Meaning
Describing someone's height.
Cultural Background
In the highlands, height is often associated with noble bearing. The phrase 'ቁመተ መለሎ' is a high compliment for tall people. The Nilotic peoples in this region are among the tallest in the world. In Addis Ababa, people from this region are often identified as 'ረጅም ሰዎች' as a neutral physical descriptor. In cities like Addis, height is a frequent topic in social media 'beauty standards' discussions, similar to global trends. In Ethiopian Orthodox iconography, saints are sometimes depicted with elongated bodies to symbolize their spiritual 'height' and distance from the earthly realm.
Complimenting
Calling someone 'ረጅም' is almost always a compliment in Ethiopia. Don't be afraid to use it!
Don't use for buildings
While 'rejim' works for buildings, 'rejim sew' obviously doesn't. Keep 'sew' for humans only.
Meaning
Describing someone's height.
Complimenting
Calling someone 'ረጅም' is almost always a compliment in Ethiopia. Don't be afraid to use it!
Don't use for buildings
While 'rejim' works for buildings, 'rejim sew' obviously doesn't. Keep 'sew' for humans only.
The Definite Article
Always put the '-u' on 'ረጅሙ' when you mean 'THE tall person'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct word for 'tall'.
ወንድሜ ____ ሰው ነው።
'ረጅም' is the correct word for tall. 'አጭር' is short, 'ትልቅ' is big, and 'ቀጭን' is thin.
How do you say 'The tall person' (definite)?
Choose the correct form:
In Amharic, the definite article '-u' is added to the adjective in an adjective-noun pair.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ያ ሰው ማን ነው? B: የትኛው? A: ያ ____ ሰው።
Contextually, 'the tall one' (ረጅሙ) is the most common way to identify someone in this dialogue structure.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are describing a basketball player.
Basketball players are typically tall, so 'ረጅም ሰው ነው' is the best fit.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Height vs Size in Amharic
Practice Bank
4 exercisesወንድሜ ____ ሰው ነው።
'ረጅም' is the correct word for tall. 'አጭር' is short, 'ትልቅ' is big, and 'ቀጭን' is thin.
Choose the correct form:
In Amharic, the definite article '-u' is added to the adjective in an adjective-noun pair.
A: ያ ሰው ማን ነው? B: የትኛው? A: ያ ____ ሰው።
Contextually, 'the tall one' (ረጅሙ) is the most common way to identify someone in this dialogue structure.
You are describing a basketball player.
Basketball players are typically tall, so 'ረጅም ሰው ነው' is the best fit.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it is a neutral and often positive description in Ethiopian culture.
Yes, 'ረጅም ፊልም' (rejim film) means a long movie.
The opposite is 'አጭር ሰው' (achir sew), meaning a short person.
Add 'በጣም' (betam) before the phrase: 'በጣም ረጅም ሰው'.
The word 'rejim' stays the same, but the verb/copula changes (e.g., 'nech' instead of 'new').
Yes, 'ረጅም ዛፍ' (rejim zaf) is correct.
'Rejim' is standard/formal; 'qumetam' is more like saying 'lanky' or 'tall-ish' in a casual way.
Yes, 'ረጃጅም' (rejajim) or 'ግዙፍ' (gizuf), but 'rejim sew' is the everyday term.
Use 'ከ... ይበልጣል' (ke... yibeltal).
Yes, it's often associated with health and beauty.
Related Phrases
አጭር ሰው
contrastShort person
ረጅም ጊዜ
similarA long time
ቁመታም
synonymTall (informal)
ትልቅ ሰው
confusingBig/Old/Important person
ረጅም መንገድ
builds onLong road
