Latest / Learn Amharic with Fexingo / Amharic Shopping: Spices & Herbs Basics
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Learn Amharic with Fexingo. I’m Lucas. Luna: And I’m Luna. We are so happy to be here again with you. Lucas: We’ve covered a lot of kitchen stuff recently. Plates, bowls, knives, forks. Luna: Yeah, we know all about the utensils now. But what about the food itself? Lucas: Exactly. Today we are going to the market. Specifically, the spice section. Luna: Oh, I love spices. Ethiopian food is so flavorful because of them. Lucas: It really is. And knowing how to ask for these specific spices is very useful. Luna: Let’s start with the most famous one. The red powder. Lucas: Right. Berbere. It’s the base for many stews. Let’s learn how to ask for it. Luna: Okay. How do I say 'Do you have berbere'? Lucas: Listen closely. በርበሬ አለህ? Luna: በርበሬ አለህ? So, 'berbere' then 'alehu'? Lucas: Exactly. Berbere alehu. Do you have berbere? Luna: Let me try that again. Berbere alehu. Lucas: Perfect. There it is. Say it once more for practice. Luna: Berbere alehu. Okay, I got that. Lucas: Great job. Now, imagine you are at a stall. You see a pile of brown powder. Luna: That looks like shiro flour. How do I ask if they have it? Lucas: This phrase is slightly different. It asks if you have brought some. Luna: Got it. What is the phrase for shiro? Lucas: Listen. ሽሮ ይዘው ነው? Luna: Shiro yidzew ne wu? That sounds elegant. Lucas: It does. Shiro yidzew ne wu? Have you brought shiro? Luna: Let me repeat that. Shiro yidzew ne wu? Lucas: Very good. You are getting the rhythm. Luna: I feel like a pro already. What about mitmita? That yellow powder? Lucas: Good question. Mitmita is hotter. But today let’s focus on asking for what we need. Luna: Right. If I want mitmita, how do I say 'I need mitmita'? Lucas: Here is the phrase. ምንጢማ ያስፈልገኛል Luna: Mitmita yasafelgelna. I need mitmita. Lucas: Spot on. Mitmita yasafelgelna. It means 'I need mitmita'. Luna: Let me try it slowly. Mitmita... yasafelgelna. Lucas: Yes. That is exactly right. Yasafelgelna is a great verb to know. Luna: I like that one. It feels important. Lucas: It is. Now, sometimes you don’t want a big bag. Maybe just a little bit. Luna: Oh, yes. Just a small amount for testing. Lucas: How do you ask for a small portion politely? Luna: Is it 'please give me a little'? Lucas: Yes. Listen to this one. እባክህ ትንሽ ስጠኝ Luna: Ibaki tinish siteni? Please give me a little. Lucas: Correct. Ibaki tinish siteni. Ibaki is please. Tinish is little. Siteni is give me. Luna: Ibaki tinish siteni. Okay, I can remember that structure. Lucas: Let’s practice the whole flow. You walk up. You ask for berbere. Luna: Berbere alehu? Lucas: The seller says yes. You ask for a little bit. Luna: Ibaki tinish siteni. Lucas: Perfect interaction. Now, you need to know the price. Luna: Of course. How much is it? Lucas: You’ve heard this before, but let’s say it clearly. ይህ ስንት ነው? Luna: Yihisinit new? This is how much? Lucas: Yihisinit new? Yes. Yihisinit new? Luna: Yihisinit new. Got it. Lucas: Before we continue, I want to mention something important. Luna: What is that? Lucas: If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language... Luna: Then your support matters. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going. Lucas: You can visit buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo if you've gotten something out of them. Luna: It really helps us keep making episodes like this ad-free for you. Lucas: Thanks for listening. Now, back to the spices. Luna: Let’s review the phrases we learned today. Lucas: First, asking for berbere. Berbere alehu. Luna: Berbere alehu. Do you have berbere? Lucas: Second, asking for shiro. Shiro yidzew ne wu? Luna: Shiro yidzew ne wu? Have you brought shiro? Lucas: Third, stating a need. Mitmita yasafelgelna. Luna: Mitmita yasafelgelna. I need mitmita. Lucas: Fourth, asking for a small amount. Ibaki tinish siteni. Luna: Ibaki tinish siteni. Please give me a little. Lucas: And finally, asking the price. Yihisinit new? Luna: Yihisinit new? How much is this? Lucas: Excellent. Let’s put them in a quick scene. Luna: I am at the market. I see fresh spices. Lucas: You approach the vendor. You say, Berbere alehu? Luna: The vendor nods. You ask, Shiro yidzew ne wu? Lucas: He shows you some. You say, Mitmita yasafelgelna. Luna: He smiles and hands you a small packet. You say, Ibaki tinish siteni. Lucas: Then you look at the cost. Yihisinit new? Luna: He tells you the price. You pay and smile. Lucas: That was smooth. You used all five phrases naturally. Luna: I felt confident. It wasn't too hard at all. Lucas: That is because we broke it down step by step. Luna: Repetition really helps. I said berbere alehu three times. Lucas: And you nailed it. Practice these until we chat again. Luna: Next time we might talk about vegetables. Lucas: Maybe. Or maybe something else entirely. See you next time. Luna: Bye everyone! Keep practicing your Amharic.