Amharic greetings — hello, how are you, goodbye
Every Amharic conversation opens the same warm way. The one word that always works is selam — literally “peace” — and from there greetings change slightly depending on whether you are talking to a man or a woman, which this page shows side by side.
Saying hello and asking how someone is
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ሰላም | selam | helloRoot meaning "peace"; the everyday greeting. |
| እንደምን ነህ? | indemin neh? | How are you? (to a man)Addressing one male person. |
| እንደምን ነሽ? | indemin nesh? | How are you? (to a woman)Addressing one female person. |
| ደህና ነኝ | dehna negn | I am fineThe usual reply to "How are you?". |
Introducing yourself
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ስሜ | simé | my nameUsed at the beginning of the simple pattern for saying your name. |
| ስምህ ማን ነው? | simeh man new? | What is your name? (informal/familiar — to a man/boy)Masculine singular informal/familiar form; used when speaking to a man or boy. |
| ስምሽ ማን ነው? | simesh man new? | What is your name? (informal/familiar — to a woman/girl)Feminine singular informal/familiar form; used when speaking to a woman or girl. |
| ስምዎ ማን ነው? | simwo man new? | What is your name? (respectful/formal)Respectful/formal form used wherever respect or formality is expected. |
Saying goodbye
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ደህና ሁን | dehna hun | goodbye (to one man)A simple goodbye addressed to one man. |
| ደህና ሁኚ | dehna hugni | goodbye (to one woman)A simple goodbye addressed to one woman. |
Amharic addresses men and women differently: the -h endings speak to a man, the -sh endings to a woman. Using the wrong one is a common beginner slip and Ethiopians will gently correct you — it is grammar, not rudeness.
For elders and formal situations Amharic has respectful forms — the version of “what is your name?” ending in -wo is the polite one, safe with anyone you would address formally.
How do you say hello in Amharic?
Selam (ሰላም). It literally means “peace”, it works in formal and casual situations alike, and it is the same whether you are greeting a man, a woman or a group.
How do you answer “how are you?” in Amharic?
The standard reply is dehna negn (ደህና ነኝ) — “I am fine.” You will often hear it doubled up with thanks in real conversations.
Make it stick
The free course teaches this with audio, exercises and review — in an order that builds toward real conversation.
Start learning free