Men Ainet muzika teweddalachu?
 

Men Ainet Muzika Teweddalachu? [lit. what kind music Do-Like-You-plural?]

yemetwedo yemuzika gwad no? [lit. Of-Like-You Of-Music-Group it-is?]

Reggae na bluesu na betem grateful deadu eweddalo. [lit. Reggae and Blues-the and Very-Much-Grateful Dead-The Of-Like-I.]

Ok, and what's the point again?

yep, totally back on the weed!

What is this, Amharic for Morons?

Is that you?

to find out what kind of music you all like, and also perhaps show some people the crazy syntax of this language I have been learning.


ow! [yes!]


aidelem! [lit. of-that-is-not] [or, no]


ehyemisb, yellem lekel le' "no" yeqel beamarenya [lit. of-interest, there-is-not to "no" of-word in-amharic] [or, interestingly, there is not word for no in Amharic]

yehi fotograf ye Jerry Garcia be-Ebs no! [lit. That-is picture of-Jerry Garcia in-Egypt it-is]

How are you learning it? Is it something you're going to classes for? I admire anyone that learns a new language. It's maybe the most valuable and enriching thing anyone can do.

at this stage I am studying it from dictionaries, phrase books, and a little help from Ethiopians when they have the time. Presently I have very limited vocabularly, but my pronounciation is perfect, and I am getting progressively better at understanding the syntax in my mind, thinking in Amhric syntax multi-tasked alongside my English thoughts... my goal to be conversationally fluent within one year or so from this point. if anything, I post on here in Amhric to practice, sort of like those spelling exercises from the second grade? repitition and practice is the key!

I think the hardest part of learning a language outside of the country in question, is that you're never really forced to use it. It's good that you talk as often as you can with actual Ethiopians, but being surrounded by non-Ethiopian culture and media makes it so easy to just forget what you've already learnt. Given your connections, I'm sure you have access to books, newspapers, etc. that are written in Amhric, which would make it easier. I suppose it's almost a case of trying to live in such a way that you're surrounded as much as possible by that culture.

no, I have nothing to read in amharic, as it is all written in the ge'ez amharic script, [from cantankerous signature] which is different entirely then the latin script, and ethiopians do not publish many things transliterated... only a few church things. I am trying to learn this language because I am surrounded by this culture, and am an active participant rather then spectator, and so it is most appropriate that I learn the language, the way all the Ethiopians I know learned to speak english to talk to me.