Tigrinya

20 Tigrinya phrases for greetings and everyday courtesy, from Hello (ሰላም) to Do you speak English? (እንግሊዝኛ ትዛረብ ዶ?).

Hello

ሰላም, pronounced se-LAM

Good morning

ደሃን ዶ ሓዲርካ, pronounced de-HAN do ha-DIR-ka

Good evening

ደሃን ዶ ወዒልካ, pronounced de-HAN do we-IL-ka

Good night

ሰናይ ምሸት, pronounced se-NAY mi-SHET

How are you?

ከመይ ኣለኻ?, pronounced ke-MEY a-LE-kha

I'm fine, thank you

ጽቡቕ ኣለኹ፣ የቐንየልካ, pronounced tsbu-Q a-LE-khu ye-qe-NYE-lka

What is your name?

ስምካ መን ይበሃል?, pronounced smi-KA men yi-BE-hal

My name is...

ስመይ... ይበሃል, pronounced sme-Y... yi-BE-hal

Nice to meet you

ምፍላጥካ ሐጎሰኒ, pronounced mf-LA-thka ha-GO-se-ni

Please

በጃኻ, pronounced be-JA-kha

Thank you

የቐንየልካ, pronounced ye-qe-NYE-lka

You're welcome

ኣይትሕመቕ, pronounced ay-ti-HME-q

Yes

እወ, pronounced i-WE

No

ኣይፋል, pronounced ay-FAL

Sorry

ይቕረታ, pronounced yi-qre-TA

Excuse me

ይቕረታ, pronounced yi-qre-TA

Goodbye

ሰናይ ጉዕዞ, pronounced se-NAY gu-ZO

See you later

ጸኒሕና ንራኸብ, pronounced tse-NIH-na nra-KHEB

I don't understand

ኣይተረዳዕኩን, pronounced ay-te-re-DA-kh-kun

Do you speak English?

እንግሊዝኛ ትዛረብ ዶ?, pronounced ing-LIZ-nya tza-REB do

20 Tigrinya phrases for getting around, from Where is the airport? (መዓርፎ ነፈርቲ ኣበይ ኣሎ?) to Police station (ፖሊስ ጣቢያ).

Where is the airport?

መዓርፎ ነፈርቲ ኣበይ ኣሎ?, pronounced me-AR-fo ne-FER-ti a-BEY a-LO

How much does this cost?

ክንደይ ዋጋ ኣለዎ?, pronounced kn-DEY wa-GA a-LE-wo

I need a taxi

ታክሲ የድልየኒ, pronounced tak-SI ye-dli-YE-ni

Where is the hotel?

ሆቴል ኣበይ ኣሎ?, pronounced ho-TEL a-BEY a-LO

I have a reservation

ቦታ ሓዚዘ ኣለኹ, pronounced bo-TA ha-ZI-ze a-LE-khu

Train station

ምድበ ባቡር, pronounced md-BE ba-BUR

Bus stop

ደው ምባል ባስ, pronounced dew mbal BAS

Ticket

ትኬት, pronounced ti-KET

Passport

ፓስፖርት, pronounced pas-PORT

Help!

ሓግዘኒ!, pronounced hag-ZE-ni

I'm lost

ጠፊኤ ኣለኹ, pronounced tfe-FI-e a-LE-khu

Turn left

ናብ ጸጋም ምለስ, pronounced na-B tse-GAM ml-ES

Turn right

ናብ የማን ምለስ, pronounced na-B ye-MAN ml-ES

Straight ahead

ቅድሚት ቀጥታ, pronounced qd-MIT qe-TTA

How far is it?

ክንደይ ርሑቕ ኣሎ?, pronounced kn-DEY rhu-Q a-LO

Museum

ሙዚየም, pronounced mu-ZI-yem

Beach

ባሕሪ ዳርጋ, pronounced ba-HRI dar-GA

Hospital

ሆስፒታል, pronounced hos-pi-TAL

Pharmacy

ፋርማሲ, pronounced far-MA-si

Police station

ፖሊስ ጣቢያ, pronounced po-LIS ta-BI-ya

20 Tigrinya phrases for eating and drinking, from I'm hungry (ጠምየ ኣለኹ) to Dessert (መጠረሽታ).

I'm hungry

ጠምየ ኣለኹ, pronounced tme-YE a-LE-khu

I'm thirsty

ጸሚኤ ኣለኹ, pronounced tse-MI-e a-LE-khu

The menu, please

ዝርዝር መግቢ፣ በጃኻ, pronounced zr-ZR me-GBI be-JA-kha

Water

ማይ, pronounced MAY

Coffee

ቡን, pronounced BUN

Bread

ዳቦ, pronounced da-BO

Meat

ስጋ, pronounced sGA

Vegetarian

ስጋ ዘይበልዕ, pronounced sGA zey-be-L

Delicious

ጥዑም, pronounced tUI-m

The bill, please

ሕሳብ፣ በጃኻ, pronounced hsa-B be-JA-kha

I am allergic to...

