What Language Do They Speak in Eritrea?

Official languages of Eritrea Tigrinya, Arabic, English

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

Eritrea has 3 official languages: Tigrinya, Arabic, English.

Learn some Tigrinya before you go

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Languages of Eritrea at a glance

Official languages	Tigrinya, Arabic, English
Number of official languages	3
Countries on this site where Tigrinya is official	1
People (demonym)	Eritrean
Capital	Asmara
Internet domain	.er

Languages of neighbouring countries

Djibouti	Arabic, French
Ethiopia	Amharic
Sudan	Arabic, English

Eritrea in context

Eritrea covers 117,600 km², making it the 99th largest of the 196 countries on this site.
Its population density of about 31 people per km² ranks 151st of 196 (1st = most crowded).
It shares a land border with 3 countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan.
With 3,607,000 people, Eritrea holds about 0.8% of the population of Eastern Africa.
With 3 official languages, Eritrea has more than most countries on this site.
Traffic drives on the right, and calendars start the week on Monday.
Eritrea is a member state of the United Nations.

Useful phrases for visitors to Eritrea

Everyday Arabic phrases you will hear and use in Eritrea:

English	Arabic
Hello	مرحبا (marhaba)
Thank you	شكرا (shukran)
Please	من فضلك (min fadlak)
Goodbye	مع السلامة (ma'a as-salama)
Yes	نعم (na'am)
No	لا (la)

Spellings can vary by region, and some languages use different forms for formal or informal speech. Even a simple greeting in the local language is usually appreciated.

Languages in Eritrea — FAQ