Customer Reviews

Ethiopian Amharic (Lonely Planet Phrasebooks)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been studying Amharic for years and I find this book to be very useful. It not only serve as a good phrase guide but also as a great vocabulary reference book. I am using the book to study Amharic from English but I have many Ethiopian friends who are using this book to study English from the Amharic. As far as teaching Amharic grammar(sentence structuring), I didn't find the book helpful. If you're looking for a book to build your Amharic vocabulary, this book is wonderful.

This compact guide is perfect for your purse and travel. It concisely contains enough for some basic language to get around. It is a little pricey, but gets the job done.

I am also using the EuroTalk Talk Now program to learn Amharic, but it lacks many useful phrases. The Lonely Planet phrasebook seems to contain everything I'll ever need and it's engaging to read. There's also a wealth of advice (how to hitchhike, for example)and cultural information and it's a handy size to take everywhere. I highly recommend this book for anyone planning to visit Ethiopia.

I had borrowed the Lonely Planet phrasebook for Swahili before I went to Tanzania for two months. It was so helpful that I bought one when I returned to the USA. Now family members will travel soon to Ethiopia, so I wanted a small, helpful phrasebook for them. The size, the categories and the pronunciation helps should be perfect. Having traveled to many countries where English is NOT the first language, I know how appreciated it is when travelers try to use some of the native language. The price is very reasonable, so even if you are only going to visit one time, it is worth it to buy this phrasebook.

I like the booklet. It's easy to take along, but I wished I had the audio to match the book.

We checked this out of our local library first and then bought our own copy. We adopted two boys from Ethiopia this year and traveled there twice. This book was super, super helpful. We used it often at the hotel we stayed out to help us speak with the staff (who knew English pretty well too). And, when we were out and about site-seeing. I would recommend this to anyone traveling to Addis!

I purchased this because we are now the grandparents of two, brand new, Ethiopian granddaughters! Although I feel this guide is geared more toward the traveller, it is working fine for looking up some of the basics, including both individual words, phrases, and "alphabetic" translations. It covers relationships, feelings, food, numbers, activities, occupations, etc. It also has tidbits of interesting Ethiopean history, etiquette, health, sports . . . a bit of everything. It's a very good way to "get by" on a limited basis -- a great introduction.