Typing in Amharic
The Amharic keyboard ( ) uses a system where the Amharic sounds are matched to
the English letters (a style called “phonetic”). You can think of how a word sounds in
Amharic and then type it out with English.
Example: typing selam becomes ሰላም
Because Amharic has more sounds than English we sometimes have to adjust this
rule. For example English does not have ‘ጠ’ and the closest similar letter would be
‘t’. In this case you should type with “capital T”:
Example: typing TienaysTlN becomes ጤናይስጥልኝ
Notice that we used capital ‘N’ also for ‘ኝ’ and we needed both “ie” together to make
the 5th ‘ጠ’ letter ‘ጤ’. When the letter you want to type does not appear when you hit
the similar sounding key in English, try using the capital next. If typing the capital
does not work, then try hitting the key two times:
Example: typing sselam becomes ሠላም
Example: typing SSeHey becomes ፀሐይ
Next, when you need to type the extra letters of Amharic like ሏ, ሟ, ኴ you can do so
by typing an extra vowel after a ‘u’:
Example: typing mua becomes ሟ
Example: typing guie becomes ጔ
Finally, we must introduce a special rule for ' (apostrophe). Some words are spelt with
a ሳድስ (6th) letter followed by a vowel, like ርኤ in ገብርኤል. We use the apostrophe
here to type “gebr'iel” to make sure we get “ርኤ” instead of ‘ሬ’.
Example: typing mel'ak becomes መልአክ
Example: typing m'eeraf becomes ምዕራፍ
We also use the apostrophe for Ethiopic numbers, so '1 becomes ፩ and so on. If a ' is
needed in your document just type ' twice. This works for other punctuation as well,
typing ‘;’ once makes ‘፤’ and a second time gives English ‘;’. The typing table shows
how to type all Amharic letters, numbers and punctuation.
Amharic Typing Table
ቤተሰብ ግዕዝ ካዕብ
ካዕብ ሣልስ
ሣልስ ራብዕ
ራብዕ ኃምስ
ኃምስ ሳድስ
ሳድስ ሳብዕ
ሳብዕ
ሆይ
ላዊ
ሐውት
ማይ
ሠውት
ርእስ
ሳት
ሻ-ሳት
ቃፍ
ቤት
ቬ-ቤት
ታው
ቻ-ታው
ኀርም
ነሐስ
ኛ-ነሐስ
አልፍ
ካፍ
ኻ-ካፍ
ሀ
he
ለ
le
ሐ
He
መ
me
ሠ
sse
ረ
re
ሰ
se
ሸ
xe
ቀ
qe
በ
be
ቨ
ve
ተ
te
ቸ
ce
ኀ
hhe
ነ
ne
ኘ
Ne
አ
a
ከ
ke
ኸ
Ke
ሁ
ሂ
hu hi
ሉ
ሊ
lu
li
ሑ ሒ
Hu Hi
ሙ ሚ
mu mi
ሡ
ሢ
ssu ssi
ሩ
ሪ
ru
ri
ሱ
ሲ
su
si
ሹ
ሺ
xu
xi
ቁ
ቂ
qu
qi
ቡ
ቢ
bu
bi
ቩ
ቪ
vu
vi
ቱ
ቲ
tu
ti
ቹ
ቺ
cu
ci
ኁ
ኂ
hhu hhi
ኑ
ኒ
nu ni
ኙ
ኚ
Nu Ni
ኡ
ኢ
u
i
ኩ
ኪ
