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Revision as of 21:40, 18 March 2023
As an experienced Amharic language teacher, I understand how important it is for beginners to master the basics. One of the most critical elements of learning any language is to start with its alphabets. In this lesson, I will introduce you to the Amharic alphabets and guide you through their pronunciation.
Introduction
Amharic is one of the prominent Semitic languages, along with Arabic and Hebrew. It is the second-most spoken Semitic language after Arabic and is the official language in Ethiopia. The Amharic script belongs to the Ge'ez alphabet. It has a total of 33 characters and uses a Fidäl (Etiopic-Ge'ez) script.
Amharic Alphabets
Amharic alphabets consist of 33 characters, and each character represents a consonant sound. However, unlike the English language, Amharic vowels are not separate letters but are signs that are written in conjunction with the consonants. So, it can also be thought of as a purely consonantal alphabet with an inbuilt vowel system.
The Consonants
Here is a table showing the 33 consonant sounds in Amharic:
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ሀ | "ha" | like 'ha' in 'happy' |
| ሁ | "hu" | like 'hu' in 'hut' |
| ሂ | "hi" | like 'hi' in 'hit' |
| ሃ | "haa" | like 'ha' in 'heart' |
| ሄ | "he" | like 'he' in 'hell' |
| ህ | "h" | has no equivalent sound in English; similar to the ch in loch (Scottish) |
| ሆ | "hoh" | like 'ho' in 'home' |
| ለ | "le" | like 'le' in 'let' |
| ሉ | "lu" | like 'lu' in 'lullaby' |
| ሊ | "li" | like 'li' in 'lift'. |
| ላ | "la" | like 'la' in 'land'. |
| ሌ | "le" | like 'le' in 'let'. |
| ል | "l" | has no equivalent sound in English and is pronounced by placing the tongue on the gum ridge while exhaling. |
| ሎ | "lo" | like 'lo' in 'lone'. |
| ሐ | "ha" | like 'h' followed by 'a' |
| ሑ | "hu" | like 'h' followed by 'u' |
| ሒ | "hi" | like 'h' followed by 'i' |
| ሓ | "haa" | like 'h' followed by 'aa' |
| ሔ | "he" | like 'h' followed by 'e' |
| ሕ | "h" | like 'h' followed by silence |
| ሖ | "hoh" | like 'h' followed by 'o' |
| መ | "me" | like 'me' in 'met' |
| ሙ | "mu" | like 'mu' in 'mug' |
| ሚ | "mi" | like 'mi' in 'milk' |
| ማ | "ma" | like 'ma' in 'mat' |
| ሜ | "mee" | like 'me' in 'meet' |
| ም | "m" | has no equivalent sound in English, but it is pronounced with the lips closed and the vocal cords relaxed. |
| ሞ | "mo" | like 'mo' in 'moment' |
| ሠ | "se" | like 'se' in 'set' |
| ሡ | "su" | like 'su' in 'sugar' |
| ሢ | "si" | like 'si' in 'sit' |
| ሣ | "sa" | like 'sa' in 'sat' |
| ሤ | "se" | like 'se' in 'set' |
| ሥ | "s" | has no equivalent sound in English, but it is pronounced by hissing while releasing the air out. |
| ሦ | "so" | like 'so' in 'son' |
The Vowels
The vowels in Amharic are denoted using various symbols called Fidel. These symbols are combined with the consonants to create different sounds. Here are the seven vowel sounds in Amharic:
| Fidel | Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ሀ | ሀ | "a" | like 'a' in 'father' |
| ሁ | ሁ | "u" | like 'oo' in 'boot' |
| ሂ | ሂ | "i" | like 'ee' in 'see' |
| ሃ | ሃ | "ää" | pronounced by widening the mouth slightly more than the "a" sound. |
| ሄ | ሄ | "e" | like 'e' in 'bet' |
| ህ | ህ | "ə" | the pronunciation of this vowel is similar to that of the unstressed 'e' in modern English words such as easy or engage. |
| ሆ | ሆ | "o" | like 'o' in 'open' |
Amharic vowel symbols have various forms and are placed either above, below, or beside the consonant they are combined with. Thus, they can add to the complexity of the language when learning to read and write in Amharic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, learning the Amharic alphabet is essential when embarking on your journey to learn the language. Once familiar with the Amharic alphabets and their pronunciation, you will be able to read and write basic words and sentences. Take time to practice consistently and seek assistance from a competent teacher. In the next lesson, we will learn how to introduce ourselves and identify pronouns in Amharic.
Related Lessons
- Using the Conditional
- Asking If and Saying Whether It Is “Suitable” or Not
- “to be” and “to have”
- Expressing Obligation or Necessity
- The Possessive Adjectives
- Complex Sentence
- How to Use Have
- Using the Subjunctive
- Basic Prepositions and Adverbs
Sources
- Amharic - Wikipedia
- Amharic Global Live Virtual Course
- Basic Amharic A Teaching Amharic Edition (Download Only ...