Friday, May 8, 2009

Countdown to Court - 8 (oops! 1 day late!)

8 great Amharic phrases I hope to learn (written phonetically and addressed specifically to a boy):


1.  I love you so much!/Beht-AHM ehn-wuh-dih-HAH-loh!  

2.  Don't be afraid./AH-teh-frah.

3.  Are you hungry?/Rah-BEKH?

4.  Do you need to go potty?/Meh-tah-tih-bee-yah BAYT meh-HEHD tih-fuh-lih-GAL-ekh?
(When Miles heard this one, he said, "My head is full of garlic?"  Say the second half of this phrase out loud - it sounds exactly like that...it's like playing Mad Gab!)  :)

5.  Good job!/Tih-ROO sih-RAH!

6.  Are you tired?/Deh-keh-MEKH?

7.  Where does it hurt?/Yeht lie nohw yah-mih-MEKH?

8.  I'm sorry./Yih-kir-TAH

(And then a few one word commands such as:  Wait!/Koy!, Stop!/Koom!, Look!/Ay!)

3 comments:

Laura said...

Go girl! i have one phrase to add-- Amma -say -ga-na-lu I have no idea how to spell it for real but that is how you say thank you! Everyone was so kind and I felt like I was saying that all the time! So excited for you guys!

Heidi Klopfenstein said...

Erin,
I posted the Amharic words that we used the most in ET and the first months home. I had been wanting to do that, so thanks for the reminder :).

Erin said...

Laura and Heidi-
I would LOVE to glean as much as possible from both of you guys. Thanks for the comments and encouraging words! Heidi-I would love the password to your blog - eawuthrich@gmail.com

Thanks!