Meaning
Literally 'his leg is light'.
Cultural Background
The first person to enter a house on New Year's Day (Enkutatash) is carefully chosen. They must be 'Egre-Melkam' (of good leg) to ensure the family has a prosperous year. During the traditional coffee ceremony, if a neighbor walks in just as the first round (Abol) is being poured, they are praised for having a 'light leg'. It is common for business owners to credit their first customer of the day for their success. If the day goes well, that first customer is told they have a 'light leg'. Even in modern Addis Ababa, people use this phrase in tech startups or when a new team member joins a project that suddenly gets funding.
The Ultimate Compliment
If you want to make an Ethiopian host very happy, use this phrase when something good happens during your visit.
Avoid 'Kebad'
Never tell someone 'Egruh kebad new' unless you want to end the friendship. It's a very serious insult.
Meaning
Literally 'his leg is light'.
The Ultimate Compliment
If you want to make an Ethiopian host very happy, use this phrase when something good happens during your visit.
Avoid 'Kebad'
Never tell someone 'Egruh kebad new' unless you want to end the friendship. It's a very serious insult.
Suffix Mastery
Practice the suffixes! Egresh (f), Egreh (m), Egrua (her). Getting the gender right makes you sound like a pro.
New Year Context
On September 11th (Ethiopian New Year), this is the most important phrase you can know.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct possessive suffix for a female friend.
ሳራ ከመጣች በኋላ ስራ ተሳካ፤ እግሯ ______ ነው ።
'ቀሊል' is the correct idiomatic adjective for 'light' in this context.
Which sentence means 'You (masculine) bring good luck'?
Select the correct translation:
'-ህ' is the suffix for 'your' (masculine).
Match the situation to the phrase.
A friend visits your new house and you want to welcome them warmly.
This is a standard blessing for a guest entering a new home.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ካሳ ከመጣ በኋላ ብዙ ደንበኛ መጣ። B: አዎ፣ እሱማ ______ ።
The context of 'many customers' implies the person brought luck.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Light vs Heavy Leg
Practice Bank
4 exercisesሳራ ከመጣች በኋላ ስራ ተሳካ፤ እግሯ ______ ነው ።
'ቀሊል' is the correct idiomatic adjective for 'light' in this context.
Select the correct translation:
'-ህ' is the suffix for 'your' (masculine).
A friend visits your new house and you want to welcome them warmly.
This is a standard blessing for a guest entering a new home.
A: ካሳ ከመጣ በኋላ ብዙ ደንበኛ መጣ። B: አዎ፣ እሱማ ______ ።
The context of 'many customers' implies the person brought luck.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but it might sound a bit boastful. It's better to wait for others to say it about you. If you must, say 'Egre qelil ሳይሆን አይቀርም' (Maybe my leg is light).
It has spiritual roots but is used by everyone—Christians, Muslims, and secular people alike. It's more cultural than strictly religious.
Yes! If a new cow is bought and the farm prospers, people will say the cow's leg is light.
እግሯ ቀሊል ነው (Egrua qelil new).
Yes, literally it is. But in this idiom, it means 'auspicious'.
If you have a friendly relationship with the client, yes. It's a very warm way to start a partnership.
People might jokingly (or seriously) say 'Egruh kebad new'. Try to avoid that!
Yes, 'እግራቸው ቀሊል ነው' (Egrachew qelil new) for 'Their legs are light'.
እግርህ ቀሊል ይሁንልን (Egreh qelil yihunilin).
Very often! Many wedding and New Year songs feature this idiom.
Related Phrases
እግረ መልካም
synonymA person with a 'good' leg.
እግሩ ከባድ ነው
contrastHis leg is heavy (He brings bad luck).
እግረ ሰላም
similarLeg of peace.
እግረ ደረቅ
contrastDry leg.
