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Common Tigrinya Phrases

Essential Tigrinya (ትግርኛ) phrases with pronunciation guides.

👋Greetings & Basics

EnglishTigrinyaPronunciation
Helloሰላምse-LAM
Good morningደሃን ዶ ሓዲርካde-HAN do ha-DIR-ka
Good eveningደሃን ዶ ወዒልካde-HAN do we-IL-ka
Good nightሰናይ ምሸትse-NAY mi-SHET
How are you?ከመይ ኣለኻ?ke-MEY a-LE-kha
I'm fine, thank youጽቡቕ ኣለኹ፣ የቐንየልካtsbu-Q a-LE-khu ye-qe-NYE-lka
What is your name?ስምካ መን ይበሃል?smi-KA men yi-BE-hal
My name is...ስመይ... ይበሃልsme-Y... yi-BE-hal
Nice to meet youምፍላጥካ ሐጎሰኒmf-LA-thka ha-GO-se-ni
Pleaseበጃኻbe-JA-kha
Thank youየቐንየልካye-qe-NYE-lka
You're welcomeኣይትሕመቕay-ti-HME-q
Yesእወi-WE
Noኣይፋልay-FAL
Sorryይቕረታyi-qre-TA
Excuse meይቕረታyi-qre-TA
Goodbyeሰናይ ጉዕዞse-NAY gu-ZO
See you laterጸኒሕና ንራኸብtse-NIH-na nra-KHEB
I don't understandኣይተረዳዕኩንay-te-re-DA-kh-kun
Do you speak English?እንግሊዝኛ ትዛረብ ዶ?ing-LIZ-nya tza-REB do

✈️Travel

EnglishTigrinyaPronunciation
Where is the airport?መዓርፎ ነፈርቲ ኣበይ ኣሎ?me-AR-fo ne-FER-ti a-BEY a-LO
How much does this cost?ክንደይ ዋጋ ኣለዎ?kn-DEY wa-GA a-LE-wo
I need a taxiታክሲ የድልየኒtak-SI ye-dli-YE-ni
Where is the hotel?ሆቴል ኣበይ ኣሎ?ho-TEL a-BEY a-LO
I have a reservationቦታ ሓዚዘ ኣለኹbo-TA ha-ZI-ze a-LE-khu
Train stationምድበ ባቡርmd-BE ba-BUR
Bus stopደው ምባል ባስdew mbal BAS
Ticketትኬትti-KET
Passportፓስፖርትpas-PORT
Help!ሓግዘኒ!hag-ZE-ni
I'm lostጠፊኤ ኣለኹtfe-FI-e a-LE-khu
Turn leftናብ ጸጋም ምለስna-B tse-GAM ml-ES
Turn rightናብ የማን ምለስna-B ye-MAN ml-ES
Straight aheadቅድሚት ቀጥታqd-MIT qe-TTA
How far is it?ክንደይ ርሑቕ ኣሎ?kn-DEY rhu-Q a-LO
Museumሙዚየምmu-ZI-yem
Beachባሕሪ ዳርጋba-HRI dar-GA
Hospitalሆስፒታልhos-pi-TAL
Pharmacyፋርማሲfar-MA-si
Police stationፖሊስ ጣቢያpo-LIS ta-BI-ya

🍽️Food & Dining

EnglishTigrinyaPronunciation
I'm hungryጠምየ ኣለኹtme-YE a-LE-khu
I'm thirstyጸሚኤ ኣለኹtse-MI-e a-LE-khu
The menu, pleaseዝርዝር መግቢ፣ በጃኻzr-ZR me-GBI be-JA-kha
WaterማይMAY
CoffeeቡንBUN
Breadዳቦda-BO
MeatስጋsGA
Vegetarianስጋ ዘይበልዕsGA zey-be-L
DeliciousጥዑምtUI-m
The bill, pleaseሕሳብ፣ በጃኻhsa-B be-JA-kha
I am allergic to...ኣለርጂ ኣለኒ ካብ...a-ler-JI a-LE-ni kab...
No sugarሽኮር ኣይደልንshko-R ay-DEL-n
Breakfastቁርሲqur-SI
Lunchፍርሰትfrs-ET
Dinnerምሸት ምግቢmSHET mg-BI
Restaurantቤት መግቢbet me-GBI
Table for twoሜዛ ንክልተ ሰብme-ZA nkl-TE sEB
BeerቢራBI-ra
Wineወይኒwe-YNI
Dessertመጠረሽታme-te-RESH-ta

🚨Emergency

EnglishTigrinyaPronunciation
Help!ሓግዘኒ!hag-ZE-ni
Call the police!ፖሊስ ጸውዕ!po-LIS tseu-Q
I need a doctorሓኪም የድልየኒha-KIM ye-dli-YE-ni
Fire!ሓዊ!ha-WI
Ambulanceኣምቡላንስam-bu-LANS
I've been robbedሰሪቖምኒse-ri-QO-mni
I'm injuredቁሰለ ኣለኹqu-SE-le a-LE-khu
Emergencyህጹጽht-SUTS
Where is the hospital?ሆስፒታል ኣበይ ኣሎ?hos-pi-TAL a-BEY a-LO
Lost passportፓስፖርት ጠፊኡpas-PORT tfe-FI-u
I need helpሓገዝ የድልየኒha-GEZ ye-dli-YE-ni
Dangerሓደጋha-DE-ga
Stop!ደው በል!dew BEL
Thief!ሰራቒ!se-RA-qi
I'm sickሓሚመ ኣለኹha-MI-me a-LE-khu

💼Business

EnglishTigrinyaPronunciation
Good morningደሃን ዶ ሓዲርካde-HAN do ha-DIR-ka
I have a meetingኣኼባ ኣለኒa-KHE-ba a-LE-ni
Business cardካርቲ ናይ ስራሕkar-TI nay sRA-h
What is your email?ኢሜይልካ እንታይ ኣሎ?i-MEY-lka in-TAY a-LO
I work for...ኣብ... እሰርሕab... i-SER-h
Managerሓላፊha-LA-fi
Meetingኣኼባa-KHE-ba
Officeቤት ጽሕፈትbet tshf-ET
Budgetባጀትba-JET
Invoiceፋክቱራfak-TU-ra
Contractውዕልwu-L
Deadlineመወዳእታ ዕለትme-we-DA-ta e-LET
Partnershipሽርክነትshrk-NET
Thank you for your timeንግዜኻ የቐንየልካngze-KHA ye-qe-NYE-lka

🔢Numbers & Time

EnglishTigrinyaPronunciation
Oneሓደha-DE
Twoክልተkl-TE
Threeሰለስተse-LES-te
Fourኣርባዕተar-BA-te
Fiveሓሙሽተha-MUSH-te
Sixሽዱሽተshu-DUSH-te
Sevenሸውዓተshew-A-te
Eightሸሞንተshe-MON-te
Nineትሽዓተtsh-A-te
Tenዓሰርተa-SER-te
Twentyዕስራes-RA
Fiftyሓምሳham-SA
One hundredሚእቲmi-I-ti
One thousandሽሕshih
What time is it?ሰዓት ክንደይ ኣሎ?se-AT kn-DEY a-LO
TodayሎሚLO-mi
Tomorrowጽባሕtsba-H
Yesterdayትማሊtma-LI
Mondayሰኑይse-NUY
Fridayዓርቢar-BI
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