Bedeutung
Literally 'heart to rest'; feeling settled.
Kultureller Hintergrund
During the three rounds of coffee (Abol, Tona, Baraka), people often share news. When good news is shared, the group often says 'Libben asaref-k-egn' (You rested my heart) as a way of saying thank you for the peace of mind. The concept of 'rest' (Irfeta) is deeply spiritual. Many prayers ask for the 'rest of the soul'. 'Lib maref' is the earthly, emotional version of this spiritual peace. In farming communities, 'Lib maref' is used when the first rains come after a long drought. It signifies that the survival of the crops (and the family) is now assured. In the fast-paced city, this idiom is used frequently in business. Completing a difficult 'Gibi' (bureaucratic process) is a classic 'Lib maref' moment.
Use it for gratitude
If someone helps you solve a problem, saying 'Libben asaref-k-egn' is a very high compliment.
Gender agreement
Remember, the heart (Lib) is masculine. Don't change the verb to feminine even if you are a woman.
Bedeutung
Literally 'heart to rest'; feeling settled.
Use it for gratitude
If someone helps you solve a problem, saying 'Libben asaref-k-egn' is a very high compliment.
Gender agreement
Remember, the heart (Lib) is masculine. Don't change the verb to feminine even if you are a woman.
The 'B' suffix
When you are satisfied *with* something, use the preposition 'ba' (on/with). Example: 'Be-su libbe arefe' (My heart rested on him).
Hand on chest
When saying this, Ethiopians often place their right hand over their heart to emphasize the feeling.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'Lib' and 'maref'.
ልጄ ከትምህርት ቤት ሲመጣ ______ ______። (My heart rested.)
Since the sentence starts with 'My child' (ልጄ), the speaker is referring to their own heart (ልቤ).
Which situation is best for using 'ልቤ አረፈ'?
Choose the correct context:
The idiom is for emotional relief after worry, which fits finding a lost passport.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ስራውን በሰዓቱ ጨርሰሃል? B: አዎ፣ በሰዓቱ አስረክቤያለሁ። A: በጣም ጥሩ! አሁን ______ ______።
'ልባችን አረፈ' (Our hearts rested) expresses the collective relief of the team.
Match the phrase to the person.
If a mother is relieved about her daughter's exam, she says:
The mother is the one feeling the relief, so she uses 'My heart' (ልቤ).
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
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Aufgabensammlung
4 Aufgabenልጄ ከትምህርት ቤት ሲመጣ ______ ______። (My heart rested.)
Since the sentence starts with 'My child' (ልጄ), the speaker is referring to their own heart (ልቤ).
Choose the correct context:
The idiom is for emotional relief after worry, which fits finding a lost passport.
A: ስራውን በሰዓቱ ጨርሰሃል? B: አዎ፣ በሰዓቱ አስረክቤያለሁ። A: በጣም ጥሩ! አሁን ______ ______።
'ልባችን አረፈ' (Our hearts rested) expresses the collective relief of the team.
If a mother is relieved about her daughter's exam, she says:
The mother is the one feeling the relief, so she uses 'My heart' (ልቤ).
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNot exactly. It's specifically for happiness that comes after worry or uncertainty. It's 'relief-happiness'.
Yes, it's very common when a deal is closed or a problem is solved.
Use the causative: 'ልቤን ታሳርፈዋለህ' (Libben tasarfewaleh).
No, but in this idiom, they are a fixed pair.
No, that would be 'nefsu arefe' (his soul rested). 'Lib maref' is for the living.
The closest is 'Lib meseqel' (to hang the heart/be in suspense).
Yes, but usually for simpler things like finding a toy.
No, it is a standard idiom used by all ages.
Yes: 'ልቤ እያረፈ ነው' (Libbe eyarefe new), but it's less common than the past tense.
No, never. It always implies a positive, peaceful state.
Verwandte Redewendungen
ልብ ሰቀላ
contrastTo be in suspense (literally 'to hang the heart')
እረፍት ማግኘት
similarTo find rest
ደስ አለኝ
builds onI am happy
ልብ መመለስ
similarTo come to one's senses (literally 'heart returning')
ሆድ ባባ
contrastTo be moved to tears/emotional
