Emergency

1. እርዳታ!

   Irdata!

   Help!

   Usage

   Call for help in an emergency situation

   Grammar Note

   "እርዳ" is the verb root "to help" with "-ታ" as a nominalizing suffix. In emergencies, call out loudly and clearly.

2. ፖሊስ ጥሩ!

   Polis tiru!

   Call the police!

   Usage

   Used in emergencies requiring the police

   Grammar Note

   Ethiopian police emergency number is 991 (ambulance 907, fire 939). "ፖሊስ" is borrowed from English. Polite imperative: "ይጥሩ (yitiru)". Federal Police press 1, Addis Ababa Police press 2. 911 is not Ethiopia's police number.

3. ሐኪም ያስፈልገኛል

   Hakim yasfelgegnal

   I need a doctor

   Usage

   Used when you need medical assistance

   Grammar Note

   "ሐኪም" is from Arabic "حكيم" (hakim = wise one/physician). The "-ኛ" in "ያስፈልገኛል" marks the first person object.

4. ሆስፒታሉ የት ነው?

   Hospitalu yet new?

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   Asking for the location of a hospital in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "ሆስፒታል" is borrowed from English. Addis Ababa has major hospitals including Black Lion Hospital.

5. ቦርሳዬ ተሰረቀ

   Borsaye tesereke

   My bag was stolen

   Usage

   Reporting a theft to police or relevant authorities

   Grammar Note

   "ተሰረቀ" is the passive of "ሰረቀ" (to steal). Amharic passive is formed with the prefix "ተ-".

6. ጤናዬ ጥሩ አይደለም

   Tenaye tiru aydelem

   I do not feel well

   Usage

   Expressing that you feel unwell

   Grammar Note

   "አይደለም" is the negative of the copula "ነው". Opposite of "ጥሩ ነኝ (tiru negn)" = "I am fine".

7. አምቡላንስ ጥሩ!

   Ambulans tiru!

   Call an ambulance!

   Usage

   Used when an ambulance is urgently needed

   Grammar Note

   "አምቡላንስ" is borrowed from English. Ethiopian ambulance emergency number is 907.

8. ፓስፖርቴ ጠፋ

   Pasporte tefa

   I lost my passport

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to the embassy or police

   Grammar Note

   "ጠፋ" is the perfective form of "to get lost/disappear". "-ቴ" in "ፓስፖርቴ" is the first person possessive suffix "my".

9. አለርጂ አለኝ

   Alerji alegn

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Informing medical staff about food or medicine allergies

   Grammar Note

   "አለኝ" = "አለ" (there is) + first person possessive suffix "-ኝ", meaning "I have".

10. ኤምባሲው የት ነው?

    Embasiw yet new?

    Where is the embassy?

    Usage

    Finding the embassy location in emergencies like passport loss

    Grammar Note

    "ኤምባሲ" is borrowed from Italian "ambasciata" (embassy). Addis Ababa hosts the African Union HQ and embassies of many countries.

11. እሳት!

    Isat!

    Fire!

    Usage

    Emergency shout to warn of fire

    Grammar Note

    "እሳት (Isat)" is the most common word for "fire". In emergencies, shout "እሳት! እሳት!" repeatedly. Fire brigade: 939.

12. በቃ!

    Beka!

    Stop it! Enough!

    Usage

    Show it to shut down persistent touts or a rip-off; being blunt is the point

13. አትንኩኝ!

    Atinkugn!

    Do not touch me!

    Usage

    Refuses contact without raising your voice; the plural/polite imperative form

14. ተዘረፍኩ

    Tezerefku

    I have been robbed

    Usage

    For reporting the crime to police or bystanders

15. መንገድ ጠፋብኝ

    Menged tefabign

    I am lost

    Usage

    Easier to get help if you show it alongside a map

16. ሌባ

    leba

    Thief

    Usage

    The word for someone who steals; use it to call for help or to report what happened

17. ጠለፋ

    telefa

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Point to this to report that someone has been abducted; the same word covers hijacking

18. ግድያ

    gidiya

    Murder

    Usage

    Point to this to report to the police or bystanders that someone has been killed

19. ሁከት

    huket

    Riot

    Usage

    Point to this to say that a riot or civil disturbance is going on

20. ቦምብ

    bomb

    Bomb

    Usage

    Point to this to report a suspicious object or an explosive device

21. እሳት! ይውጡ!

    Isat! yiwutu!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Shout this to raise the alarm and tell people to get out; it goes further than the plain shout "እሳት!"

    Grammar Note

    Adds "ይውጡ", the polite imperative of "ወጣ" (to go out), to the shout "እሳት!". "ይውጡ" is used for orders to leave a place, as in "ወዲያውኑ ወደ ፈረንሣይ ሶማሌላንድ ይውጡ".

22. ፖሊስ ጣቢያ የት ነው?

    Polis tabiya yet new?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Ask where the police station is, for example when you need to file a report

    Grammar Note

    The same "ጣቢያ የት ነው?" frame as "አውቶቡስ ጣቢያ የት ነው?" ("Where is the bus station?"), with the first word replaced by "ፖሊስ".

23. ጃፓንኛ የሚናገር ሰው አለ?

    Japanigna yeminager sew ale?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Ask at a hospital or a police station whether anyone there speaks Japanese

    Grammar Note

    The existential question "... አለ?" has the same frame as "ሊፍት አለ?". The relative phrase "የሚናገር ሰው" (a person who speaks) is used as in "የቻይን ማንዳሪን የሚናገር ሰው", with the language name in the slot.

24. ንቃተ ህሊና የለም

    Nikate hilina yelem

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Point at the person who has collapsed and say that they are not conscious

    Grammar Note

    The frame "X የለም" (there is no X) is the one in "ችግር የለም" (no problem), with the subject "ንቃተ ህሊና". The noun is used as in "የአንድ ሰው ንቃተ ህሊና አካል".

