Language/Tigrinya/Vocabulary/Dining-Phrases

Tigrinya → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Food and Dining → Dining Phrases

Dining out can be a delightful experience, but it can be intimidating if you don't speak the language of the country you're in. In this lesson, you will learn useful Tigrinya phrases for dining, such as ordering food, asking for the bill, and expressing likes and dislikes. We will also cover some cultural information related to food and dining in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Key Vocabulary

Before diving into the dining phrases, let's take a look at some key vocabulary related to food and dining in Tigrinya:

Tigrinya	Pronunciation	English
ምግብ	mugib	Food
ወጥ	wat	Stew
ኮርና	kornna	Bread
ንብረት	nəbret	Butter
ብሔር	bəher	Salt
ጥሩ	t'iru	Pepper
ብላት	bl'at	Lettuce
ብርቱካን	brətukan	Spoon
እብሪት	'ebrit'	Fork
ክንፍል	kn'fəl	Knife

Note that Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine often involves eating with your hands using a large, sourdough flatbread called injera. While utensils are available in most restaurants, it's an experience to try eating with your hands using injera!

Dining Phrases

Now, let's learn some useful Tigrinya phrases for dining:

• ንምስትን ኣብ ወጥ ይምልከት? (N'mstn ab wat yimil'k'et?) - What stew do you recommend?
• ንብረትን ምንም ኣንበብ ብሎ ዝተጠበብ? (Nəbret'n mn'm anebib bl'o zet'ebbeb?) - Can I have some extra butter on my bread?
• ንጽግር፣ ወይ ብልቢ ዝርዝር ኣይትገዝምት (N'stgr, way bl'ibi zr'zr ayt'gzm'ti) - Excuse me, could I have the menu, please?
• ዘሎና ንጽግር ኢንግሊዛዊ ወይ ኪንረስ ይምልከት? (Zelona n'stgr inglizawi way kin'ris yimil'k'et?) - Do you have the menu in English or Spanish?
• ኩሉ ንጥቅም መስራት መመዝገብ ይችለን (Kullu n'tq'm m'srat m'mazg'eb yichil'lan) - We'd like to order now, please.
• ወይ ኣንበብ ኣቸው (Way anebib achaw) - Please bring us some water.
• ሓደ ኣብቲ ምብል ዘሎ ተመለስ (Hade abti mbl zelo temeles) - Can we have the bill, please?
• ክቡር ኣይሕረድን (K'bur aihriden) - The food was delicious!
• እቲ ክምልክ ኣይትግዴም (Eti k'mil'k aiyt'gadam) - I don't like this dish.

Note that Tigrinya uses honorifics to show respect to others, especially elders. When addressing a waiter or waitress, it's polite to use the word "uncle" (ኣቸው/achaw) or "aunt" (ወይስ/ways) in front of their name. For instance, "Uncle Ghebreab, can you please bring us some water?" would be "Achaw Ghebreab, way anebib yichawwan?"

Cultural Information

Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine is characterized by its unique blend of spices, which often includes cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric. Meat stews called wat are a staple of the cuisine, often made with beef, chicken, or lamb, and served with injera. Vegetarian dishes such as shiro (a chickpea stew) and fasolia (green beans stewed in tomato sauce) are also common.

Coffee is a central component of Eritrean and Ethiopian culture. Ethiopian coffee ceremonies involve the roasting, grinding, and brewing of coffee beans in front of guests, and signify hospitality and community. Eritrean coffee is typically served with popcorn or small cakes.

In both Eritrea and Ethiopia, dining is a communal experience. People often share dishes and eat with their hands, using injera to scoop up bites of stew. Eating out in Ethiopia and Eritrea is also affordable, with meals costing much less than in many other countries.

Practice

Now that you've learned some useful Tigrinya phrases for dining out, try practicing with a friend or partner. Take turns being the waiter or waitress and customer, and practice ordering food, asking for the bill, and expressing likes and dislikes. By the end of this lesson, you'll be ready to confidently dine out in Tigrinya-speaking countries, and you'll also have a deeper understanding of the culture and cuisine.

Table of Contents - Tigrinya Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Tigrinya Alphabet
• Pronunciation Rules

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Negation

  ---

Common Verbs and Actions

• Basic Verbs
• Everyday Actions

  ---

Asking Questions

• Question Words
• Yes/No Questions

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Phrases

  ---

Tigrinya Culture and Traditions

• Important Holidays
• Traditional Clothing

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Gender and Plurality
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Terms

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time, Place, and Manner

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Geography and History

• Geography of Eritrea and Ethiopia
• Historical Overview

Other Lessons

• Greetings
• Travel Phrases
• Telling Time
• Introducing Yourself
• Everyday Actions
• Animals
• Common Foods
• Colors
• Modes of Transportation
• Family Members

Sources

• Tigrinya Vocabulary - Food
• Tigrinya-English/ English-Tigrinya Dictionary & Phrasebook ...
• Tigrinya Vocabulary