Language/Amharic/Vocabulary/Telephone-Conversations

Amharic → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Telephone Conversations

Welcome to this engaging lesson on telephone conversations in Amharic! In our increasingly connected world, being able to communicate over the phone is essential. Whether you're planning a trip to Ethiopia, connecting with friends, or conducting business, understanding how to navigate phone conversations in Amharic is an invaluable skill.

In this lesson, we will cover essential vocabulary and phrases related to making and receiving phone calls. You'll learn how to introduce yourself, ask questions, and respond to various scenarios you might encounter during a phone call. By the end of this lesson, you will be equipped with the tools you need to confidently engage in basic telephone conversations in Amharic.

Importance of Telephone Conversations in Amharic

Understanding telephone communication is vital for anyone looking to interact effectively in a modern context. Phone calls often require a different set of skills compared to face-to-face conversations. Tone, clarity, and the ability to convey information succinctly become critical. Mastering telephone vocabulary in Amharic not only enhances your language skills but also deepens your cultural understanding of Ethiopian communication styles.

Structure of the Lesson

1. Essential Vocabulary for Telephone Conversations

2. Common Phrases Used in Phone Calls

3. Examples of Telephone Conversations

4. Practice Exercises

5. Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Essential Vocabulary for Telephone Conversations

Let's start by building your vocabulary! Below are some essential words and phrases you'll need for telephone conversations.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
እባክህ አይቅርብ	ʔɨbākɨh aɨk’ɨrəb	Please pick up
ስልክ	sɨlɨk’	Phone
ተደይ	t’ädeɨ	Call
ይህ ነው	yɨh ne	This is
ርዕስ	rɨʔɨs	Receiver
እባክህ ደወል	ʔɨbākɨh dɨwäl	Please call
አድራሻ	ʔädräša	Address
ወይ	wäy	Or
ምን ነው?	mɨn neʊ?	What is it?
ምን ይህ ነው?	mɨn yɨh neʊ?	What is this?
ወይም በመልእክት	wäyɨm bämälɨk’ɨt	Or via text
ቀጥሎ ይላኩ	k’ät’ɨlo yɨlaku	Send me back
የሚኖር ጊዜ	yämɨnɔr gɨzɛ	Available time
እንዴት ነህ?	ʔɨndɛt nɛh?	How are you?
ደህና ነኝ	dähɨna nɛɲ	I am fine
ትምህርት	tɨmɨhɨrt	Education
ይቅርታ	yɨk’ɨrta	Excuse me
ወገን	wägän	Friend
መልእክት	mälɨk’ɨt	Message
ተወላጅ	t’äwäläj	Dial
ይገኛል	yɨgänal	It’s ringing
መልካም ዕለት	mälɨk’äm ʔɨlät	Have a good day

Common Phrases Used in Phone Calls

Now, let's explore some common phrases that you can use during phone conversations. Mastering these phrases will help you navigate different situations when speaking on the phone.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ስልክ እባክህ ደወል	sɨlɨk’ ʔɨbākɨh dɨwäl	Please call on the phone
እንዴት ነህ?	ʔɨndɛt nɛh?	How are you?
እባክህ እንዴት ነው?	ʔɨbākɨh ʔɨndɛt nɛw?	Please tell me how it is?
ከዚያ እባክህ ዝርዝር አላቸው	k’äzɨja ʔɨbākɨh zɨrɨzɨr ʔalāčew	Please give me the details
ስልኩ ተወላጅ ነው	sɨlɨku t’äwäläj nɛw	My phone is dialing
እባክህ ለእባክህ ወይ	ʔɨbākɨh läʔɨbākɨh wäy	Please, for you or
በጣም ደህና ነኝ	bät’ām dähɨna nɛn	I am very well
ይህ ተደይ ነው	yɨh t’ädeɨ nɛw	This is a call
እባክህ ምን ነው?	ʔɨbākɨh mɨn nɛw?	Please, what is it?
እባክህ እንዲህ ነው	ʔɨbākɨh ʔɨndɨh nɛw	Please, this is how it is
ወይ ወይ	wäy wäy	Or or
ይዘምብ ማለት	yɨzämɨb mālet	It means to say
ምን ይህ ይህ ነው	mɨn yɨh yɨh nɛw	What is this?
ይቅርታ ወይ ይህ ነው	yɨk’ɨrta wäy yɨh nɛw	Excuse me or this is
እባክህ ይላኩ	ʔɨbākɨh yɨlaku	Please send me back
ተጨዋታ ይምር	t’äč’äwatā yɨmɨr	It’s a surprise
ይዘምብ ነው	yɨzämɨb nɛw	It’s a meaning
እሱ ገንዘብ አለ	ʔɨsu gänzäb ʔalɛ	He has money
እባክህ ይዘምብ	ʔɨbākɨh yɨzämɨb	Please mean
ወይ እሱ	wäy ʔɨsu	Or he
ወይ አይደለም	wäy ʔayǝdəlɛm	Or not

