Cafe and restaurant in Amharic
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Amharic words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Amharic phrases in this lesson
- แแแแต แฐแ แ แจแดแle-hu-LET SEW te-re-PE-za
- A table for two
- แแ แฅแฃแญแME-nu i-BAK-wo
- The menu, please
- แแ แญแแญแฉแแ?MIN yi-mek-ru-GNAL
- What do you recommend?
- ...แ แแ แแal-be-LAM
- I don't eat...
- ...แ แแญแ แ แแฅแa-ler-JEE a-LE-bign
- I'm allergic to...
- แตแSI-ga
- Meat
- แถแฎDO-ro
- Chicken
- แ แณA-sa
- Fish
- แฃแแญ แแta-FACH new
- It's delicious
- แแคแแฝแle-te-NA-chin
- Cheers
Most places seat you on arrival. Meals are often shared from one large plate of injera.
Menus in Addis Ababa are usually bilingual. In small places there may be no menu, only what is cooking today.
Polite form. Expect แฝแฎ (SHI-ro), the chickpea stew, or แฅแฅแต (tibs), sauteed meat.
"แตแ แ แแ แแ" (SI-ga al-be-LAM), I don't eat meat. On Wednesdays, Fridays and in Lent, many restaurants serve fasting food that is fully vegan.
"แแแแ แ แแญแ แ แแฅแ" (le-le-WUZ a-ler-JEE a-LE-bign), I'm allergic to peanuts.
Raw beef, แญแตแ (kit-FO), is a delicacy; ask for it "lebleb" if you want it lightly cooked.
แถแฎ แแฅ (DO-ro wet), spicy chicken stew with a boiled egg, is the national holiday dish.
Fish from the Rift Valley lakes is common in the south and on fasting days.
Ethiopian hosts feed guests by hand, a gesture called แแญแป (GUR-sha). Accepting it is a compliment.
Literally "to our health", raised over tej or a beer.