🇪🇹Ethiopia

Learn Amharic with real humans

Amharic is the most widely spoken Semitic language after Arabic, with 35 million native speakers in Ethiopia and an active global diaspora across the United States, Israel, and Europe. The official language of Africa's second most populous country, Amharic is written in the Ge'ez syllabary (fidel), a unique 231-character writing system dating back to the 1st century AD. Learning Amharic means stepping into the civilisation of Aksum, the Queen of Sheba, and the only African nation never to have been colonised.

Small groupsNative teachersTwice a week

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First words in Amharic

ሰላም (Selam), Hi

TE-na yis-ti-LIGN / se-LAM

ጤና ይስጥልኝ (Tena yistilign), May God grant you health

Formal greeting

Did you know? Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and the word 'coffee' itself is thought to come from Kaffa, an Ethiopian region. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony (buna) is a sacred social ritual: the beans are roasted, ground, and brewed in front of guests across three rounds symbolising respect, peace, and blessing. Ethiopia is also one of the few countries to have preserved its own calendar (13 months, 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar), which is why Ethiopia celebrated its year 2000 in 2007-2008.

Small

Class groups

2×

Live classes / week

100%

Native teachers

30d

Money-back guarantee

Live classes

Learn Amharic live with a native teacher

2 live classes per week in small groups. Ask questions, practice conversation, progress fast.

Native teacher in class - Amharic | Targumi

Conversation with a teacher - Amharic | Targumi

classes per week

Small

groups

100%

certified native teachers

Live classes

Your typical Amharic week

2 live video classes per week, Mondays and Thursdays at 8pm (Paris time). Small groups.

Week of

1 – Jun 7, 2026

Mon1

Tue2

Wed3

Thu4

20:00

At the restaurant: ordering

Role-playBeginner

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Fri5

Sat6

Sun7

Ready to get started?

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Risk-free trial · 30-day refund · Small groups of 2-5

The platform

Progress in Amharic between classes, at your own pace

Interactive lessons with native audio, vocabulary, dialogues and quizzes. Everything you need to reinforce your skills between live sessions.

Ready to improve?

Access all interactive exercises and online courses.

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Risk-free trial · 30-day refund · Small groups of 2-5

The community

Join Targumi's Amharic community

Dedicated WhatsApp group, exchanges between learners, resource sharing. You're never alone in your learning journey.

Join the support group

Free · Lifetime access · Native speakers present

🇲🇦

Amharic School - Community

Anissa

Hi everyone 🙌

4:22 PM

Fatiha

Hey, welcome back!

4:23 PM

I’m not on desktop, is it mobile-friendly too?

4:23 PM

Mrhd

Yes, it works on phone and computer together 📱💻

4:24 PM

Message

Full program

Your Amharic curriculum

Exactly what you'll find inside the platform: 29 modules, 0+ structured lessons, quizzes and exercises.

🇪🇹

Parcours Débutant Complet

👋ሰላምታ — Salutations de base

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👥ተዋላጭ — Pronoms personnels

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👪ቤተሰብ — La famille

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🔢ቁጥር — Les nombres de 1 à 10

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🔢ብዙ ቁጥር — Nombres au-delà de 10

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🎨ቀለም — Les couleurs

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🧍ሰውነት — Le corps humain

🍌ፍራፍሬ — Fruits et légumes

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🏠ቦታ — Les lieux

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🏃ግሥ — Verbes essentiels (1)

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🗣️ግሥ — Verbes essentiels (2)

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💰ገበያ — Commerce et argent

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📏ቅጽል — Adjectifs descriptifs

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❓ጥያቄ — Poser des questions

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📚ግሥ — Verbes essentiels (3)

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📅ጊዜ — Jours et temps

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🎉ባህል — Culture et fêtes

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💬ምልልስ — Conversations types

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🎓ፍተና — Évaluation finale

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🔗ቅንብር — Combiner mots (salutations)

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🍽️ምግብ — Récap thème nourriture

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🏁ማጠቃለያ — Synthèse finale

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✅ፍተና — Quiz finaux supplémentaires

