Places and directions in Amharic
Getting around runs on a small set of nouns and an even smaller set of pointers. Here they are, with the polite way to ask where someone is headed.
Places
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ቤት | bét | houseAlso "home". |
| ትምህርት ቤት | timhirt bét | school |
| ሆስፒታል | hospital | hospital |
| ባንክ | bank | bank |
| ሱቅ | suq | shop / store |
| ገበያ | gebeya | market |
Here, there, near, far
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| እዚህ | izih | hereBasic location word meaning here. |
| እዚያ | iziya | thereBasic location word meaning there. |
| ቅርብ | qirb | near / nearby |
| ሩቅ | ruq | far |
| ወደ | wede | to / toward |
Asking and answering
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| የት ነው? | yet new? | Where is it?Fixed beginner pattern. Context identifies the person or thing being asked about. |
| እዚህ ነው። | izih new. | It is here.Short beginner location answer. |
| እዚያ ነው። | iziya new. | It is there.Short beginner location answer for a farther location. |
| እርስዎ ወዴት ይሄዳሉ? | irsiwo wedét yihédalu? | Where are you going? (respectful, to one person) |
| እርስዎ ወደ ገበያ ይሄዳሉ? | irsiwo wede gebeya yihédalu? | Are you going to the market? (respectful, to one person) |
Wede (ወደ) means “to / toward” and glues movement sentences together: wede gebeya — to the market. The respectful question irsiwo wedét yihédalu? is the safe way to ask anyone where they are heading.
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