Language/Amharic/Vocabulary/Greetings-and-Introductions
Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia and is spoken by more than 25 million people worldwide. Learning Amharic can open doors to Ethiopian culture and help you communicate with people in Ethiopia and other Amharic-speaking communities.
In this lesson, we will learn the basics of Amharic greetings and introductions, including common phrases and cultural information.
Basic Greetings
Let's start with the most common greeting in Amharic:
ሰላም (sälam)
Pronounced "sälam," this is the Amharic equivalent of "hello." It's used in formal and informal settings, and you can respond with the same phrase.
እውነት ነው? (iwǝnət näw?)
This phrase means "how are you?" and is pronounced "iwǝnət näw?" It's common to use this phrase when meeting someone for the first time or checking in on a friend or colleague.
When responding to this greeting, you can say:
- እንኳን አደረሳችሁ (ənnaan adäräsäshu) - "I'm fine, thank you"
- ያላችሁ ነው (yälachuh näw) - "I'm good"
እንደ መልካም ቤት ያለ አባት (əndä mälkam bet yalä abät)
This phrase means "welcome" and is pronounced "əndä mälkam bet yalä abät". It's common to use this phrase when someone visits your home, business, or country.
When responding to this greeting, you can say:
- እንኳን በደህና መጣህ (ənnaan bädhana mätaah) - "Thank you for having me"
- እኔ ለአንተ ስንልክ ነኝ (əne lä'antä sinlike nägä) - "I feel at home with you"
Introducing Yourself
Now that we've covered basic greetings, let's look at how to introduce ourselves in Amharic.
በስም አስተዋይቅ (bäsäm astäwa'iq)
To introduce yourself in Amharic, you can use the phrase "bäsäm astäwa'iq," which means "my name is." Simply say your name after this phrase to introduce yourself. For example:
- በስም አስተዋይቅ ነው። (bäsäm astäwa'iq näw) - "My name is [your name]."
እባክዎ አዎን ለዚህ ንገር። (əbakäwo awon läzee nägär)
This phrase means "please tell me about yourself" and is pronounced "əbakäwo awon läzee nägär."
When responding to this question, you may want to start with your nationality or profession. Here are some examples:
- እኔ ኢትዮጵያዊ ነኝ (əne ityopiyawi nägä) - "I am Ethiopian."
- እኔ ላይክ ያልተሰራ ነኝ (əne läyik yalätäsära nägä) - "I'm a graphic designer."
- እኔ ብርቱዎችን እየደረሰ ነኝ (əne bərtuwocanə yädərəsä nägä) - "I love butterflies."
እባክዎ በድምጾ ቢስ ተዋሕዶ (əbakawo bäd'mtso bis tawāhado)
This phrase means "nice to meet you" and is pronounced "əbakawo bäd'mtso bis tawāhado."
When responding to this greeting, you can say:
- እኔም እወዳዋለሁ (ənämm ewädawalähu) - "Nice to meet you too"
- ይባል ነበር (yäbal naläbär) - "Likewise"
Cultural Information
In Ethiopian culture, it's common to greet and address people using their first name and the name of their father. For example, if someone's name is "Muluken" and their father's name is "Taye," they might be greeted or addressed as "Muluken Taye."
It's also customary to use formal greetings and expressions when speaking with elders or people in positions of authority or respect. This includes using titles like "Ato" (Mr.), "Wzo" (Mrs.), or "Alemachen" (Princess).
In some settings, it's also appropriate to bow slightly when greeting or addressing someone in a formal or respectful manner.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we covered some of the most common Amharic greetings and introductions, as well as some cultural information related to these greetings.
Remember that learning a language also involves understanding the cultural context in which the language is spoken. Keep in mind the cultural information we discussed and practice using these phrases with Amharic-speaking friends or colleagues.
Now that we've learned some basic greetings and introductions, let's move on to the next lesson in the course: "Numbers and Counting."
Videos
Speak Amharic -Greetings- Part One - YouTube
Amharic language for beginners (Lesson 2 - Greeting based on the ...
Amharic Language for beginners | Greeting/ሰላምታ - YouTube
Related Lessons
- Count to 10
- Utensils
- Colors and Shapes
- Job Positions
- Time
- How to say Good Bye?
- Common Meeting Places
- Distress Calls
- Transportation
- Directions
Sources