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🇪🇹

Amharique intermédiaire

📖Grammaire avancée — Verbes et temps

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🏺Histoire et civilisation éthiopienne

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🇪🇹

Expression avancée

📜Littérature et rhétorique

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📖Littérature et rhétorique

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The method

Our method for learning Amharic

Step 01

Quick level test

Assess your current knowledge in 5 minutes

Step 02

Structured modules

Progressive learning path with native audio and exercises

Step 03

Interactive live classes

2 sessions per week with your native teacher

Step 04

Level certification

Validate your progress with an official certificate

Why Targumi

What makes us different for Amharic

100+

Available languages

Including rare languages you won't find anywhere else.

Free trial days

Try everything with no commitment. Classes, exercises, community.

3-en-1

Complete platform

Video classes + interactive exercises + WhatsApp community. All included.

24/7

Unlimited access

Learn whenever you want. Exercises and content are available 24/7.

The curriculum

What you'll learn in Amharic

A curriculum designed to get you speaking Amharic in the situations that actually matter to you.

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01
Ge'ez syllabary (fidel): read and write Amharic
02
Conversational Amharic from Addis Ababa
03
Semitic grammar: triliteral roots and verb patterns
04
Amharic for the Ethiopian diaspora
05
Culture: Ethiopian coffee, injera, teff, and Coptic Christianity
06
Amharic for NGOs and professionals working in Ethiopia

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Try free for 30 days, no commitment.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about learning Amharic

Is the Amharic syllabary (fidel) difficult to learn?

The fidel has 231 characters, more than the Latin alphabet, but each character represents a full syllable (consonant + vowel), so the logic is remarkably regular. Most learners recognise the core characters within 3 to 4 weeks. Within 2 to 3 months, fluent reading is achievable. Our teachers introduce the fidel progressively using highly effective visual mnemonic techniques.

Is Amharic useful for the Ethiopian diaspora?

The Ethiopian diaspora is substantial, around 3 million people worldwide, with major communities in the United States (Washington DC, Minneapolis), Israel (the Beta Israel), Sweden, Germany, and France. For children of Ethiopian immigrants born in Europe, learning Amharic is often a strong identity choice: maintaining the bond with parents and grandparents who often do not speak fluent French or English.

Why learn Amharic to work in Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is one of Africa's most dynamic economies, with annual growth of 7 to 10% over the past two decades. Addis Ababa hosts the African Union and numerous international organisations. Thriving sectors include agriculture (coffee, teff, flowers), textiles and apparel, tourism (Lalibela, Aksum, Simien Mountains), and construction. Speaking Amharic in this context opens doors that remain closed to non-speakers.

Is Amharic related to other Semitic languages like Arabic or Hebrew?

Yes. Amharic belongs to the Semitic family, like Arabic, Hebrew, and Ethiopian Tigrinya. It shares with them the triliteral root system (3 base consonants generating a family of words). If you already know Arabic or Hebrew, the grammatical structure of Amharic will feel familiar even though the vocabulary is different. Arabic speakers often progress faster when learning Amharic.

How long does it take to reach a conversational level in Amharic?

For an English speaker, expect 10 to 14 months to reach B1 level with 2 classes per week and regular practice. The syllabary, agglutinative grammar, and guttural sounds are the main challenges. However, sentence structure is actually closer to English than Arabic or Japanese, subject + object + verb at the end. Progress is often faster than expected once the fidel is mastered.

How much do Amharic courses cost on Targumi?

Targumi offers 3 plans: quarterly, yearly, and lifetime access. All plans include live small-group classes with native teachers, interactive lessons, and the community. See full pricing on the pricing page.

Are the Amharic courses online or in person?

100% online. Live classes happen twice a week in small groups via Google Meet. You can join from anywhere in the world. The mobile and web app stay accessible 24/7 for interactive lessons.

Is there a money-back guarantee?

Yes. Targumi offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If you are not satisfied, just email [email protected] for a full refund.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel anytime from your profile (“My subscriptions” section) with no hidden fees. Your access stays active until the end of your paid period.

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