Bedeutung
To stop talking, often used as a command.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Silence is often viewed as a sign of maturity and depth. A person who speaks too much is called 'Af-choole' (fast mouth), which isn't always a compliment. 'Af mezgat' is the forceful correction of this lack of restraint. Among the youth, 'Afhin ziga' is used frequently in 'Piasa' or 'Bole' (popular districts) as a way to show dominance or 'Arada' (coolness) during banter. Monks and devout followers often practice 'Af mezgat' literally as a fast from speaking, though they use the term 'Suwam' (fasting) or 'Zimta' (silence) more formally. In traditional courts, if someone interrupts an elder, the mediator might sternly tell them to 'close their mouth' to maintain the 'Sirat' (order).
Tone Matters
Even with friends, a very loud 'AFHIN ZIGA!' can start a real fight. Use a playful tone if you're joking.
The 'Zim' Alternative
If you are unsure of the social situation, always default to 'Zim bel'. It is never offensive, whereas 'Afhin ziga' often is.
Bedeutung
To stop talking, often used as a command.
Tone Matters
Even with friends, a very loud 'AFHIN ZIGA!' can start a real fight. Use a playful tone if you're joking.
The 'Zim' Alternative
If you are unsure of the social situation, always default to 'Zim bel'. It is never offensive, whereas 'Afhin ziga' often is.
Body Language
Often accompanied by a hand gesture mimicking a beak closing or a finger to the lips.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'mezgat' for a male subject.
አንተ! አፍህን ______!
'ዝጋ' (ziga) is the imperative form for a second-person singular male.
Which sentence means 'He silenced the gossips'?
ሀሜተኞችን እንዴት ነው ዝም ያሰኛቸው?
'የሀሜተኞችን አፍ ዘጋ' literally means 'He shut the gossips' mouth.'
Match the phrase to the correct social context.
When should you use 'እባክዎ ዝም ይበሉ' instead of 'አፍህን ዝጋ'?
Formal situations and elders require the respectful 'Zim yibalu' form.
Complete the dialogue between two friends.
A: ሰው ሁሉ ስለ እኔ መጥፎ እያወራ ነው። B: አይዞህ፣ በስራህ ______።
The context implies silencing others ('their mouths') through success.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Levels of Silence in Amharic
Polite
- • ዝም ይበሉ
- • ዝምታ ይሻላል
Neutral
- • ዝም በል
- • ቃል አታውጣ
Aggressive
- • አፍህን ዝጋ
- • ጭጭ በል
Aufgabensammlung
4 Aufgabenአንተ! አፍህን ______!
'ዝጋ' (ziga) is the imperative form for a second-person singular male.
ሀሜተኞችን እንዴት ነው ዝም ያሰኛቸው?
'የሀሜተኞችን አፍ ዘጋ' literally means 'He shut the gossips' mouth.'
When should you use 'እባክዎ ዝም ይበሉ' instead of 'አፍህን ዝጋ'?
Formal situations and elders require the respectful 'Zim yibalu' form.
A: ሰው ሁሉ ስለ እኔ መጥፎ እያወራ ነው። B: አይዞህ፣ በስራህ ______።
The context implies silencing others ('their mouths') through success.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, it is almost identical in weight. It can be a playful 'shut up' or a very angry one.
Absolutely not. You would likely be disciplined or seen as extremely disrespectful.
The plural is 'አፋችሁን ዝጉ' (Afachihun zigu).
No, it also means to silence critics or to keep a secret, depending on the context.
You say 'አፌን ዘጋሁ' (Afen zegahu).
Not really; the idiom itself is inherently blunt. The polite version is to use a different phrase like 'ዝም ቢሉ ይሻላል'.
Only if you are talking about 'silencing the competition' in a figurative sense.
It means 'My mouth was closed,' usually implying you were shocked into silence.
Yes, many Amharic pop and protest songs use it to talk about silencing voices.
'Ziga' is to close; 'Kolf' is to lock. 'Kolf' is stronger and usually for secrets.
Verwandte Redewendungen
ዝም በል
similarBe quiet
አፍ ማስያዝ
builds onTo bribe or silence someone
አፍ መክፈት
contrastTo speak out or insult
አፍህን ቆልፍ
specialized formLock your mouth
አፈ ጮሌ
similarSmooth talker