25. ሰው እየሰጠመ ነው!

    Sew iyeseteme new!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Raise the alarm that someone has fallen into water and is going under

    Grammar Note

    The progressive "እየ + verb" is the shape of "ኤርኮንዲሽኑ እየሰራ አይደለም", and "እየ ... ነው" is the frame of "ደም እየፈሰሰኝ ነው"; the verb is "ሰጠመ" (to sink, to drown), used as in "በነጭ ዐባይ ወንዝ ውስጥ ገብቶ ሰጠመ" (went into the White Nile and drowned).

26. ቤቴ ተዘረፈ

    Bete tezerefe

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Tell the hotel or the police that your room or house was entered and robbed while you were out

    Grammar Note

    The verb is the passive of "ዘረፈ" seen in "ተዘረፍኩ" (I was robbed), here with a third person subject, so the ending is -ፈ. "ተዘረፈ" is used as in "ከብቱም ተዘረፈ" (the cattle too were taken). The subject "ቤቴ" is ቤት (house) with the first person possessive.

27. ይህ ሰው ወንጀለኛ ነው

    Yih sew wenjelegna new

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Point at the person and tell the police; use it when the person is right there

    Grammar Note

    The copular frame "ይህ ... ነው" is that of "ይህ እውነተኛ ነው?" and "ይህ አቅጣጫ ትክክለኛ ነው?", with "ወንጀለኛ" in the complement slot. The suffix "-ኛ" forms nouns and adjectives of quality, as in ትክክለኛ and እውነተኛ. "ወንጀለኛ" means criminal.

28. መኪና ገጨኝ

    Mekina gechegn

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Say that a car hit you; literally "a car hit me"

    Grammar Note

    The verb "ገጨ" (to collide) is used as in "ድንገት መኪና ቢገጨው" (if a car suddenly hit him). The ending "-ኝ" is the first person object suffix, as in "ያምኛል" and "ጠፋብኝ".

29. እባክዎ ወዲያውኑ ይምጡ

    Ebakwo wediyawinu yimtu

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Ask someone on the phone to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    "እባክዎ" plus a polite imperative, as in "እባክዎ ንገሩኝ". The same construction is used in "በአስቸኳይ ወደቤተ መንግሥት ይምጡ" (come to the palace at once).

30. አስቸኳይ ነው

    Aschekuay new

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    Say that you cannot wait your turn and need attention now

    Grammar Note

    The clause-final copula "ነው" is used as in "... ሁኔታ ላይ ነው?". "አስቸኳይ" means urgent/pressing, as in "አስቸኳይ ስብሰባ" (an urgent meeting).

31. እባክዎ ወደ ሆስፒታል ይውሰዱኝ

    Ebakwo wede hospital yiwusedugn

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Ask a taxi driver or a bystander to take you to a hospital

    Grammar Note

    "እባክዎ" plus a polite imperative, as in "እባክዎ ንገሩኝ"; the imperative is "ይውሰዱ" from "ወሰደ" (to take) with the first person object "-ኝ" attached, the same suffix as in "እባክዎ በዚህ ይርዱኝ". "ይውሰዱ" is used as in "ቅድሚያውን ይውሰዱ". The directional "ወደ" is the one in "ወደ ጃፓን".

32. ሌባውን ያዙት!

    Lebawin yazut!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shout this right after a theft to get bystanders to act; it asks for more than the plain word "ሌባ"

    Grammar Note

    The sequence "object + -ን + a verb in ያ-" is that of "ቡናውን ያዩሉ". The noun is "ሌባ" with the definite -ው and the accusative -ን, used as in "ፖሊሱ ... ሌባውን ... ለመያዝ ነው" (the policeman is to catch the thief). The verb ያዘ means catch / hold / seize / make an arrest.

33. አንድ ሰው ደበደበኝ

    And sew debedebegn

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Tell the police or a doctor that you were assaulted; literally "someone beat me"

    Grammar Note

    The verb ደበደበ means "To attack, to beat, to assault". The ending "-ኝ" is the first person object suffix, as in "ያምኛል" and "ጠፋብኝ".

34. አንድ ሰው ወጋኝ

    And sew wegagn

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Say that you were stabbed; literally "someone stabbed me". Point at the wound

    Grammar Note

    The subject "አንድ ሰው" is followed by a verb carrying the first person object "-ኝ". The verb ወጋ means pierce / stab / prick / gore, and ተወጋ is its passive.

35. አንድ ሰው አታለለኝ

    And sew atalelegn

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Say that you have been cheated or scammed; literally "someone deceived me"

    Grammar Note

    The verb አታለለ means deceive / cheat / trick, and its passive ተታለለ is used as in "የውሸት ጥሪ ተታለለች" (was taken in by a hoax call).

36. ቦርሳዬን ረሳሁት

    Borsayen resahut

    I left it behind

    Usage

    Say that you left your bag behind; point at a map or gesture to show where

    Grammar Note

    "ቦርሳዬ" (my bag) takes the accusative -ን here, the same suffix as in "ቪዛዬን". The verb ረሳ corresponds to English "forget", alongside ዘነጋ. The first person "ረሳሁት" is used as in "በአሉን ረሳሁት" (I had forgotten the feast day). ረሳ also has a homograph meaning "be wet".

37. የመኪና አደጋ ደረሰ

    Yemekina adega derece

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Tell an emergency line or the people around you that a road accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    The "አደጋ ደረሰ" ("an accident happened") prefixed with the genitive "የመኪና" ("of a car"). መኪና is a borrowing of Italian "macchina": a motor-driven vehicle on wheels used to move people and goods along roads.

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