Welcome back to Part 3 of our comprehensive Amharic alphabet series! This lesson focuses on the unique Amharic hybrid letters—known as ድቃላ ሆሄያት (Dqala Hohieyat). You’ll learn what they are, how they’re formed, and exactly how to type them using your keyboard. Let’s dive in!
In our previous guides, we explored how the main Amharic consonants transform their shape, sound, and meaning up to six times when combined with different vowels like ኧ/e, ኡ/u, ኢ/i, ኣ/a, ኤ/ie, and ኦ/o.
So, what are Amharic hybrid letters?
However, when two specific vowels, ‘ኡ‘ (u) and ‘ኣ‘ (a), are added consecutively, they form an entirely new, eighth letter. This is precisely what we refer to as a hybrid letter. The Amharic hybrid letters are also known as ድቃላ ሆሄያት (Dqala Hohieyat). Let’s see an example tables below to illustrate this:
So when these two vowels, namely “ኡኣ/ua,” are added in succession to the Amharic consonant letters, they form another eighth letter. This eighth form is what’s called a hybrid letter or ድቃላ ሆሄ (Dqala Hohie).
How to Type Amharic Hybrid Letters (Like ቋ, ሏ, and ፏ) on a Keyboard
Have you ever tried to type these Amharic labialized letters like ቋ, ሏ, ፏ etc? It’s easier than you think! Here’s a quick overview—though we also have a full guide for beginners [here].
Here is one key rule you need to know to type the Amharic hybrid letters such as ቋ, ሏ, or ፏ using phonetic keyboards on Windows or laptops.
Always use “ua” after the consonant. Not “wa” because that gives you a completely different result!
So to type a hybrid letter like ኋ, follow these steps:
First, change your keyboard input to Amharic. Here’s how to enable Amharic on Windows.
Type the Latin letter for the consonant (e.g.,
Hfor ህ).Then immediately type
ufollowed bya.
Example: Typing H + u + a = ኋ
This rule works for nearly all Amharic hybrid letters except one — ኧ.
Special Case: How to Type ኧ
To type ኧ, you don’t use ua. Instead, just press the e key twice.
Example: Typing e + e = ኧ
Used in expressions like: ኧረ ተው! → “Stop it!” or “Are you serious?!”
Don’t Type ‘WA’! The Right Way to Type Amharic Labialized Letters
Many learners and even Amharic teachers and native speakers try typing “wa” after a consonant to create a hybrid sound. But this leads to unintended characters.
Let’s Compare:
To type ሏ (“lua”):
✅ Correct:
Lua→ ሏ❌ Incorrect:
Lwa→ ልዋ (a totally different word)
To type ቋ (“qua”):
✅ Correct:
Qua→ ቋ❌ Typing
qwagives ቅዋ❌ Typing
ḳuagives ኳ (from ከ series)
So remember: only “ua” works for typing labialized/hybrid letters.
Full List of Hybrid Letters That Use “UA”
Here are all the hybrid letters typed with this rule:
| Letter | Type It As | Letter | Type It As |
|---|---|---|---|
| ኋ | Hua | ሏ | Lua |
| ሟ | Mua | ሷ | Sua |
| ሯ | Rua | ሿ | Xua |
| ቋ | Qua | ቧ | Bua |
| ቷ | Tua | ቿ | Cua |
| ኗ | Nua | ኳ | Kua |
| ኟ | Gnua | ጓ | Gua |
| ዷ | Dua | ጇ | Jua |
| ዟ | Zua | ጧ | Shift Tua |
| ጯ | Shift Cua | ፏ | Fua |
Are Hybrid Letters Really That Important?
Yes—very much so! These letters are essential in everyday Amharic, even more than many standard Fidel characters. They form many common, meaningful words.
Common Amharic Words with Hybrid Letters
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ቋንቋ (Quanqua) | Language |
| በኋላ (Behuala) | Behind / Later |
| ጧት (Tuat) | Morning |
| ባሏ (Balua) | Her husband |
| ሟሟ (Muamua) | Melted (e.g., butter) |
| አገሯ (Agerua) | Her country |
| አባቷ (Abatua) | Her father |
| ቧንቧ (Buanbua) | Pipe / Faucet |
| አኗኗር (Anuanuar) | Lifestyle |
| ጓደኛ (Guadegna) | Friend |
| ፏፏቴ (Fuafuatie) | Waterfall |
| ኳስ (Kuas) | Ball |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What are labialized or hybrid letters in Amharic?
