Latest / Learn Amharic with Fexingo / Amharic Shopping: Spices & Herbs
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Amharic with Fexingo. I’m Lucas. Luna: And I’m Luna. We are ready for another small step today. Lucas: Last time we talked about coffee and injera. Today we go deeper into the flavors. Luna: Oh, the spices. The heart of Ethiopian cooking. Lucas: Exactly. If you want to cook authentic food, you need the right words. Luna: Let’s start with the most famous one. Berbere. Lucas: Right. Berbere is the red spice mix. It is everywhere. Luna: How do I ask if the shop has it? Lucas: Listen carefully. በርበሬ አለህ? Be-ber-re a le hu? Luna: Be-ber-re... a le hu? Lucas: Good. Let's say it again slowly. በርበሬ አለህ? Luna: በርበሬ አለህ? Do you have berbere? Lucas: Perfect. You are asking the seller directly. It is simple and polite. Luna: I love how short that is. Just two words. Lucas: It is efficient. Now, let's try another common item. Shiro. Luna: Shiro powder. For the stew. Lucas: Yes. But this phrase is slightly different. Listen. ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Shi-ro yid-zew neu? Luna: Shiro... yidzew neu? Lucas: Repeat it. ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Luna: ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Do you have shiro? Lucas: Correct. Yidzew implies possession. 'Do you carry it?' It sounds very natural. Luna: I feel like I am already at the market stall. Lucas: Imagine it. You walk up. You say ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Luna: Then the seller smiles and points to the jars. Lucas: But wait. Sometimes you don't want the whole bag. Luna: Oh, right. I only need a little bit for tonight. Lucas: So you need to ask for a small amount. This phrase is very useful. እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ. Iba-kh tin-ish si tekh ni? Luna: Iba-kh... tin-ish... si tekh ni? Lucas: Break it down. Tinish means small. Sutekni means give me. Luna: Please give me a little. Lucas: Exactly. Say it with me. እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ. Luna: እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ. Please give me a little. Lucas: That is polite and clear. The seller will scoop just enough. Luna: This feels so practical. I can use this immediately. Lucas: Let's add one more specific herb. Mint tea is popular. Luna: Men-tima. I remember this word from before. Lucas: If you want to buy it, you say: ምንጢማ ያስፈልገኛል. min ti ma ya sfel gen yal? Luna: Min-tima... ya sfel gen yal? Lucas: ya sfel gen yal means 'I need'. So, 'I need mint'. Luna: ምንጢማ ያስፈልገኛል. I need mint. Lucas: Very good. Now, imagine you picked your items. How do you ask the price? Luna: We learned this earlier. It is easy. ይህ ስንት ነው? Yi-hu sin-ti neu? Lucas: Yes. How much is this? Point to the jar or the bunch. Luna: ይህ ስንት ነው? How much is this? Lucas: Let's review the set quickly. Start with the first one. Luna: Okay. First is asking for berbere. በርበሬ አለህ? Lucas: Correct. And for shiro? Luna: ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Do you have shiro? Lucas: Good. And if you want a small amount? Luna: እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ. Please give me a little. Lucas: And for mint specifically? Luna: ምንጢማ ያስፈልገኛል. I need mint. Lucas: And finally, the price check. Luna: ይህ ስንት ነው? How much is this? Lucas: You got them all. Five phrases for the spice market. Luna: It feels like unlocking a new level of cooking. Lucas: It is. Once you know these words, the ingredients make sense. Luna: I am going to practice these while I chop vegetables. Lucas: That is the best way. Repetition in context. Luna: By the way, Lucas, if this episode helped you... Lucas: If learning Amharic feels worth a small coffee to you, there is a link below. Luna: You can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — that's F. E. X. I. N. G. O. Lucas: Your support keeps these episodes free and ad-free. Thank you. Luna: Back to the kitchen. Let's say those phrases one more time together. Lucas: Ready? Begin with berbere. በርበሬ አለህ? Luna: በርበሬ አለህ? Do you have berbere? Lucas: Next, shiro. ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Luna: ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Do you have shiro? Lucas: Small amount. እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ. Luna: እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ. Please give me a little. Lucas: Mint. ምንጢማ ያስፈልገኛል. Luna: ምንጢማ ያስፈልገኛል. I need mint. Lucas: Price. ይህ ስንት ነው? Luna: ይህ ስንት ነው? How much is this? Lucas: Excellent work today. Practice these until we meet again. Luna: See you next time. Bye!