

Exercise 2 Solutions: 1. ሁለት አስር (hulet asirä) 2. አራት ሰባት አስር (arat säbat asirä) 3. ስድስት ስምንት (sädissät s'imenät) 4. ዘጠኝ አስር ዘጠኝ (zet'egn asirä zet'egn) 5. መቶ (met'o)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have completed the lesson on time and numbers in Amharic. By mastering the ability to tell time and count numbers, you are equipped with essential skills for everyday communication in Amharic-speaking contexts. Keep practicing and building upon your knowledge, and soon you will be able to confidently navigate conversations and express quantities in Amharic.

Table of Contents - Amharic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Amharic Alphabet

• Fidel and Syllables
• Pronunciation and Phonetics

  ---

Basic Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Days of the Week and Months
• Colors and Shapes
• Family and Relationships

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses
• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Prepositions and Conjunctions

  ---

Everyday Vocabulary

• Food and Drinks
• Clothing and Accessories
• Weather and Seasons
• Travel and Transportation
• Hobbies and Leisure

  ---

Intermediate Sentence Structure

• Negation and Questions
• Imperatives and Requests
• Expressing Possession
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Advanced Vocabulary

• Professions and Work
• Health and Body
• Education and Learning
• Nature and Environment
• Technology and Communication

  ---

Ethiopian Culture and Traditions

• Ethiopian Holidays and Festivals
• Ethiopian Cuisine
• Ethiopian Music and Dance
• Ethiopian History and Heritage

Sources

• Amharic - Wikipedia
• LEARNING AMHARIC: English to Amharic, Alphabet tracing, Colors ...
• Pin auf My First Book of Amharic words

Other Lessons

• Education
• Asking Someone Who is Sick or Injured What is Wrong
• Sports
• Vegetables
• Asking for Help
• Numbers
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Phrases to Reject Sexual Advance
• Idiomatic Expressions
• Telephone Conversations