Basic Amharic

Here is a list of words we have used DAILY since bringing home Marvel!  I have spelled them phonetically based on how we were taught in Ethiopia. Below is a list of references to help with pronouncing my phonetic-spelling =)

Disclaimer: I am in no way fluent and these spellings are simply my attempts at helping myself remember how to pronounce words. There is probably an actual "method" to spelling phonetically...I don't know it though. Bear with me =)

Helpful Hints:
aw= law, raw, saw
eh= set, fret, egg
uh= under, shun
Capital letters is the hard vowel sound
Words with a (?) mean it can be used as a question (just inflect your voice that way)

ow: yes
I: no
bet (eh-bet): house, home (literally means room)
yen-tE (yen-ten-O): this is yours
shin-teh-bet: bathroom
shint-E: pee
ka-ka: I think this one is universally understood ;-)
raw-beh (?): hungry
yeh-tef-eh-tuh (?): good, yummy
I-tef-eh-tem (?): not good, yucky (literally means I don't like)
to-wuh-tall-O (?): do you like it
mo-ker: try this
teh-taw: drink
tell-eck: big (alot)
ten-eesh: small (little)
yeh-kaw-teh-leh (?): Hot!
bear-eh-deh (?): Cold (also "are you cold")
ten-kaw-uh: strong
min-yaw-teh-bet: bedroom
dek-eh-muh (?): tired
ten-yaw (?): go to sleep
mon-O-sO (?): who is that (male)
mon-O-suaw (?): who is that (female)
yet (?): where
go-bez: good job (clever)
meh-keen-uh: car
are-Ef (?): cool
chaw-muh: shoes
aw-meh-seh-geh-naw-lO: thank you
selam: hello
chow: goodbye
teh-rU: good
wU-shuh: dog
[guh-waw]-den-yuh: friend
ishi (?): okay
imbi: not okay (often shouted or said in conjunction with a shoulder pop)



1 comments:

reRed Rain said...

beautiful <3

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