Ethiopian Amharic Phrasebook

Lonely Planet Phrasebooks

by Tilahun Kebede, Tilahun Gabriel, Lonely Planet (Manufactured by)

Voices woven through staccato rhythms lead you to a narrow alley. Laughter flows from beneath a door. It opens to a kaleidoscope of sound and color, led by an azmari singing a song of invitation. A waiter smiles as you glance in the book - you order a bira and some ocholoni. The day had started with a mountain-top view of the Blue Nile and now the vibrant city nightlife takes you in...
In This Guide:
New pronunciation guide and Amharic script.
Expanded dictionary with over 1000 words.
Grammar essentials for building your own sentences.
Cultural information and basic travel tips.
Phrases for every traveler.

Genres: Reference, Language, Linguistics

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lonely Planet puts out pretty decent books. They are not meant for hardcore language instruction, and this wont make you a proficient speaker of Amharic, but for something quick and easy to digest this really isn't bad at all. I have already tried out a little Amharic with native speakers after a few days of using this book and while I got a couple well-meant giggles at my pronunciation they were pretty impressed that some Polish white kid could converse and I was understood.

Good for travelers and casual speakers, not for study, but that's all the book claims.

[Rachel N · Rating 2 out of 5]

This pocket-reference was not very helpful. A straight Amharic-English dictionary would be better.