ku
ki
ኹ
ኺ
Ku Ki
ሃ
ha
ላ
la
ሓ
Ha
ማ
ma
ሣ
ssa
ራ
ra
ሳ
sa
ሻ
xa
ቃ
qa
ባ
ba
ቫ
va
ታ
ta
ቻ
ca
ኃ
hha
ና
na
ኛ
Na
ኣ
ea
ካ
ka
ኻ
Ka
ሄ
hie
ሌ
lie
ሔ
Hie
ሜ
mie
ሤ
ssie
ሬ
rie
ሴ
sie
ሼ
xie
ቄ
qie
ቤ
bie
ቬ
vie
ቴ
tie
ቼ
cie
ኄ
hhie
ኔ
nie
ኜ
Nie
ኤ
ie
ኬ
kie
ኼ
Kie
ህ
h
ል
l
ሕ
H
ም
m
ሥ
ss
ር
r
ስ
s
ሽ
x
ቅ
q
ብ
b
ቭ
v
ት
t
ች
c
ኅ
hh
ን
n
ኝ
N
እ
e
ክ
k
ኽ
K
ሆ
ho
ሎ
lo
ሖ
Ho
ሞ
mo
ሦ
sso
ሮ
ro
ሶ
so
ሾ
xo
ቆ
qo
ቦ
bo
ቮ
vo
ቶ
to
ቾ
co
ኆ
hho
ኖ
no
ኞ
No
ኦ
o
ኮ
ko
ኾ
Ko
ዘመደዘመደ-- ዘመደዘመደ-- ዘመደዘመደ- ዘመደ
ዘመደ- ዘመደ
ዘመደግዕዝ ካዕብ ሣልስ ራብዕ ኃምስ
ቈ
que
ቊ
qui
ቍ
quu
ኈ
hue
ኊ
hui
ኍ
huu
ኧ
ae
ኰ
kue
ኲ
kui
ኵ
kuu
ሏ
lua
ሗ
Hua
ሟ
mua
ሧ
ssua
ሯ
rua
ሷ
sua
ሿ
xua
ቋ
qua
ቧ
bua
ቯ
vua
ቷ
tua
ቿ
cua
ኋ
hua
ኗ
nua
ኟ
Nua
ኳ
kua
ቌ
quie
ኌ
huie
ኴ
kuie
ወዌ
ዐይን
ዘይ
ዠ-ዘይ
የመነ
ድንት
ጅድንት
ገምል
ጠይት
ጨጠይት
ጰይት
ጸደይ
ፀጳ
አፍ
ፕሳ
ወ
we
ዐ
A /
aaa
ዘ
ze
ዠ
Ze
የ
ye
ደ
de
ጀ
je
ገ
ge
ጠ
Te
ጨ
Ce
ጰ
Pe
ጸ
Se
ፀ
SSe
ፈ
fe
ፐ
pe
ዉ
wu
ዑ
Au /
uu
ዙ
zu
ዡ
Zu
ዩ
yu
ዱ
du
ጁ
ju
ጉ
gu
ጡ
Tu
ጩ
Cu
ጱ
Pu
ጹ
Su
ፁ
SSu
ፉ
fu
ፑ
pu
፡
።
:
::
፩
፪
'1 '2
፲
፳
'10 '20
ዊ
ዋ
wi wa
ዒ
ዓ
Ai / Aa /
ii
aa
ዚ
ዛ
zi
za
ዢ
ዣ
Zi
Za
ዪ
ያ
yi
ya
ዲ
ዳ
di
da
ጂ
ጃ
ji
ja
ጊ
ጋ
gi
ga
ጢ
ጣ
Ti
Ta
ጪ ጫ
Ci
Ca
ጲ
ጳ
Pi
Pa
ጺ
ጻ
Si
Sa
ፂ
ፃ
SSi SSa
ፊ
ፋ
fi
fa
ፒ
ፓ
pi
pa
፣
,
፫
'3
፴
'30
፤
;
፬
'4
፵
'40
ዌ
wie
ዔ
Aie /
iie
ዜ
zie
ዤ
Zie
ዬ
yie
ዴ
die
ጄ
jie
ጌ
gie
ጤ
Tie
ጬ
Cie
ጴ
Pie
ጼ
Sie
ፄ
SSie
ፌ
fie
ፔ
pie
ው
w
ዕ
Ae /
ee
ዝ
z
ዥ
Z
ይ
y
ድ
d
ጅ
j
ግ
g
ጥ
T
ጭ
C
ጵ
P
ጽ
S
ፅ
SS
ፍ
f
ፕ
p
፥
,,
፭
'5
፶
'50
፦
:፮
'6
፷
'60
ዎ
wo
ዖ
Ao /
oo
ዞ
zo
ዦ
Zo
ዮ
yo
ዶ
do
ጆ
jo
ጎ
ጐ
go gue
ጦ
To
ጮ
Co
ጶ
Po
ጾ
So
ፆ
SSo
ፎ
fo
ፖ
po
ዟ
zua
ዧ
Zua
ጒ
gui
ጕ
guu
' '
፰
'8
፹
'80
ጔ
guie
ፏ
fua
ፗ
pua
'
፯
'7
፸
'70
ዷ
dua
ጇ
jua
ጓ
gua
ጧ
Tua
ጯ
Cua
ጷ
Pua
ጿ
Sua
፱
'9
፺
'90
,
,,,
;
;;
፻
፲፻
፼
'100 '1000 '10000
Typing all languages
Since the creation of the Unicode system for Ethiopic many letters have become
available on the computer. Unicode defines 461 letters for Ethiopic writing in many
languages. This is too many letters for Amharic so to avoid typing unexpected letters
they are not allowed in the Amharic keyboard. However, on the occasion that you
need to type Ethiopic letters outside of Amharic, you can do so with the “Unicode
Keyboard”.
There are two ways to start the Unicode keyboard:
1. Type Ctrl + Alt + Y this should make the icon appear in your task bar
and the Unicode keyboard is ready.
