Amharic for children
The fidel, first words with their sound, and where to ask about weekend classes — for children growing up here, and the parents teaching them.
Everyday words
Words for the day, the week and how you feel: use them in a sentence out loud.
Days of the week8 words
- ሰኞsenyoMonday
- ማክሰኞmaksenyoTuesday
- ረቡዕrebuWednesday
- ሐሙስhamusThursday
- ዓርብarbFriday
- ቅዳሜqidameSaturday
- እሁድihudSunday
- ሳምንትsamintWeek
Time10 words
- ዛሬzareToday
- ነገnegeTomorrow
- ትናንትtinantYesterday
- ጠዋትtewatMorning
- ከሰዓት በኋላkese'at behwalaAfternoon
- ማታmataEvening
- ሌሊትlelitNight
- ሰዓትse'atHour / clock
- ወርwerMonth
- ዓመትametYear
Numbers to a thousand12 words
- አሥራ አንድ ፲፩asra andEleven
- አሥራ ሁለት ፲፪asra huletTwelve
- ሃያ ፳hayaTwenty
- ሠላሳ ፴selasaThirty
- አርባ ፵arbaForty
- ሃምሳ ፶hamsaFifty
- ስልሳ ፷silsaSixty
- ሰባ ፸sebaSeventy
- ሰማንያ ፹semanyaEighty
- ዘጠና ፺zetenaNinety
- መቶ ፻metoOne hundred
- ሺህ ፲፻shihOne thousand
How I feel9 words
- ደስ ብሎኛልdes bilognalI am happy
- አዝኛለሁaznyalehuI am sad
- ፈርቻለሁferchalehuI am scared
- ተናድጃለሁtenadjalehuI am angry
- ደክሞኛልdekmognalI am tired
- ርቦኛልrabognalI am hungry
- ጠምቶኛልtemtognalI am thirsty
- ታምሜያለሁtammeyalehuI am sick
- ደብሮኛልdebrognalI am bored
Doing words12 words
- መብላትmeblatTo eat
- መጠጣትmetetatTo drink
- መተኛትmetenyatTo sleep
- መሄድmehedTo go
- መምጣትmemtatTo come
- ማንበብmanbebTo read
- መጻፍmetsafTo write
- መጫወትmechawetTo play
- መሮጥmerotTo run
- መዘመርmezemerTo sing
- መማርmemarTo learn
- መርዳትmerdatTo help
Clothes and weather13 words
- ልብስlibsClothes
- ጫማchamaShoes
- ሱሪsuriTrousers
- ቀሚስqemisDress
- ኮፍያkofyaHat
- ካልሲkalsiSocks
- ጃኬትjaketJacket
- ዝናብzinabRain
- ፀሐይtsehaySun
- ብርድbirdCold
- ሙቀትmuqetHeat
- ንፋስnifasWind
- ደመናdemenaCloud
What does it mean?
An Amharic word or phrase and three meanings: tap the right one. Ten rounds.
How this course is built
The order follows published Amharic courses and children's readers: the seven vowel forms and a few letter families at a time, reading only words made from letters already taught (FSI Amharic Basic Course; University of Wisconsin); short stories and folk tales followed by questions, as in Ethiopia's Grade 1–3 readers and its national early-grade reading check; English beside the Amharic, as the bilingual diaspora books do; and questions to ask at home, as heritage classes give. The Amharic is drafted and is being checked by a native speaker.