Learned to speak Amharic while in the Peace Corps in 1973–75. Some memories for posterity:

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Amharic → English

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Words remembered

!tenayistaleyn^[1] (!ten-'aye-stah-leen) → greeting, hello

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alocum. (ah-'lo-koom) → Don't know.

Inay alocum. → I don't know.

amasiganalew (ah-mah-sig-ah-'nah-loh) → thank you (everyday common usage), betam amasiganalew → thank you very much

see also: exeristaleyn (ex-air-sta-leen), and betam exeristaleyn

anchi ('ahn-chee) → you (fem.)

anti ('ahn-tee) → you (masc.)

bet (bate) → house

betam (be-'tam) → very much

betam exeristaleyn (ex-'air-sta-leen) → thank you very much

conjo ('kone-joe) → beautiful

Anchi conjo nesh. → You are beautiful. (to a woman)

efalegalew (eh-fahl-ay-'gah-lo) → want

Ina sijara efalegalew. → I want a cigarette. (Ina can be absent/understood, as in "Sijara efalegalew.")

ehun (uh-'hoon) → now (present moment)

enjera (en-'jer-a) → very large pancake-like pattie

tear off a piece of enjera and roll it up in a wot (sauce), which has been placed on the pattie, wots can be made with chicken, beef, etc. or vegetarian

enjera ena wot → staple food^[2]

exeristaleyn (ex-'air-stal-leen) → thank you (higher level), also betam exeristaleyn → thank you very much

see also: amasiganalew (ah-mah-sig-ah-'nal-loh)

feker ('fay-care) → love

Inay feker nesh (or "neh" to a man) → I love you

gorsha ('gor-sha) → gesture of friendship, tear off a piece of enjera, roll it in sauce, then put it in friend's mouth

the bigger the gorsha, the more they like you!

women like to include lots of fat in their gorshas they give to men – I guess one is not a real man unless he eats lots of fat!

ina (in-'nay) → I

ishi ('ish-ee) → okay

kitfo tibs → special kind of enjera ena wot made with ground beef and curry, lots of curry

min albot → perhaps, maybe

nesh → you (fem.)

neh → you (masc.)

new (no) → is/are (masc. & neut.)

owo → yes

yillem → no

!Puagme^[1] (!pwahg-may) → calendar's 13th month (of Sunshine) that has only five days, and in leap year it has six days

shirit (shir-'eet) → Ethiopian men's wear - wrapped from waist to feet, similar to a towel wrap

shintobet ('sheen-to-bate) → bathroom/restroom

sijara (see-'jah-rah) → cigarette

sijaroch (see-jah-roach) → cigarettes (plural) - "och" makes a noun the plural form

tamare (tah-'mah-ree) → student

tamareoch → students (plural)

tamarebet (tah-'mah-ree-bate) → school (student house)

tamarebetoch → schools (plural)

tefelegalesh (teh-fel-ay-gah-'lesh)? → (you) want? (fem.)

tefelegale (teh-fel-ay-gah-lay)? → (you) want? (masc.)

!tej^[1] → honey wine

tella ('tel-a) → beer

wede ('weh-day) → go

woha ('woh-hah) → water

wot (waht) → sauce - wotoch (sauces) are various sauces spread on enjera, wotoch can be made with chicken, beef, etc. or vegetarian^[2]

yi (yih) → this

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Phrases/sentences

Ina wede tamarebet efalegalew. → I want to go to school.

salam guad abal → peace corps volunteer

salam guad abaloch → peace corps volunteers (pl.)

Yi nebber new. → This is (?something)

"Thirteen Months of Sunshine" (in tourist brochures)