2. Click on the icon in your task bar then select the icon and the
Unicode keyboard is ready.
The typing for letters of other languages are now shown:
Awngi/Blin/Kayla/Kufal/Quara/Qimant/Xamtanga
ጘ
ጙ
ጚ
ጛ
ጜ
ጝ
ጞ
Ge
Gu
Gi
Ga
Gie
G
Go
ⶓ
ⶖ
ⶔ
ጟ
ⶕ
Gue
Guu
Gui
Gua
Guie
ⶠ
ⶡ
ⶢ
ⶣ
ⶤ
ⶥ
ⶦ
xxe
xxu
xxi
xxa
xxie
xx
xxo
Bench
ⶨ
ⶩ
ⶪ
ⶫ
ⶬ
ⶭ
ⶮ
cce
ccu
cci
cca
ccie
cc
cco
ⶰ
ⶱ
ⶲ
ⶳ
ⶴ
ⶵ
ⶶ
ZZe
ZZu
ZZi
ZZa
ZZie
ZZ
ZZo
ⶸ
ⶹ
ⶺ
ⶻ
ⶼ
ⶽ
ⶾ
CCe
CCu
CCi
CCa
CCie
CC
CCo
Ge’ez
ይዘት
ደረት
ኅጺር፡
ርክርክ
ርክርክ
ድፋት
ቅናት
ጭረት
ሒደት
ቁርጥ
᎐
᎑
᎒
᎓
᎔
᎕
᎖
᎘
᎙
_1
_2
_3
_4
_5
_6
_7
_8
_0
Punctuation
፧
፠
፨
?
:+
:#
Ge’ez numbers can also be typed with the Unicode keyboard without requiring the
typing of a ' before a number. This way is a little easier than typing numbers from the
Amharic keyboard.
Me’en/Mursi/Suri/Dizi
ሇ ⶀ ⶁ
ⶂ
ⶃ
ⶄ
ቇ
ⶅ
ⶆ
ⶇ
ኇ
ⶈ
ⶉ
ⶊ
hoa
loa
moa
roa
soa
xoa
qoa
boa
toa
coa
hhoa
noa
Noa
oa
ኯ
ዏ
ⶋ
ዯ
ⶌ
ⶍ
ⶎ
ጏ
ⶏ ⶐ
ⶑ
ፇ
ⶒ
koa
woa
zoa
yoa
doa
Doa
joa
goa
Toa
Poa
SSoa
poa
Coa
Me’en/Mursi/Suri/Dizi & Historical Oromo/Sidama
ዸ
ዹ
ዺ
ዻ
ዼ
ዽ
ዾ
ዿ
De
Du
Di
Da
Die
D
Do
Dua
Sebatbeit
ⷀ
ⷁ
ⷂ
ⷃ
ⷄ
ⷅ
ⷆ
qye
qyu
qye
qye
qye
qye
qyo
ⷈ
ⷉ
ⷊ
ⷋ
ⷌ
ⷍ
ⷎ
kye
kyu
kyi
kya
kyie
ky
kyo
ⷐ
ⷑ
ⷒ
ⷓ
ⷔ
ⷕ
ⷖ
Kye
Kyu
Kyi
Kye
Kyie
Ky
Kyo
ⷘ
ⷙ
ⷚ
ⷛ
ⷜ
ⷝ
ⷞ
gye
gyu
gyi
gya
gyie
gy
gyo
ᎀ
ᎁ
ᎂ
ᎃ
mue
mui
muie
muu
ᎄ
ᎅ
ᎆ
ᎇ
bue
mue
buie
buu
ᎈ
ᎉ
ᎊ
ᎋ
fue
fue
fuie
fuu
ᎌ
ᎍ
ᎎ
ᎏ
pue
pue
puie
puu
Tigrinya
ቐ
ቑ
ቒ
ቓ
ቔ
ቕ
ቖ
Qe
Qu
Qi
Qa
Qie
Q
Qo
ቘ
ቝ
ቚ
ቛ
ቜ
Que
Quu
Qui
Qua
Quie
ዀ
ዅ
ዂ
ዃ
ዄ
Kue
Kuu
Kui
Kua
Kuie
Installing and Using the Keyboard
The AmharicPowerPack7.exe file contains the Tavultesoft Keyman and font
installer. To begin the installation:
1. Double click it and follow the installation instructions.
2. After successful installation you will find the Tavultesoft Keyman in your
“Programs” menu. To start the keyboard software click:
Start > All Programs
> Tavultesoft Keyman Desktop Light 7.1
> Keyman Desktop Light 7.1
3. Click the icon on the right bottom of your taskbar.
4. Select the icon from the pop-up menu that appears.
5. Select an Ethiopic font and begin typing.