Language/Amharic/Vocabulary/Time-and-Numbers
As a native speaker and Amharic language teacher for over 20 years, I am excited to help you learn the basics of telling time and counting numbers in Amharic! These everyday life vocabulary terms are important for communication, especially when traveling or living in Ethiopia.
Let's get started with some cultural information about time in Ethiopia. Ethiopians use a unique system for measuring time, which is based on a 12-hour cycle that starts at dawn, or 12:00 am. This means that 7:00 am in Amharic is "1 o'clock" and 7:00 pm is "7 o'clock". Additionally, Ethiopians don't use the terms "a.m." and "p.m." as often, but may use them when communicating to foreign visitors or in formal settings.
Now, let's dive into some basic Amharic time and number vocabulary:
Telling Time
To ask what time it is in Amharic, you can use the simple phrase "s'aat neh?", which means "what time is it?". Here are some common time-related vocabulary words and phrases:
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ሰዓት (sae'at) | say-ot | hour |
| አስራ (asar) | ah-sar | ten |
| ፈጣን (fet'ana) | fet-ah-nah | quarter |
| አንደምት (anidemit) | ah-ni-deh-mit | half |
| አስደስት (assedest) | a-seh-dehst | first |
| ሁለቱ (hulet'u) | hoo-leh-too | second |
| ሶስቱ (.sost'u) | sohs-too | third |
| አራቱ (aratu) | a-ra-too | fourth |
To form a complete sentence, you can use these phrases with numbers in the following structure: [Hours] + [Minutes] + [Phrases]. For example: "One o'clock" would be "አንድ ሰዓት" (anid s'at). "Two thirty" would be "ሁለት አንድ ሰዓት" (hulet'u anid s'at). Keep in mind that if the number of minutes is more than 30, you should add the phrase "huleti" which means "and a half". Here are some examples:
- 4:15 - አራት አስራ ፈጣን (aratu asar fet'ana)
- 5:45 - ስድስት አምስት አንድ ፈጣን ሁለት አስራ አራቱ (s'dist amist anid fet'ana hulet'u asar aratu)
- 10:30 - አስራ አምስት አንድ ሰዓት አንድ አንድምት (ah-sar amist anid s'at anid anidemit)
Counting Numbers
Now let's move on to counting numbers in Amharic. The Amharic number system is based on the Ge'ez script and has some unique characteristics. Here are the Amharic numbers from 1 to 10:
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| አንድ (anid) | ah-nid | one |
| ሁለት (hulet'u) | hoo-leh-too | two |
| ሶስት (.sost'u) | sohs-too | three |
| አራት (aratu) | a-ra-too | four |
| አምስት (amist) | ah-mist | five |
| ማርች (march) | mar-chih | six |
| ሰባት (sebat) | seh-baht | seven |
| ስልስ (s'lis) | slee-ss | eight |
| ዘጠኝ (z'teni) | zih-teh-nee | nine |
| አስራ (asar) | ah-sar | ten |
To say higher numbers, you just need to know the basics of adding and multiplying numbers. Here are some examples:
- 11 - አንድ፣ አስራ (anid, asar)
- 21 - ሃምስት አስራ (hamist asar)
- 56 - ማርች አምስት (march amist)
- 100 - መቶ (met'o)
Remember, practice makes perfect! Take some time to memorize these words and phrases and practice using them in context. You'll be a pro at telling time and counting numbers in Amharic in no time!
Related 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
Sources
- Amharic - Wikipedia
- LEARNING AMHARIC: English to Amharic, Alphabet tracing, Colors ...
- Pin auf My First Book of Amharic words