Examples of Telephone Conversations

Now that we've covered vocabulary and common phrases, let's look at some practical examples of telephone conversations. These examples will help you visualize how the vocabulary and phrases fit together in real-life situations.

Example 1: Making a Call

Situation: You are calling a friend to ask how they are doing.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ሰላም እንዴት ነህ?	sälam ʔɨndɛt nɛh?	Hello, how are you?
እንደምን ነህ?	ʔɨndämɨn nɛh?	How is everything?
ደህና ነኝ	dähɨna nɛn	I am fine.
እባክህ ደወል ወይ እሱ ወይ?	ʔɨbākɨh dɨwäl wäy ʔɨsu wäy?	Please call or is he or?
አዎን እንዴት ነህ?	ʔawǝn ʔɨndɛt nɛh?	Yes, how are you?

Example 2: Receiving a Call

Situation: You receive a call and want to know who is calling.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ሰላም	sälam	Hello
መልእክት መልካም	mälɨk’ɨt mälɨk’ām	Message is good
ይህ የማህበረሰብ ነው	yɨh yämähɨbäräsäb nɛw	This is the community
እባክህ ይህ ነው?	ʔɨbākɨh yɨh nɛw?	Please, is this?
በዚያ ደወል	bɨzɨja dɨwäl	Call back
ወይ ስልኩ ወይ?	wäy sɨlɨku wäy?	Or my phone or?

Example 3: Asking for Information

Situation: You are calling to ask about a meeting time.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ሰላም	sälam	Hello
እባክህ የምን ጊዜ ነው?	ʔɨbākɨh yämin gɨzɛ nɛw?	Please, what time is it?
ይመልስ	yɨmälɨs	It will answer
ወይ ይህ አለ?	wäy yɨh ʔalɛ?	Or is this?
እባክህ ለእንዴት ነው	ʔɨbākɨh läʔɨndɛt nɛw	Please, how is it?

Example 4: Confirming a Meeting

Situation: You are confirming the meeting time with your colleague.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ሰላም	sälam	Hello
እባክህ ወይ በምን ጊዜ	ʔɨbākɨh wäy bämɨn gɨzɛ	Please, or at what time
እባክህ አስተካክል	ʔɨbākɨh ʔästäk’äkl	Please, confirm
ምን ነው?	mɨn nɛw?	What is it?
እባክህ የወይ ነው?	ʔɨbākɨh yäwäy nɛw?	Please, is it?

Example 5: Ending the Call

Situation: You need to end the call politely.

Amharic	Pronunciation	English
ወይ ይቅርታ	wäy yɨk’ɨrta	Or excuse me
በጣም እድል አለ	bät’ām ʔɨdɨl ʔalɛ	Very lucky
ወይ ይህ ነው	wäy yɨh nɛw	Or this is
እባክህ ይዘው	ʔɨbākɨh yɨzäw	Please, send
ይቅርታ በጣም ደህና	yɨk’ɨrta bät’ām dähɨna	Excuse me, I am very good

Practice Exercises

Now that you've absorbed the vocabulary, phrases, and conversation examples, it's time to put your knowledge to the test! Here are some exercises to help you practice what you've learned.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate Amharic words from the vocabulary list.

