Meaning
Reporting a lack of running water.
Cultural Background
Water outages are a common part of urban life in Ethiopia. People often store water in large plastic tanks (Rotas) or yellow jerrycans to prepare for 'Wuha yelem' days. Before a meal, a host will offer water to wash your hands. If they say 'ውሃ የለም', they will likely bring a small kettle (Aftal) instead of using the tap. In the Orthodox tradition, 'Holy Water' (Tsebel) is highly revered. 'ውሃ የለም' would never be used to describe a lack of Tsebel; instead, one would say 'ጸበል የለም'. The traditional coffee ceremony requires fresh water. If 'ውሃ የለም', the ceremony is delayed, which is a significant social pause.
Check the Neighbors
If you are in Ethiopia and the water stops, always ask 'ውሃ አለ?' to your neighbor. If they say 'የለም', it's a city issue. If they say 'አለ', it's your pipes!
Don't just say 'Yelem'
While 'Yelem' means 'none', just saying it alone can be blunt. Always include the noun 'Wuha' to be clear.
Meaning
Reporting a lack of running water.
Check the Neighbors
If you are in Ethiopia and the water stops, always ask 'ውሃ አለ?' to your neighbor. If they say 'የለም', it's a city issue. If they say 'አለ', it's your pipes!
Don't just say 'Yelem'
While 'Yelem' means 'none', just saying it alone can be blunt. Always include the noun 'Wuha' to be clear.
The Jerrycan Signal
If you see many yellow jerrycans lined up at a street corner, you don't even need to ask. It's a visual sign of 'ውሃ የለም'.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence to say 'There is no water in the house'.
ቤት ውስጥ ___ የለም።
'ውሃ' means water. The sentence becomes 'Bet wust wuha yelem'.
How do you ask 'Is there water?'
Which one is correct?
'አለ' is the positive existential 'there is'. Adding a question mark makes it 'Is there water?'.
Match the situation to the correct phrase.
You are at a hotel and the shower doesn't work.
You are reporting the absence of water in the pipes.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ውሃ አለ? B: ____ (No, there is no water.)
'አይ' means no, and 'የለም' means there is none.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Where is the water missing?
Locations
- • ቤት ውስጥ (In house)
- • ሆቴል ውስጥ (In hotel)
- • ቧንቧ ውስጥ (In tap)
- • ጀሪካን ውስጥ (In jerrycan)
Practice Bank
4 exercisesቤት ውስጥ ___ የለም።
'ውሃ' means water. The sentence becomes 'Bet wust wuha yelem'.
Which one is correct?
'አለ' is the positive existential 'there is'. Adding a question mark makes it 'Is there water?'.
You are at a hotel and the shower doesn't work.
You are reporting the absence of water in the pipes.
A: ውሃ አለ? B: ____ (No, there is no water.)
'አይ' means no, and 'የለም' means there is none.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, it is a neutral statement of fact. It is not rude to tell a hotel manager 'ውሃ የለም'.
Yes, if you look in the fridge and it's empty, you can say 'ውሃ የለም'.
'ውሃ የለም' is 'There is no water'. 'ውሃ ጠፋ' is 'The water has disappeared/gone out'. The latter is more common for sudden outages.
You can ask 'ውሃ መቼ ይመጣል?' (Wuha meche yemetal?).
No, for uncountable nouns like water, 'Yelem' remains singular.
No, that is incorrect word order. The verb must come last.
Yes, 'የውሃ አቅርቦት ተቋርጧል' (The water supply is interrupted).
Say 'ውሃው ቆሻሻ ነው' (The water is dirty).
Say 'ውሃ የለንም' (Wuha yelen-m).
No, 'Wuha' is specifically for water. For milk, use 'Wetet'.
Related Phrases
ውሃ ጠፋ
similarWater is lost/gone
ውሃ ተቋረጠ
formalWater is interrupted
ውሃ አለ
contrastThere is water
ውሃ የለኝም
builds onI don't have water
የውሃ እጥረት
specialized formWater shortage
