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Why learn Amharic?
Amharic is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Amharic is written in the Ge'ez (Ethiopic) script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Amharic is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Amharic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic (Semitic) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Arabic or Hebrew.
50 essential Amharic words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Amharic sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | እኔ | uh-NEH | I |
| 2 | አንተ | AHN-teh | you |
| 3 | እሱ | uh-SOO | he |
| 4 | እሷ | uh-SWAH | she |
| 5 | እኛ | uh-NYAH | we |
| 6 | እነሱ | uh-neh-SOO | they |
| 7 | ይህ | yuh | this |
| 8 | ያ | yah | that |
| 9 | ምን | muhn | what |
| 10 | ማን | mahn | who |
| 11 | እና | uh-NAH | and |
| 12 | ወይም | WAY-uhm | or |
| 13 | ግን | guhn | but |
| 14 | ውስጥ | wuhst | in |
| 15 | ከ | kuh | from |
| 16 | ጋር | gahr | with |
| 17 | አንድ | ahnd | one |
| 18 | ሁለት | hoo-LET | two |
| 19 | ትልቅ | tuh-LUHK | big |
| 20 | ትንሽ | tuh-NUHSH | small |
| 21 | ጥሩ | tuh-ROO | good |
| 22 | አዲስ | ah-DEES | new |
| 23 | ሰው | sehw | person |
| 24 | ውሃ | wuh-HAH | water |
| 25 | ቀን | ken | day |
| 26 | ዓመት | ah-MET | year |
| 27 | ጊዜ | GEE-zeh | time |
| 28 | ቤት | bet | house |
| 29 | ሥራ | suh-RAH | work |
| 30 | ሕይወት | huhy-WET | life |
| 31 | ቃል | kahl | word |
| 32 | መሆን | meh-HOHN | be |
| 33 | መኖር | meh-NOHR | live |
| 34 | ማድረግ | mah-DREG | do |
| 35 | ማለት | mah-LET | say |
| 36 | ማወቅ | mah-WEK | know |
| 37 | ማየት | mah-YET | see |
| 38 | መሄድ | meh-HED | go |
| 39 | መምጣት | mem-TAHT | come |
| 40 | መስጠት | mes-TET | give |
| 41 | መውሰድ | mew-SED | take |
| 42 | መፈለግ | meh-feh-LEG | want |
| 43 | መብላት | meb-LAHT | eat |
| 44 | መጠጣት | meh-teh-TAHT | to drink |
| 45 | አሁን | ah-HOON | now |
| 46 | እዚህ | uh-ZEE | here |
| 47 | እዚያ | uh-ZEE-yah | there |
| 48 | የት | yet | where |
| 49 | ለምን | leh-MUHN | why |
| 50 | ሁሉ | hoo-LOO | all |
Useful phrases in Amharic
- ሰላም · se-LAM · Hello / Good day
- እንዴት ነህ? · in-DET neh · How are you?
- አመሰግናለሁ · a-me-seg-na-LE-hu · Thank you
- እባክህ · i-BAK-ih · Please
- ስሜ ... ነው · si-ME ... new · My name is...
- ... የት ነው? · ... yet new · Where is...?
- ደህና ሁን · deh-nah HOON · Goodbye
- ይቅርታ · yi-KIR-tah · Excuse me
- አልገባኝም · al-geh-BAH-nyim · I don't understand
- ልትረዳኝ ትችላለህ? · lit-reh-DAH-ny ti-chi-LAH-leh · Can you help me?
- ዋጋው ስንት ነው? · wah-GOW sint NOW · How much is it?
- ነገ እንገናኝ! · neh-GEH in-geh-NAHNY · See you tomorrow!
Learn Amharic with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Amharic, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Amharic learning community
Collaborate with native Amharic speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
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Frequently asked questions about learning Amharic
How difficult is it to learn Amharic?
How difficult Amharic is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Amharic is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Amharic?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Amharic?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Amharic within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 57 million people across 1 countries speak Amharic, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Amharic vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Amharic pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Amharic pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Amharic speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Amharic alphabet first?
If Amharic uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.