Latest / Learn Amharic with Fexingo / Amharic Shopping: Rice & Lentils
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey there. Welcome back to Learn Amharic with Fexingo. It is episode two seventy four. We are picking up right where we left off. Luna: Yes. Last time we were talking about cups and plates. And before that, scarves and hats. We have been covering so much stuff. Lucas: We have. But today we are going back to the market. Specifically, we are looking at dry goods. Things you store in your pantry. Luna: Oh, I like pantry items. They feel permanent. Like they belong in my kitchen forever. What are we learning today? Lucas: We are learning two very common words. The first one is rice. In Amharic, it is spelled daab. Let me say it slowly. Lucas: Daab.... Daab. Luna: Daab. Okay. That sounds simple. Just two syllables. Daab. Lucas: Exactly. Daab. Now, if you want to ask a shopkeeper if they have rice, you add a little question word at the end. The phrase is 'daab alehu?'. Lucas: Daab alehu?... Daab alehu? Luna: Daab alehu? Does that mean 'Do you have rice?'? Lucas: It does. Alehu means 'you have'. So you are asking 'rice you have?' which translates to 'do you have rice?'. Try it. Luna: Daab alehu? Is that right? Lucas: Perfect. There you go. Daab alehu. Now, let us talk about the second item. Lentils. In Amharic, this is misir. Lucas: Misir.... Misir. Luna: Misir. m i s i r. Misir. Got it. It sounds a bit softer than daab. Lucas: It does. To ask if they have lentils, we use the same structure. 'Misir alehu?'. Lucas: Misir alehu?... Misir alehu? Luna: Misir alehu? Okay. So 'do you have lentils?'. Lucas: Correct. Now, knowing what to ask is good. But usually, you want to buy some. How do you ask someone to give you something politely? Luna: I remember from earlier episodes. We use 'ibakih' for please. And then the verb form for 'give me'. Lucas: Right. Ibakihi stakeni. Please give me. So for rice, it is 'ibakihi daab stakeni'. Lucas: Ibakihi daab stakeni.... Ibakihi daab stakeni. Luna: Ibakihi daab stakeni. Wow. That is a long sentence. But it makes sense. Please give me rice. Lucas: It is a very useful sentence. Let us try the other one. For lentils, it is 'ibakihi misir stakeni'. Lucas: Ibakihi misir stakeni.... Ibakihi misir stakeni. Luna: Ibakihi misir stakeni. Okay. I can say both of those. Do you have rice? Please give me rice. Do you have lentils? Please give me lentils. Lucas: You got it. Daab alehu. Ibakihi daab stakeni. Misir alehu. Ibakihi misir stakeni. Let us repeat them together to lock them in. Luna: Daab alehu. Ibakihi daab stakeni. Misir alehu. Ibakihi misir stakeni. Lucas: Good. Now, imagine you are at the market. You see a pile of white grains. You want to check if it is rice. What do you say? Luna: I would walk up to the seller and ask, 'Daab alehu?'. Lucas: And if they say yes, and you want to buy a bag, what do you say next? Luna: I would say, 'Ibakihi daab stakeni'. Please give me rice. Lucas: Exactly. It is that simple. Now, let us think about lentils. Red lentils are very common in Ethiopia. They make a delicious stew. Luna: I love red lentil stew. So if I am looking for the red ones, I still just say 'Misir alehu?'. Lucas: Yes. Usually, if they only sell one type, that is the default. If they have different colors, you might specify, but for now, 'misir' covers it all. Luna: Okay. So I can ask 'Misir alehu?' and if they have it, I say 'Ibakihi misir stakeni'. Lucas: That is exactly right. You are building a whole conversation just with these four phrases. Daab alehu. Ibakihi daab stakeni. Misir alehu. Ibakihi misir stakeni. Luna: It feels like I can actually go to a store now. Before this, I was scared to ask for anything new. Lucas: That is why we keep it small. One or two words at a time. Today it is rice and lentils. Next time, maybe eggs or oil. Luna: Eggs would be good. Or maybe coffee beans. I need to learn how to buy coffee too. Lucas: We will get there. But first, let us practice these four phrases one more time. Slowly. With feeling. Luna: Daab alehu. Ibakihi daab stakeni. Misir alehu. Ibakihi misir stakeni. Lucas: Beautiful. You are doing great. Remember, repetition is key. Say these out loud while you cook dinner tonight. Luna: I will. I am making lentils tonight anyway. So I can practice right in the kitchen. Lucas: That is the best way to learn. Real world context. Speaking the language while you live your life. Luna: Yeah. It sticks better when it is connected to something real. Like food. Lucas: Absolutely. Food is such a big part of culture. Learning the words for it helps you connect with people on a deeper level. Luna: I never thought about it that way. It is not just about ordering. It is about connection. Lucas: Exactly. When you speak their language at the market, you show respect. You show interest. People notice. Luna: I want to notice too. I want to be that person who knows what they are doing at the market. Lucas: You already are. You are listening. You are trying. That is all it takes. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. I feel more confident now. Daab alehu. Misir alehu. I got this. Lucas: You do. Keep practicing. And remember, Fexingo is here to help you every step of the way. Luna: If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, consider supporting the show. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going. Visit buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — that's F. E. X. I. N. G. O. Lucas: Your support really does make a difference. It allows us to keep creating these small, digestible lessons for you. Luna: Thank you for being part of our community. It means a lot to us. Lucas: Now, let us wrap up today's phrases one last time. Daab alehu. Ibakihi daab stakeni. Misir alehu. Ibakihi misir stakeni. Luna: Daab alehu. Ibakihi daab stakeni. Misir alehu. Ibakihi misir stakeni. Lucas: Great job. Practice these till we chat again. See you next time.