Getting around in Amharic
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. 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
- á˝ááľ á¤áľ á¨áľ áá?SHINT bet YET new
- Where is the toilet?
- áá° ... áĽáá´áľ áĽááłáá?WE-de ... in-DET i-he-DA-le-hu
- How do I get to...?
- áá° ááŤWE-de GRA
- To the left
- áá° ááWE-de KEGN
- To the right
- ááĽáłke-TI-ta
- Straight ahead
- áĽáá i-ZIH
- Here
- áŁáĄá áŁá˘áŤba-BUR ta-BEE-ya
- Train station
- á ááśáĄáľaw-to-BUS
- Bus
- á ááŽááá áá¨ááŤaw-ro-PLAN ma-re-FEE-ya
- Airport
- á ááľ á˛áŹáľ áĽáŁááand ti-KET i-BAK-wo
- One ticket, please
Restaurants and hotels have toilets. Carry tissues outside the cities.
Literally "how do I go to...?".
"áá° á፠ááłá á" (WE-de GRA yi-ta-TE-fu), turn left. Directions often use landmarks more than street names.
"áĽáá áŤáá" (i-ZIH ya-KU-mu), stop here, works for taxis and minibuses.
The electric railway to Djibouti starts at Furi-Lebu station outside Addis Ababa.
Blue-and-white minibuses run most city routes. A conductor shouts the destination from the door.
Literally "airplane resting place". Bole airport is the hub for all of Africa.
For long-distance buses, buy the day before at the bus station.