A: Labialized letters (ድቃላ ሆሄያት) are combinations of a consonant + a vowel, like ቋ (qua), ሏ (lua), or ፏ (fua).
Q2: How to pronounce these letters correctly?
To pronounce them correctly, we slightly round or “circle” our lips, just like when pronouncing English sounds such as “wa” or “wo”. This lip-rounding is what gives them their “labialized” quality.
Q3: Why doesn’t typing “wa” give me the correct Amharic letter?
A: Typing “wa” after a consonant creates a different combination like ልዋ or ቅዋ. Instead, you should type “ua” to get the correct labialized letter. For example, “Qua” gives ቋ, not “Qwa”.
Q4: How do I enable Amharic typing on my Windows computer?
A: You can add Amharic as a keyboard input language in your Windows settings. Click here to read our full guide.
Q5: Can I type Amharic labialized letters using a phone keyboard?
A: Yes! Most Amharic keyboards like Agergna (አገርኛ) support labialized letters. Just long-press on the fourth letter or use the suggestions depending on the keyboard app you use.
Q6: What is the correct way to type ቋ, ኳ, ፏ, or ኋ?
A: Use the base consonant + “ua”:
- Qua → ቋ
- Kua → ኳ
- Fua → ፏ
- Bua → ቧ
- Hua → ኋ
Q7: Are labialized letters used in everyday Amharic?
A: Yes, labialized sounds appear in many common Amharic words and daily conversations.
Q8: How many labialized (hybrid) letters are there in Amharic?
A: There are 21 labialized letters (ድቃላ ሆሄያት) in Amharic. However, only a few of them are commonly used in everyday language.
One of the rarest is ኟ, which appears in only one word — አኟክ (Agnuak or Anyuak), the name of an ethnic group in Ethiopia.
Another rare letter is ጯ. It is also very uncommon. I can recall only two words where it appears:
- ጯሂ – Describes someone who is short-tempered or easily angered, especially over small things.
- ጉንጯ – Means “her cheek.”
If you know more words that include these rare letters, let me know in the comments!
Q9: What is the special case about the letter ኧ?
A: The letter ኧ is a special case because, although it’s included in the hybrid letter set, it is not pronounced with rounded lips. Instead, we pronounce it with an open mouth. This makes it phonetically different from the other hybrid letters.
In fact, the ኧ sound is the sixth vowel form and is the vowel sound you hear in the first row of most Amharic letters (e.g., when you say ለ, መ, ሰ, ቀ, በ, ተ). The only exceptions are the ሀ, ሐ, and ኀ families, which are pronounced with an ‘a’ sound. This is why the first letters are transcribed as ‘le,’ ‘me,’ ‘se,’ etc., rather than ‘la,’ ‘ma,’ ‘sa,’ etc., which is how the letters in the fourth row are pronounced.
Q10: How can I type ጧ and ጯ on a keyboard?
A: To type ጧ and ጯ, you need to use the Shift key:
- To type ጧ: press Shift + t, then u, then a.
- To type ጯ: press Shift + c, then u, then a.
Practice Typing Hybrid Letters
If you want to practice typing hybrid letters:
Try our free online Amharic keyboard
Or use the built-in Amharic keyboard on Windows
Need help? Read our full tutorial or watch this video to get started without installing any software
Deepen Your Amharic Fidel Understanding
Ready to truly master the Amharic alphabet (ፊደል)? Our comprehensive series will guide you every step of the way:
- Part 1: Identifying Amharic Alphabet Shapes Easily: Discover 7 key facts that will help you quickly recognize and distinguish Amharic alphabet shapes.
- Part 2: Understanding Similar-Sounding Amharic Letters: Dive deeper into the Amharic alphabet with a lesson specifically designed to help you differentiate between letters that sound alike.
- Part 3: Mastering Amharic Hybrid Letters (ድቃላ ሆሄያት): This lesson focuses specifically on the fascinating Amharic hybrid letters, providing detailed explanations and examples.
- Part 4: Test Your Knowledge with a Voice Quiz: In this quiz, you’ll type all the Amharic alphabets you hear in the audio. Put your Amharic Fidel Gebeta skills to the test with this interactive quiz, complete with voice prompts to enhance your learning experience.
