Phone Conversation in Amharic

📞 Asking who is on the phone

• ይቅርታ ማን ልበል? = Excuse me, who is this?

• ይቅርታ አላወቅኩህም ማን ልበል? = Sorry, I didn’t know you; who is this?

• ማን ልበል? = Who is this?

Sample dialogue:

• ሄለው Hello
• ሄለው Hello
• ሰላም ነሽ? How are you? 
• ሰላም ነኝ። አላወቅኩህም፣ ማን ልበል? I’m good. I didn’t recognize your voice; who is this?
• ሙሐመድ ነኝ። I am Muhammed.
• እንዴ! ሙሐመድ እንዴት ነህ? Oh! Muhammed, how are you? 
• ደህና ነኝ። አንችስ እንዴት ነሽ? I am good. How about you?
• ደህና ነኝ። I am good. 
• ባለቤትሽን ፈልጌው ነበር። አሁን አለንዴ? I wanted to speak with your husband. Is he available now?
• አሁን የለም ወጥቷ። በኋላ ደውልለት ወይም መልእክት ካለህ ላድርስልህ። He is not available here right now; he has stepped out. Let me deliver your message if you have.
• ሲመጣ ደውልልኝ ብሎሃል በይው። When he comes back, tell him Muhammed called; please call me back.
• እሽ እለዋለሁ። Okay, I will do that. 
• እሽ አመሰግናለሁ፣ ቻው። Okay, thank you. Bye.
• እሽ ቻው ሙሐመድ። Okay, bye Muhamemd.

Common telephone expressions:

• እሽ አገናኝዎታለሁ = I will put you through.
• ላገናኝህ? Should I put you through?
• ትንሽ፣ ጠብቀኝ። = Okay, wait a moment, please.
• ስልክ ማንሳት = Answering a call
• ምን አልከኝ? = What did you say, please?
• ድምፅህ እየተቆራረጠ ነው። = Your voice keeps cutting off.

Sample dialogue:

• አሰላሙ አለይኩም አህመድ። አባትህ አለ? Peace be upon you, Ahmed. Is your father there?
• ወዓለይኩም አሰላም። አወ አለ፣ ላገናኝህ? Peace be upon you too. Yeah, he is here; should I connect you with him?
• እሽ አገናኘኝ። Yes please. Connect me with him.
• እሽ፣ ትንሽ ጠብቀኝ። Okay, wait a moment, please.
• ስልክ ሲደወልልህ ለምን አታነሳም? Why don’t you answer the phone when it rings?
• ስልኩ ይቆራረጣል፣ ምን አልከኝ? The call keeps cutting out; what did you say, please?
• ስልክ ለምን አታነሳም? አይሰማም? Why don’t you answer the phone when it rings? Can’t you hear it?
• ስራ ላይ ሆኘ ነው ይቅርታ። Oh, sorry, I was working.