ኣለርጂ ኣለኒ ካብ..., pronounced a-ler-JI a-LE-ni kab...

No sugar

ሽኮር ኣይደልን, pronounced shko-R ay-DEL-n

Breakfast

ቁርሲ, pronounced qur-SI

Lunch

ፍርሰት, pronounced frs-ET

Dinner

ምሸት ምግቢ, pronounced mSHET mg-BI

Restaurant

ቤት መግቢ, pronounced bet me-GBI

Table for two

ሜዛ ንክልተ ሰብ, pronounced me-ZA nkl-TE sEB

Beer

ቢራ, pronounced BI-ra

Wine

ወይኒ, pronounced we-YNI

Dessert

መጠረሽታ, pronounced me-te-RESH-ta

15 Tigrinya phrases for emergencies and health, from Help! (ሓግዘኒ!) to I'm sick (ሓሚመ ኣለኹ).

Help!

ሓግዘኒ!, pronounced hag-ZE-ni

Call the police!

ፖሊስ ጸውዕ!, pronounced po-LIS tseu-Q

I need a doctor

ሓኪም የድልየኒ, pronounced ha-KIM ye-dli-YE-ni

Fire!

ሓዊ!, pronounced ha-WI

Ambulance

ኣምቡላንስ, pronounced am-bu-LANS

I've been robbed

ሰሪቖምኒ, pronounced se-ri-QO-mni

I'm injured

ቁሰለ ኣለኹ, pronounced qu-SE-le a-LE-khu

Emergency

ህጹጽ, pronounced ht-SUTS

Where is the hospital?

ሆስፒታል ኣበይ ኣሎ?, pronounced hos-pi-TAL a-BEY a-LO

Lost passport

ፓስፖርት ጠፊኡ, pronounced pas-PORT tfe-FI-u

I need help

ሓገዝ የድልየኒ, pronounced ha-GEZ ye-dli-YE-ni

Danger

ሓደጋ, pronounced ha-DE-ga

Stop!

ደው በል!, pronounced dew BEL

Thief!

ሰራቒ!, pronounced se-RA-qi

I'm sick

ሓሚመ ኣለኹ, pronounced ha-MI-me a-LE-khu

14 Tigrinya phrases for work and money, from Good morning (ደሃን ዶ ሓዲርካ) to Thank you for your time (ንግዜኻ የቐንየልካ).

Good morning

ደሃን ዶ ሓዲርካ, pronounced de-HAN do ha-DIR-ka

I have a meeting

ኣኼባ ኣለኒ, pronounced a-KHE-ba a-LE-ni

Business card

ካርቲ ናይ ስራሕ, pronounced kar-TI nay sRA-h

What is your email?

ኢሜይልካ እንታይ ኣሎ?, pronounced i-MEY-lka in-TAY a-LO

I work for...

ኣብ... እሰርሕ, pronounced ab... i-SER-h

Manager

ሓላፊ, pronounced ha-LA-fi

Meeting

ኣኼባ, pronounced a-KHE-ba

Office

ቤት ጽሕፈት, pronounced bet tshf-ET

Budget

ባጀት, pronounced ba-JET

Invoice

ፋክቱራ, pronounced fak-TU-ra

Contract

ውዕል, pronounced wu-L

Deadline

መወዳእታ ዕለት, pronounced me-we-DA-ta e-LET

Partnership

ሽርክነት, pronounced shrk-NET

Thank you for your time

ንግዜኻ የቐንየልካ, pronounced ngze-KHA ye-qe-NYE-lka

20 Tigrinya phrases for numbers, days and time, from One (ሓደ) to Friday (ዓርቢ).

One

ሓደ, pronounced ha-DE

Two

ክልተ, pronounced kl-TE

Three

ሰለስተ, pronounced se-LES-te

Four

ኣርባዕተ, pronounced ar-BA-te

Five

ሓሙሽተ, pronounced ha-MUSH-te

Six

ሽዱሽተ, pronounced shu-DUSH-te

Seven

ሸውዓተ, pronounced shew-A-te

Eight

ሸሞንተ, pronounced she-MON-te

Nine

ትሽዓተ, pronounced tsh-A-te

Ten

ዓሰርተ, pronounced a-SER-te

Twenty

ዕስራ, pronounced es-RA

Fifty

ሓምሳ, pronounced ham-SA

One hundred

ሚእቲ, pronounced mi-I-ti

One thousand

ሽሕ, pronounced shih

What time is it?

