EFE learning modules / Opinions, Agreements & Discussions

Opinions, Agreements & Discussions

Common Expressions Back to Catalog

Explore Contexts

Select a specific social context to practice.

See eye to eye

/ሲ አይ ቱ አይ/

ሙሉ በሙሉ መስማማት

To agree fully with someone.

ከአንድ ሰው ጋር ሙሉ በሙሉ መስማማት::

In Practice

"My boss and I don't always see eye to eye."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye on this project."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe a state of complete agreement between people.

On the same page

/ኦን ዘ ሴም ፔጅ/

ተመሳሳይ ግንዛቤ መያዝ

Thinking in a similar way or having the same understanding.

በተመሳሳይ መንገድ ማሰብ ወይም ተመሳሳይ ግንዛቤ መያዝ::

In Practice

"Before we start, let's make sure everyone is on the same page."

"We need to be on the same page about the budget."

Fluent Tip

Common in business and group discussions to ensure shared understanding.

Play devil's advocate

/ፕሌይ ዴቪልስ አድቮኬት/

ለክርክር ሲባል ተቃራኒ ሃሳብ ማቅረብ

To argue against an idea to test its validity.

አንድን ሃሳብ ለመፈተሽ ሲባል ተቃራኒውን መከራከር::

In Practice

"I agree with you, but let me play devil's advocate for a moment."

"He played devil's advocate to help us see the risks."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone presents a counter-argument they don't necessarily believe in.

Sit on the fence

/ሲት ኦን ዘ ፌንስ/

ውሳኔ አልባ መሆን

To be undecided or avoid taking a side in an argument.

ውሳኔ ሳይሰጡ መቆየት ወይም ወገን አለመያዝ::

In Practice

"You can't sit on the fence forever; pick a side."

"The committee is still sitting on the fence about the proposal."

Fluent Tip

Used for someone who refuses to make a decision or take a stand.

Speak your mind

/ስፒክ ዩር ማይንድ/

የልብን መናገር

To say honestly what you think.

የሚያስቡትን በግልጽ መናገር::

In Practice

"Please feel free to speak your mind during the meeting."

"She always speaks her mind, even if it's unpopular."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging someone to be honest and direct.

Beat around the bush

/ቢት አራውንድ ዘ ቡሽ/

ጉዳዩን ማድበስበስ

To avoid talking about the main topic directly.

ዋናውን ጉዳይ በቀጥታ ከመናገር መቆጠብ::

In Practice

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you think."

"He beat around the bush for ten minutes before asking for a loan."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone is being indirect to avoid conflict or awkwardness.

Take it with a grain of salt

/ቴይክ ኢት ዊዝ ኤ ግሬይን ኦፍ ሶልት/

በጥርጣሬ መቀበል

To not completely believe something someone says.

የሚነገረውን ነገር ሙሉ በሙሉ አለማመን::

In Practice

"I read it on the internet, so take it with a grain of salt."

"Take his advice with a grain of salt; he's not an expert."

Fluent Tip

Used when information might be exaggerated or untrue.

Hit the nail on the head

/ሂት ዘ ኔይል ኦን ዘ ሄድ/

ትክክለኛውን ነጥብ መናገር

To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.

የአንድን ችግር ወይም ሁኔታ ትክክለኛ ምክንያት መናገር::

In Practice

"You hit the nail on the head with that analysis."

"I think she hit the nail on the head regarding our budget issues."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone's assessment is perfectly accurate.

Break the ice

/ብሬክ ዘ አይስ/

መቀራረብን መፍጠር

To start a conversation in a social situation to feel more comfortable.

ሰዎች እንዲቀራረቡ ጭዋታ መጀመር::

In Practice

"A joke is a good way to break the ice."

"We played a game to break the ice at the start of the seminar."

Fluent Tip

Used in new group settings to ease tension.

In a nutshell

/ኢን ኤ ናትሼል/

ባጭሩ

Briefly and concisely.

በአጭሩ እና በግልጽ::

In Practice

"In a nutshell, we need more funding."

"That is the story in a nutshell."

Fluent Tip

Used to summarize a long explanation.

On the same wavelength

/ኦን ዘ ሴም ዌቭሌንግዝ/

ተመሳሳይ አስተሳሰብ መጋራት

Thinking in a very similar way.

በጣም በተመሳሳይ መንገድ ማሰብ::

In Practice

"We work well together because we're on the same wavelength."

"It's hard to discuss when you aren't on the same wavelength."