1. ሰላም, እንዴት _____?

2. እባክህ ይዘው _____ ወይ?

3. ይህ _____ ነው.

4. ምን _____ ነው?

5. ወይ ይቅርታ _____.

Solutions:

1. ነህ

2. እሱ

3. ተደይ

4. ይህ

5. ወይ

Exercise 2: Match the Phrases

Match the Amharic phrases with their English translations.

1. በጣም ደህና ነኝ

2. እባክህ ወይ

3. ምን ነው?

4. ይህ ነው

5. ይቅርታ

Answers:

1. I am very well.

2. Or

3. What is it?

4. This is

5. Excuse me

Exercise 3: Role Play

Pair up with a partner and practice the following scenarios:

1. Making a casual call to a friend.

2. Receiving a call from a colleague asking about a meeting.

3. Confirming details of an upcoming event.

Exercise 4: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Amharic.

1. Hello, how are you?

2. Please call me back.

3. What time is the meeting?

4. I am fine, thank you.

5. Excuse me, I need to go.

Solutions:

1. ሰላም, እንዴት ነህ?

2. እባክህ ደወል.

3. የምን ጊዜ ነው?

4. ደህና ነኝ, አመሰግናለሁ.

5. ይቅርታ, እፈልጋለሁ.

Exercise 5: Create Your Own Dialogue

Write a short dialogue using at least five phrases learned in this lesson. Practice it with a partner or record yourself.

Example Dialogue:

• Person A: ሰላም, እንዴት ነህ? (Hello, how are you?)

• Person B: ደህና ነኝ, አመሰግናለሁ. (I am fine, thank you.)

• Person A: እባክህ ይህ ይህ ነው? (Please, is this how it is?)

• Person B: ይህ ተደይ ነው. (This is a call.)

Exercise 6: Listening Practice

Listen to a recording of a telephone conversation in Amharic (if available) and answer the following questions:

1. Who is calling?

2. What is the purpose of the call?

3. What time is the meeting mentioned?

Exercise 7: Vocabulary Quiz

Take a short quiz to test your vocabulary knowledge. Write the Amharic words for the following:

1. Phone

2. Message

3. Call

4. Friend

5. Address

Solutions:

1. ስልክ

2. መልእክት

3. ተደይ

4. ወገን

5. አድራሻ

Exercise 8: True or False

Determine whether the statements are true or false based on the vocabulary learned.

1. ይቅርታ means Excuse me.

2. ምን ነው? means What is it?

3. ወይ means Yes.

4. እባክህ means Please.

5. ይህ ይቅርታ means This is an excuse.

Answers:

1. True

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. False

Exercise 9: Fill in the Conversation

Complete the conversation with the appropriate phrases.

A: ሰላም, እንዴት _____?

B: ደህና ነኝ, አመሰግናለሁ.

A: እባክህ _____ ወይ ይህ _____?

B: እባክህ ይዘው _____.

Solutions:

1. ነህ

2. ይህ

3. ነው

4. ወይ

Exercise 10: Review and Reflect

Reflect on what you’ve learned in this lesson. Write down three phrases you feel confident using and three phrases you want to practice more.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Congratulations! You have successfully navigated through the essential vocabulary and phrases for telephone conversations in Amharic. Remember, practice makes perfect, and the more you engage with the language, the more fluent you will become.

Here are some key takeaways from this lesson:

• Mastering telephone vocabulary is crucial for effective communication.

• Familiarize yourself with common phrases to enhance your conversational skills.

• Practice through role plays and dialogues to build confidence.

Stay tuned for our next lesson, where we will delve deeper into the nuances of the Amharic language!

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

• English to Amharic Meaning of conversation - ንግግር
• Basic Amharic Dictionary: Amharic-English, English-Amharic. Final ...
• English to Amharic Meaning of conversational

Other Lessons

• Clinic
• Utensils
• Geometry
• Clothes
• Diseases
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Days of the week
• Family Members
• Dairy Products
• Sexual Advances (to a female)