ሰዓት ክንደይ ኣሎ?, pronounced se-AT kn-DEY a-LO

Today

ሎሚ, pronounced LO-mi

Tomorrow

ጽባሕ, pronounced tsba-H

Yesterday

ትማሊ, pronounced tma-LI

Monday

ሰኑይ, pronounced se-NUY

Friday

ዓርቢ, pronounced ar-BI

house

ቤት, pronounced bet

water

ማይ, pronounced MAY

bread

ኣቆጻጽራ, pronounced himbasha

time

ግዜ, pronounced gze

person

ሰብ, pronounced seb

day

መዓልቲ, pronounced me-al-ti

road / way

መገዲ, pronounced me-ge-di

work

ስራሕ, pronounced si-rah

money

ገንዘብ, pronounced gen-zeb

city

ከተማ, pronounced ke-te-ma

school

ቤት ትምህርቲ, pronounced bet tim-hir-ti

book

መጽሓፍ, pronounced mets-haf

name

ስም, pronounced sim

child

ቆልዓ, pronounced qol-a

friend

ኣዕሩኽ, pronounced a-rukh

food

መግቢ, pronounced meg-bi

language

ቋንቋ, pronounced qwan-qwa

earth / land

መሬት, pronounced me-ret

hand

ኢድ, pronounced id

dog

ከልቢ, pronounced kel-bi

to be

ምዃን, pronounced mi-khwan

to go

ምኻድ, pronounced mi-khad

to come

ምምጻእ, pronounced mi-mts-a

to speak

ምዝራብ, pronounced mi-zrab

to eat

ምብላዕ, pronounced mi-bla

to drink

ምስታይ, pronounced mi-stai

to see

ምርኣይ, pronounced mi-ray

to know

ምፍላጥ, pronounced mi-flat

to want

ምደላይ, pronounced mi-de-lai

to give

ምሃብ, pronounced mi-hab

to take

ምውሳድ, pronounced mi-wsad

to do

ምግባር, pronounced mi-gbar

to think

ምሕሳብ, pronounced mi-hsab

to live

ምንባር, pronounced mi-nbar

to read

ምንባብ, pronounced mi-nbab

to write

ምጽሓፍ, pronounced mi-tshaf

to work

ምስራሕ, pronounced mi-srah

to help

ምሕጋዝ, pronounced mi-hgaz

to find

ምርካብ, pronounced mi-rkab

to hold

ምሓዝ, pronounced mi-haz

good

ጽቡቕ, pronounced tsbuq

bad

ሕማቕ, pronounced hmaq

big

ዓቢ, pronounced abi

small

ንእሽቶ, pronounced ni-ish-to

new

ሓዲሽ, pronounced ha-dish

old

ኣረጊት, pronounced a-re-git

beautiful

ጽቡቕ ጽምብል, pronounced tsbuq

fast

ቅልጡፍ, pronounced ql-tuf

slow

ዕጉስ, pronounced ugus

long / tall

ነዊሕ, pronounced ne-wih

short

ሓጺር, pronounced ha-tsir

warm / hot

ዋዒ, pronounced wa-i

cold

ቀዝሓ, pronounced qez-ha

strong

ሓያል, pronounced ha-yal

easy

ቀሊል, pronounced qe-lil

difficult

ኸባድ, pronounced khe-bad

important

ኣገዳሲ, pronounced a-ge-da-si

interesting

ዘገርም, pronounced ze-germ

happy

ሕጉስ, pronounced hgus

expensive

ክቡር, pronounced kbur

now

ሕጂ, pronounced hji

today

ሎሚ, pronounced LO-mi

tomorrow

ጽባሕ, pronounced tsba-H

yesterday

ትማሊ, pronounced tma-LI

here

ኣብዚ, pronounced ab-zi

there

ኣብኡ, pronounced ab-u

quickly

ቅልጡፍ, pronounced ql-tuf

slowly

ዕጉስ ዕጉስ, pronounced ugus ugus

well

ጽቡቕ, pronounced tsbuq

very

ኣዝዩ, pronounced az-yu

also / too

እውን, pronounced i-wun

not / no

ኣይ, pronounced ai

yes

እወ, pronounced i-WE

already

ድሮ, pronounced di-ro

still / yet

ገና, pronounced ge-na

only / just

ጥራይ, pronounced trai

really

ብሓቂ, pronounced bi-haqi

a lot

ብዙሕ, pronounced bi-zuh

a little

ቁሩብ, pronounced qu-rub

immediately

ሓፊሱ, pronounced ha-fi-su