What Language Do They Speak in Ethiopia?

Official language of Ethiopia Amharic

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic.

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Languages of Ethiopia at a glance

Official language	Amharic
Number of official languages	1
Countries on this site where Amharic is official	1
People (demonym)	Ethiopian
Capital	Addis Ababa
Internet domain	.et

Languages of neighbouring countries

Djibouti	Arabic, French
Eritrea	Tigrinya, Arabic, English
Kenya	Swahili, English
Somalia	Somali, Arabic
South Sudan	English
Sudan	Arabic, English

Ethiopia in context

Ethiopia covers 1,104,300 km², making it the 26th largest of the 196 countries on this site.
Its population density of about 101 people per km² ranks 90th of 196 (1st = most crowded).
It shares a land border with 6 countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.
Ethiopia is landlocked, with no direct coastline.
With 111,652,998 people, Ethiopia holds about 25.5% of the population of Eastern Africa.
Traffic drives on the right, and calendars start the week on Monday.
Ethiopia is a member state of the United Nations.

Compare Ethiopia

Ethiopia vs Kenya

Useful phrases for visitors to Ethiopia

Everyday Amharic phrases you will hear and use in Ethiopia:

English	Amharic
Hello	ሰላም (selam)
Thank you	አመሰግናለሁ (ameseginalehu)
Please	እባክህ (ebakih)
Goodbye	ቻው (chaw)
Yes	አዎ (awo)
No	አይ (ay)

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 Ethiopia — FAQ