Signification
Obstructing traffic or a path.
Contexte culturel
During major holidays like Meskel or Timket, entire main roads in Addis Ababa are blocked for religious processions. This is seen as a sacred right. If a neighbor dies, the 'Iddir' will block the street to set up a mourning tent. It is considered very rude to complain about this blockage. The 'ransom' paid to open a blocked road during a wedding is called 'ye-menged' (of the road) money. In recent years, 'menged mezegat' has become a primary tool for political protest in various regions of Ethiopia.
The '-bbign' Trick
Always add '-bbign' (on me) if you want to sound like a native when complaining about traffic. 'መንገዱ ተዘጋብኝ' sounds much more natural than just 'መንገዱ ተዘጋ'.
Don't be too aggressive
Saying 'መንገድ አትዝጋ!' loudly can be seen as an insult. Use 'ይቅርታ' (excuse me) first.
Signification
Obstructing traffic or a path.
The '-bbign' Trick
Always add '-bbign' (on me) if you want to sound like a native when complaining about traffic. 'መንገዱ ተዘጋብኝ' sounds much more natural than just 'መንገዱ ተዘጋ'.
Don't be too aggressive
Saying 'መንገድ አትዝጋ!' loudly can be seen as an insult. Use 'ይቅርታ' (excuse me) first.
Wedding Ransom
If you are in a wedding party and the road is blocked, have some small bills ready. It's all part of the fun!
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'mezegat'.
መኪናው መንገዱን ____። (The car blocked the road.)
'ዘጋ' is the past tense of 'to close/block'.
Which sentence means 'Don't block my path' (figuratively)?
Choose the best option:
Only 'menged' (road) is used for figurative life paths.
Match the Amharic phrase to its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are the standard translations for these variations.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ለምን ዘገየህ? (Why are you late?) B: በትራፊክ ምክንያት ____።
Traffic causes road closures (menged mezegat).
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesመኪናው መንገዱን ____። (The car blocked the road.)
'ዘጋ' is the past tense of 'to close/block'.
Choose the best option:
Only 'menged' (road) is used for figurative life paths.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard translations for these variations.
A: ለምን ዘገየህ? (Why are you late?) B: በትራፊክ ምክንያት ____።
Traffic causes road closures (menged mezegat).
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot usually. For websites, people use 'ብሎክ ተደረገ' (it was blocked) or 'አይሰራም' (it doesn't work).
The phrase itself isn't rude, but using it as a command ('መንገድ አትዝጋ!') can be depending on your tone.
You can say 'መንገዱ በከፊል ተዘግቷል' (mengedu bekefil tezigtual).
'መንገድ መክፈት' (menged mekf'et), which means to open or clear the road.
No, for a dead end, use 'ዝግ መንገድ' (zig menged - closed road) as a noun phrase.
Yes, very frequently for traffic updates or political news.
Yes, 'menged' covers roads, streets, and sidewalks.
No, for that you would say 'እይታ መጋረድ' (eyita megared).
Yes, you can say 'መንገድ አትዝጋብኝ' to a person standing in your way.
Yes, 'መንገድ መያዝ' (holding the road) is a common slang variation.
Expressions liées
መንገድ መክፈት
contrastTo open the road / To create opportunity
መንገድ መሳሳት
similarTo lose one's way
መንገድ መልቀቅ
similarTo give way / To move aside
እግር መዝጋት
specialized formTo stop visiting someone
