Translate Amharic to English
Amharic text appears in Ethiopian government documents, business correspondence from Addis Ababa, news sites, Ethiopian Airlines materials, and messages from the Ethiopian diaspora in the US, Europe, and Middle East. The unique Ge'ez script is handled by the translator. Paste your text above.
Common Amharic to English translations
| Amharic | English | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ሰላም | Hello | seh-LAHM | ||
| እንዴምን አዴርካል | Good morning | en-deh-MIN ah-dehr-KAHL | ||
| አመሰግናለቹ | Thank you | ah-meh-seh-gun-AH-leh-hoo | ||
| እባክኾ | Please | eh-BAH-koh | ||
| ይሄ ስንት ነዉ? | How much is this? | yih SINT now | ||
| የመታጤቢያ ብት የት ነዉ? | Where is the bathroom? | yeh-meh-tah-teh-BEE-yah bet YET now | ||
| አልገባኝም | I do not understand | ahl-geh-BAH-nyim | ||
| ልትርዳኝ ትችላለህ? | Can you help me? | lit-reh-DAHN-yee tih-chee-LAH-leh | ||
| ሻይ እፈልጋለቹ | I would like tea | shy eh-feh-lee-GAH-leh-hoo | ||
| ሄሳብ, እባክኾ | The bill, please | hee-SAHB eh-BAH-koh | ||
| ስለታወቅን ደስ ብሎኛል | Nice to meet you | sih-leh-tah-weh-KUN des bih-LOH-nyahl | ||
| ዴህና ያን | Goodbye | deh-nah YUHN | ||
| ሃክም እፈልጋለቹ | I need a doctor | hah-KEEM eh-feh-lee-GAH-leh-hoo | ||
| ይቅርታ | Excuse me | yih-keer-TAH |
Tips for Amharic to English translation
The Ge'ez script looks unlike any other writing system. Each character is a syllable (consonant + vowel), and the vowel is indicated by modifying the base consonant shape. There are no separate vowel letters. The translator handles all script conversion automatically.
Amharic has borrowed vocabulary from Arabic, Italian (from the brief colonial period), and increasingly English. Words like መክና (mekina, car, from Italian macchina) and ተሌቶን (telefon) are standard Amharic.
Ethiopian Amharic may include references to the Ethiopian calendar, Ethiopian time (which starts at 6 AM instead of midnight), and the unique Ethiopian measurement systems. These cultural references may need additional context when translating to English.
Amharic uses an elaborate system of politeness and respect in pronouns and verb forms. The distinction between formal and informal address is more layered than European languages, with different forms for peers, elders, and authority figures.
About the Amharic language
Amharic belongs to the Semitic language family, making it a distant relative of Arabic and Hebrew. It is the most widely spoken Semitic language in Africa and the working language of the Ethiopian federal government. The Ge'ez script dates back to at least the 5th century BC, making it one of the oldest writing systems in continuous use.
Ethiopia is the only African country that was never fully colonized (Italy occupied it briefly from 1936-1941). This independence preserved Amharic's status as a language of government and culture without the displacement that colonial languages caused elsewhere in Africa. The Ethiopian diaspora, especially in Washington D.C. (the largest Ethiopian community outside Africa), maintains active Amharic language media and cultural institutions.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Unlimited.
Yes. All Amharic characters processed.
Yes.
No. Both use Ge'ez script but are different Semitic languages. Each needs its own translator.
Good for general understanding. Professional review for government or legal texts.
The Amharic syllabary, where each character represents a consonant-vowel pair arranged in a systematic grid.
Visit our English to Amharic page.
No.
Yes. Both Ethiopian and Arabic numeral systems are processed.
Over 60 pairs including Arabic, Swahili, Somali, and more.
Looking for the reverse? Try English to Amharic translation.
