Amharic Farewells
Amharic Farewell Expressions
Learn how to say goodbye in Amharic in both casual and formal settings.
1. Casual Goodbyes (Friends, Family, Peers)
These are used in everyday conversations with people you know well.
- ቻው Chaw “Bye!” / “See ya!” Very informal, like “later”
- ቻው እሽ Chaw esh “Bye for now” Casual, friendly
- ቻው በቃ Chaw beqa “Bye for now” (slightly firmer) Can imply “that’s it for now”
- ቻው አሁን መሄድ አለብኝ Chaw, ahun mehed alebign “I’ve got to go now.” When leaving abruptly
- ቻው ነገ እንገናኛለን Chaw, nege ingegnagnalen “See you tomorrow” For planned meetings
- ቻው በቅርቡ እንገናኝ Chaw, beqerbu ingegnagnalen “See you soon” When meeting again soon
Common Responses:
- እሽ ቻው (Esh chaw) – “Yeah, bye”
- እሽ (Esh) – “Alright” / “Okay”
- በል እሽ (Bel esh) – “Sure, bye”
2. Wishing Well (Polite & Kind Farewells)
Use these to wish someone a good day, night, or journey.
- መልካም ቀን Melkam qen “Have a nice day”
- መልካም ውሎ። Mekam wulo. “Have a good day.”
- መልካም ምሽት Melkam misht “Have a good evening”
- መልካም አዳር Melkam adar “Good night” (before sleep)
- መልካም መኝታ Melkam meñta “Sleep well”
- መልካም ጉዞ Melkam guzo “Have a safe trip”
- ቻው ደህና ሁን Chaw dehna hun “Bye, take care!”
3. Formal Goodbyes (Respectful & Professional)
For elders, superiors, or serious situations.
- ደህና ሁን Dehna hun “Goodbye” (lit. “Be well”)
- ፈጣሪ ይጠብቅህ Fetari yitebqh “May God protect you
- በሰላም ግባ Beselam giba “Go in peace.”
- መልካሙን ሁሉ ይግጠምህ Melkamun hulu yigt’emih “Best of luck to you.”
Formal Responses:
- አመሰግናለሁ (Amesegnalew) – “Thank you”
- እሽ ደህና ሁኑ (Esh dehna hunu) – “Okay, you too be well”
- በጣም አመሰግናለሁ (Bet’am amesegnalew) – “Thank you very much”
Bonus Tips
Casual: Use Chaw with friends, but avoid it with elders rather used phrases like, ደህና ዋሉ፣ ደህና ሰንብቱ፣ ሰላም ሁን etc.
Polite: Add Melkam (good) to wishes (Melkam qen = good day).
Formal: Dehna hun is the safest and most respectful goodbye.
Practice Example:
Person A: Chaw, nege ingegnagnalen! (“Bye, see you tomorrow!”)
Person B: Esh chaw! (“Okay, bye!”)
የቤት ስራ፦
Conjugate the following farewells according to different person-like numbers and gender and formality: singular or plural, male, female, formal, and informal.
- ደህና ዋል። (Dehna wal.) Have a good day.
- ሰላም ዋል። (Selam wal.) Have a good day.
- ደህና እደር። (Dehna eder.) Have a good night.
- ሰላም እደር። (Selam eder.) Have a good night.