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Tigrinya overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Tigrinya

25 essential Tigrinya phrases with pronunciation written out for English speakers. Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. The stressed syllable is in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.

Quick answers

Hello

ሰላም

/seh-LAM/

Thank you

የቐንየለይ

/yeh-qan-yeh-LAY/

Goodbye

ደሓን ኹን

/deh-HAN hoon/

Yes

እወ

/EH-weh/

No

ኣይፋልን

/eye-FAH-lin/

Please

በጃኻ

/beh-JA-kha/

Welcome

እንቋዕ ደሓን መጻእካ

/en-QWA deh-HAN meh-tsa-EH-ka/

Sorry

ይቕሬታ

/yee-khee-REH-ta/

How are you?

ከመይ ኣለኻ?

/keh-MAY a-LEH-kha/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • ሰላምHello/seh-LAM/
  • የቐንየለይThank you/yeh-qan-yeh-LAY/
  • እንቋዕ ደሓን መጻእካWelcome/en-QWA deh-HAN meh-tsa-EH-ka/
  • ደሓን ኹንGoodbye/deh-HAN hoon/
  • እወYes/EH-weh/
  • ኣይፋልንNo/eye-FAH-lin/
  • በጃኻPlease/beh-JA-kha/
  • ይቕሬታSorry/yee-khee-REH-ta/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • ስመይ ኣማራ እየMy name is Amara/SEE-may a-MA-ra EE-yeh/
  • መን ኢዩ ስምካ?What is your name?/men EE-yoo SEEM-ka/
  • ከመይ ኣለኻ?How are you?/keh-MAY a-LEH-kha/
  • ጽቡቕ ኣለኹI am fine/tsee-BOOQ a-LEH-khoo/
  • ማይWater/MY/
  • ምግቢFood/meeg-BEE/
  • ዓርኪFriend/AR-kee/
  • ገዛHouse/GEH-za/

Counting

Numbers one to five and market basics

  • ሓደOne/HA-deh/
  • ክልተTwo/kil-TEH/
  • ሰለስተThree/seh-LES-teh/
  • ኣርባዕተFour/ar-ba-TEH/
  • ሓሙሽተFive/ha-MOOSH-teh/
  • ብኽንደይ ኢዩ?How much is it?/bik-in-DAY EE-yoo/
  • ዕዳጋMarket/eh-DA-ga/
  • ማይWater/MY/
  • ክገዝእ ደልየI want to buy/kee-geh-ZEH deh-LEE-yeh/

Questions people ask about Tigrinya

How do you say "hello" in Tigrinya?

"Hello" in Tigrinya is ሰላም, pronounced /seh-LAM/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Tigrinya?

"Thank you" in Tigrinya is የቐንየለይ, pronounced /yeh-qan-yeh-LAY/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "how are you?" in Tigrinya?

"How are you?" in Tigrinya is ከመይ ኣለኻ?, pronounced /keh-MAY a-LEH-kha/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Tigrinya hard to learn?

  • Uses the same Ge'ez script family as Amharic, with some extra characters.
  • Ejective consonants are made with a sharp release of air.
  • Verb forms mark gender for both speaker and listener.

Where is Tigrinya spoken?

Eritrea and northern Ethiopia — around 9 million. Writing system: Ge'ez (Fidäl) syllabary.

Can I learn Tigrinya for free?

Yes. This phrasebook is free to read, and SemaSoma gives you the first three units of the course plus 15 translations a day before anything is paid.

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