Thank you, please and sorry in Amharic
Politeness carries enormous weight in Ethiopian culture, and a handful of words does most of the work. Learn these before anything else: they soften every request, repair every bump, and make people patient with the rest of your Amharic.
The essentials
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| አመሰግናለሁ | ameseginalehu | thank youA common polite expression used to thank someone. |
| እባክዎ | ibakwo | pleaseA polite form of please used when making a respectful request. |
| ይቅርታ | yiqirta | sorry; excuse meUsed for a simple apology and also to politely get someone's attention. |
| እባክዎ ይስጡኝ። | ibakwo yistugn. | Please give it to me. |
Yes, no, okay
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| አዎ | awo | yes |
| አይ | ay | noInformal, everyday "no". |
| እሺ | ishi | okay / alright |
| እስማማለሁ | ismamalehu | I agree |
| አልስማማም | alsimamam | I don't agree |
Ameseginalehu looks long, but it is one smooth word: a-me-se-gi-na-le-hu. Say it slowly at first — Ethiopians hear the effort, not the speed.
Ishi (እሺ) is the everyday “okay / alright / will do” — you will hear it constantly, and using it makes your Amharic sound natural early.
How do you say thank you in Amharic?
Ameseginalehu (አመሰግናለሁ). It is the standard thank-you in any situation; there is no separate casual version you need first.
What does ishi mean?
Ishi (እሺ) means “okay” or “alright”. It is one of the most used words in everyday Ethiopian conversation — agreement, acknowledgement, and “deal” all at once.
Make it stick
The free course teaches this with audio, exercises and review — in an order that builds toward real conversation.
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