What language do Ethiopians speak?

Ethiopians speak many languages, but the one that ties the country together is Amharic. It is the everyday language of Addis Ababa and the language most Ethiopians share whatever their mother tongue. The language with the most native speakers, though, is Afaan Oromo, followed by Amharic, Somali and Tigrinya. English is the main foreign language, and in Addis you can get by with it in hotels, the airport and banks.

For a visitor, the short version is simple: learn a few Amharic words for goodwill, use English for anything practical, and don't worry about the rest. If you'd rather not deal with taxi negotiations or directions at all, we meet you at Bole arrivals and drive you to your hotel door, and a driver by the day handles the city for you.

How many languages are spoken in Ethiopia?

Around 90 living languages are spoken in Ethiopia, and some counts put the figure closer to 100. They belong to four groups. Semitic languages such as Amharic, Tigrinya, Gurage and Harari are spoken mainly in the north and centre. Cushitic languages, including Afaan Oromo, Somali, Afar and Sidama, cover large parts of the west, south and east. Omotic languages such as Wolaytta are spoken in the south-west, and Nilo-Saharan languages in the western lowlands.

Several languages are small and some are endangered, spoken by only a few thousand people. Others are spoken by tens of millions. That mix is part of what makes a road trip here interesting: drive a few hours south of Addis and the language on shop signs and the radio can change.

Which languages have the most speakers?

The last national census, in 2007, asked people for their mother tongue. The largest groups were:

These figures are old, and Ethiopia's population has grown a lot since, but no newer census has been published. Mother tongue also understates Amharic: millions of people speak it as a second language, which is why it works as the common language across much of the country.

What is Ethiopia's official language?

Under the 1995 constitution, all Ethiopian languages have equal state recognition, and Amharic is named as the working language of the federal government. Each regional state chooses its own working language, so Oromia works in Afaan Oromo, Tigray in Tigrinya and the Somali region in Somali.

In 2020 the Council of Ministers approved four more federal working languages: Afaan Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali and Afar. Until then Amharic had been the only one. In practice, federal offices, national media and signs in Addis still lean heavily on Amharic, with English used alongside it in business, international organisations and much official paperwork.

What is Amharic like?

Amharic is a Semitic language, a distant relative of Arabic and Hebrew. It is written in the Ge'ez script, known in Ethiopia as fidel, where each character stands for a consonant plus a vowel. That is why Amharic signs look nothing like the Latin alphabet and why you can't sound them out on day one.

It is the language you will hear in Addis Ababa's cafés, markets and minibuses, whatever the speaker's background. A handful of words goes a long way: a greeting, a thank you and a compliment on the food will get smiles everywhere. Our guide to useful Amharic phrases covers the ones that matter most.

What about Afaan Oromo, Tigrinya and the others?

• Afaan Oromo (also called Oromo or Oromiffa) is the mother tongue of about a third of Ethiopians and the working language of Oromia, which surrounds Addis Ababa. It has been written in a Latin alphabet called Qubee since 1991, so signs in Oromo are easy to read aloud even if you don't understand them.
• Tigrinya is the main language of Tigray in the far north and of neighbouring Eritrea. Like Amharic, it uses the Ge'ez script.
• Somali and Afar are spoken in the east and north-east lowlands; both use Latin script.
• Sidama, Wolaytta, Gamo and many other languages are spoken in the south. Around Hawassa, Sidama is the main local language.
• Harari is spoken in the old walled city of Harar in the east.
• Ge'ez, the ancient language of the Aksumite kingdom, is no longer spoken day to day but lives on in the liturgy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is what you hear chanted at church services and festivals.

Do people in Ethiopia speak English?

Yes, more than many visitors expect. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in schools, and it is the medium of instruction in secondary school and university. In Addis Ababa you will usually find English speakers at hotels, the airport, airline offices and banks, and many younger people in the city speak at least some English.

Outside the big cities English thins out fast. In small towns and rural areas you may find only a few people who speak it, often students. Ethiopian English also has its own accent and rhythm, so give yourself a day or two to tune in. Some older Ethiopians speak a little Italian, and Arabic is known among some Muslim communities.

Where will language actually matter on your trip?

Mostly in the in-between moments: explaining an address to a taxi driver, asking directions, reading a minibus destination, bargaining in a market or asking where the entrance is.

This is where a private driver saves the most effort. We pick you up at Bole, take you to your hotel door, and with a driver by the day the car waits while you visit museums, markets and restaurants, so you are not negotiating a new ride at every stop. For trips beyond Addis, such as Bishoftu or Hawassa and the south, one fixed quote covers the whole car, and we drive those roads regularly.

Tips for communicating as a visitor

• Save your hotel's name and a nearby landmark in Amharic on your phone; it helps with any driver or passer-by.
• Speak English slowly and simply rather than loudly, and avoid slang.
• Learn five Amharic words: hello, thank you, please, yes and no. People appreciate it.
• Numbers can confuse: Ethiopians also use their own calendar and a 12-hour clock that starts at dawn, so confirm dates and times twice.
• A translation app with offline Amharic can help with menus and signs; download the language pack before you land.