Help and emergencies in Amharic
The words you hope to never need. 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
- α₯αα±α!IR-dugn
- Help!
- ααͺα α₯α©ααha-KEEM ti-RU-lign
- Call a doctor
- ααα΅PO-lees
- Police
- αα΅ααα΅ α€α΅med-HA-neet BET
- Pharmacy
- αα΅αα³αhos-pee-TAL
- Hospital
- α αα»ααte-fi-CHA-le-hu
- I'm lost
- α αααa-MO-gnal
- I don't feel well
- α°α°αααte-ser-KWAL
- It was stolen
- α α΅αΈα³α ααas-che-KWAY new
- It's an emergency
- α°ααte-WEGN
- Leave me alone
Literally "help me!". Police are 991 and the ambulance 907.
Literally "call a doctor for me". Private clinics in Addis Ababa are the better choice for visitors.
The police number is 991.
Literally "medicine house". Signs often say αααα² (FAR-ma-see) too.
Literally "I have got lost". People will walk you to where you need to go.
Literally "it has made me sick". Point to where it hurts and say "α₯αα α«ααα" (i-ZIH ya-ME-gnal), it hurts here.
"α΅αα¬ α°α°ααα" (sil-KE te-ser-KWAL), my phone was stolen.
Literally "it is urgent".
Firm, said to a man; to a woman it is "α°αα" (te-YIGN). Persistent street touts usually give up after a firm "α α" (ay), no.