Browse African Slang

ሲቢኢ ብር/ሲቢኢ ብር (CBE Birr) - bank mobile money

ሲጂፒኤ/አማካይ ውጤት (CGPA)

ቀን መቁጠሪያ/ቀን መቁጠሪያ (Ken mekuteria) - calendar

ፖሊስ ጥሩ/ፖሊስ ጥሩ (Police tiru) - call police

ልትረዱኝ ትችላላችሁ/ልትረዱኝ ትችላላችሁ (Litredugn tichilalachu) - can you help

አልችልም/አልችልም (Can't do it)

ተወዳዳሪ/ተወዳዳሪ (Tewedadari) - candidate

ሻማ/ሻማ (Shama) - candle

ቅርጻ ቅርጽ/ቅርጻ ቅርጽ (Kirtsa kirts) - carving

ምግብ አቅራቢ/ምግብ አቅራቢ (Migib akirabi) - catering

ካቶሊክ/ካቶሊክ (Catholic)

ሲሚንቶ/ሲሚንቶ (Siminto) - cement

ቻካ/ቻካ (Chaka) - mud

Means “cool” or “great” in youthful Amharic slang. Usage: That new song is chakka! I keep replaying it.

ጫልቱ/ጫልቱ (Chaltu) - clever/smart

ቻማ/ስራ (Hustle/work)

Slang for a super traditional or uncool person (like “country bumpkin”).

Light insult meaning slowpoke or dumb (from older term, not too harsh). Usage: Ay chankuse, we missed the turn because y...

በጎ አድራጎት/በጎ አድራጎት (Bego adiragot) - charity

From French “chargé” meaning drunk. Used in Addis to say someone is wasted. Usage: He had 10 beers, mot charré new, iske...

Urban slang (Yarada K’wank’wa) for “friend” or “pal.”

ጨጨብሳ/ጨጨብሳ (Traditional breakfast)

ቺርስ/ጤና ይስጥልኝ (Cheers)

“He has no problem,” said about someone who’s fearless or doesn’t mind breaking rules. Usage: That dude climbed the fenc...

ቼልሲ/ቼልሲ (Chelsea)

ጨረቃ/ጨረቃ (Moon)

Slang for work/job (from English “work,” twisted). Usage: Yene cherk bicha aygedelem, leloch alfelegem (I just mind my w...

Amharic for “guy” or “dude,” used informally among friends (also means “noble” literally).

ጨዋታ/ጨዋታ (Chewata) - conversation

Means “broken” or “messed up.” Used to describe something not functioning or a person who is out of it. Usage: My phone ...

Classic Ethiopian phrase meaning “No problem” (literally “no issue”). Often shortened in slang to just “yichigir” joking...

ልጅ/ልጅ (Lij) - child

ቺል አውት/ቺል አውት (Chill out) - relax

ጭመታ/ጭመታ (Chimeta) - clapping

Stylish outfit (literally a traditional cotton cloth, but used as “drip”). Usage: Yeni chubba wede bera, you see my outf...

Fun nonsense term to refer to music or partying (like “la di da”). Usage: Yene loga chubidub alfo – I just want to party...

ግርዛት/ግርዛት (Girzat) - circumcision

ሲቲ ባስ/የከተማ አውቶቡስ (City bus)

የከተማ ኑሮ/የከተማ ኑሮ (Yeketema nuro) - city life

የከተማ ጉብኝት/የከተማ ጉብኝት (Yeketema gubignit) - city tour

የከተማ ስሜት/የከተማ ስሜት (Yeketema simet) - city vibe

ክፍል/ክፍል (Kifil) - class

ጽዳት ሠራተኛ/ጽዳት ሠራተኛ (Tsidat serategna) - cleaner

ሰዓት/ሰዓት (Seat) - clock

የልብስ ሱቅ/የልብስ ሱቅ (Yelibs suk) - clothing store

ክለብ ኢሉዥን/ክለብ ኢሉዥን (Club Illusion)

ቡና ማፍላት/ቡና ማፍላት (Buna mafilat) - coffee ceremony

የቡና ቀጠሮ/የቡና ቀጠሮ (Yebuna ketero) - coffee date

ቡና ኤክስፖርት/ቡና ኤክስፖርት (Buna export) - coffee export

ቡና ሰሪ/ቡና ሰሪ (Buna seri) - coffee maker