Signification
An aged vehicle.
Contexte culturel
The 'Blue Lada' taxis in Addis Ababa are the most famous examples of 'አሮጌ መኪና'. They have been running since the Derg era and are a symbol of the city's resilience. Due to high taxes, an 'old car' in Ethiopia can cost more than a new car in the US or Europe. This makes the term 'aroge' less about 'trash' and more about 'vintage value'. Calling someone's car 'aroge' to their face can be seen as rude unless you are close friends. It's better to use 'የቆየ' (yekoyye) to be polite. The word 'aroge' is strictly for objects. Using it for a person is a major social faux pas in Ethiopian culture, implying they are no longer useful.
The Person Rule
Never use 'aroge' for people. It's the #1 mistake and it sounds very rude.
Politeness
Use 'yekoyye' (የቆየ) if you want to sound more sophisticated or polite when talking about someone's older car.
Signification
An aged vehicle.
The Person Rule
Never use 'aroge' for people. It's the #1 mistake and it sounds very rude.
Politeness
Use 'yekoyye' (የቆየ) if you want to sound more sophisticated or polite when talking about someone's older car.
Lada Taxis
If you see a blue and white car in Addis, it's almost certainly an 'aroge mekina' Lada taxi.
Adjective Order
Always put 'aroge' before 'mekina'. Amharic loves Adjective + Noun.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct way to say 'The old car' in Amharic.
Which one is correct?
The definite article '-u' or '-w' attaches to the adjective in an adjective-noun pair.
Fill in the blank with the correct word for 'old' (for an object).
ይህ _____ መኪና ነው።
'አሮጌ' is the correct adjective for inanimate objects like cars.
Match the sentence to the most likely situation.
Sentence: 'አሮጌ መኪናዬን መሸጥ እፈልጋለሁ።'
The sentence means 'I want to sell my old car,' which happens at a car market.
Complete the dialogue.
A: መኪናህ አዲስ ነው? B: አይደለም፣ _______ ነው።
The question asks 'Is your car new?' and the answer starts with 'No,' so 'old' (አሮጌ) is the logical completion.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
What can be 'አሮጌ'?
Objects (Yes)
- • መኪና (Car)
- • ልብስ (Clothes)
- • ቤት (House)
People (No)
- • ሰው (Person)
- • አባት (Father)
- • መምህር (Teacher)
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesWhich one is correct?
The definite article '-u' or '-w' attaches to the adjective in an adjective-noun pair.
ይህ _____ መኪና ነው።
'አሮጌ' is the correct adjective for inanimate objects like cars.
Sentence: 'አሮጌ መኪናዬን መሸጥ እፈልጋለሁ።'
The sentence means 'I want to sell my old car,' which happens at a car market.
A: መኪናህ አዲስ ነው? B: አይደለም፣ _______ ነው።
The question asks 'Is your car new?' and the answer starts with 'No,' so 'old' (አሮጌ) is the logical completion.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, 'አሮጌ ቤት' (aroge bet) is the correct way to say 'old house'.
It can be neutral (just stating age) or negative (implying it's worn out), depending on your tone.
አሮጌ መኪናዎች (aroge mekinawotch). The adjective doesn't change, only the noun.
በጣም አሮጌ መኪና (betam aroge mekina).
Yes, 'ቆርቆሮ' (k'ork'oro), which means 'tin can'.
You can, but 'ጥንታዊ' (t'intawi) is better if the car is a valuable classic.
Because it's a loanword from Italian 'macchina'.
አሮጌ መኪናዬ (aroge mekinaye).
It's better to avoid it unless you are joking, as they take pride in their cars.
'አዲስ' (addis), which means 'new'.
Expressions liées
አዲስ መኪና
contrastNew car
የመኪና ጥገና
similarCar repair
አሮጌ ልብስ
builds onOld clothes
ጥንታዊ መኪና
specialized formVintage/Ancient car
የቆየ መኪና
synonymAn aged car