Fluent Tip

Describes deep mental or emotional agreement.

The benefit of the doubt

/ዘ ቤኔፊት ኦፍ ዘ ዳውት/

በበጎ መጠርጠር

To believe someone is telling the truth because you can't prove otherwise.

ተቃራኒው እስካልተረጋገጠ ድረስ አንድን ሰው ማመን::

In Practice

"I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time."

"She deserves the benefit of the doubt until we have facts."

Fluent Tip

Used when choosing to trust someone despite uncertainty.

Go along with

/ጎው አሎንግ ዊዝ/

መስማማት

To agree with or support an idea.

በአንድ ሃሳብ መስማማት ወይም መደገፍ::

In Practice

"I'll go along with your plan for now."

"She rarely goes along with the majority."

Fluent Tip

Common in discussions to indicate consent.

Back up

/ባክ አፕ/

መደገፍ

To support someone's statement or argument.

የአንድን ሰው ንግግር ወይም ክርክር መደገፍ::

In Practice

"Will you back me up in the meeting?"

"He had facts to back up his claims."

Fluent Tip

Used when providing evidence or solidarity.

Point out

/ፖይንት አውት/

ማመልከት / መጠቆም

To draw attention to a fact.

ወደ አንድ እውነታ ትኩረት መሳብ::

In Practice

"I'd like to point out that we are over budget."

"She pointed out several flaws in the design."

Fluent Tip

Used to introduce specific details in a discussion.

Sum up

/ሳም አፕ/

ማጠቃለል

To give a brief summary of the main points.

ዋና ዋና ነጥቦችን በአጭሩ መግለጽ::

In Practice

"To sum up, we need to act fast."

"He summed up the meeting in three points."

Fluent Tip

Used at the end of a discussion or presentation.

Bring up

/ብሪንግ አፕ/

ሃሳብ ማንሳት

To mention a topic for discussion.

አንድን ርዕስ ለውይይት ማቅረብ::

In Practice

"Don't bring up the salary issue yet."

"She brought up a very interesting point."

Fluent Tip

Used when introducing a new subject.

Hear someone out

/ሂር ሰምዋን አውት/

እስከመጨረሻው ማዳመጥ

To listen to someone until they have finished speaking.

አንድ ሰው ንግግሩን እስኪጨርስ ድረስ ማዳመጥ::

In Practice

"Please hear me out before you get angry."

"I heard him out, but I still disagree."

Fluent Tip

Polite request for uninterrupted speaking time.

Side with

/ሳይድ ዊዝ/

መወገን

To support one person or group in an argument.

በክርክር ወቅት አንዱን ወገን መደገፍ::

In Practice

"I usually side with the marketing department."

"The judge sided with the defendant."

Fluent Tip

Describes taking a specific position in a conflict.

Weigh in

/ዌይ ኢን/

አስተያየት መስጠት

To give an opinion or join a discussion.

አስተያየት መስጠት ወይም ውይይቱን መቀላቀል::

In Practice

"Can I weigh in on this matter?"

"Experts weighed in on the new policy."

Fluent Tip

Used when adding one's perspective to an ongoing talk.

Come around

/ካም አራውንድ/

ሃሳብን መቀየር

To change one's opinion or agree after being persuaded.

ከተመከሩ በኋላ ሃሳብን መቀየር ወይም መስማማት::

In Practice

"He'll come around to our way of thinking eventually."

"They finally came around after seeing the results."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone slowly accepts a new viewpoint.

Put across

/ፑት አክሮስ/

ሃሳብን በሚገባ ማስረዳት

To communicate an idea clearly.

አንድን ሃሳብ በግልጽ ማስተላለፍ::

In Practice

"He put his ideas across very effectively."

"It's hard to put across the urgency of this situation."

Fluent Tip

Focuses on the clarity of communication.

Spell out

/ስፔል አውት/

ዘርዝሮ ማስረዳት

To explain something in very simple, clear detail.

አንድን ነገር በጣም ቀላል በሆነ መንገድ ዘርዝሮ ማስረዳት::

In Practice

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"She spelled out the rules of the discussion."

Fluent Tip

Used when a detailed explanation is needed.

Follow up

/ፎሎው አፕ/

ክትትል ማድረግ

To take further action after a discussion.

ከውይይት በኋላ ተጨማሪ እርምጃ መውሰድ::

In Practice

"I'll follow up with an email after the meeting."

"Let's follow up on these points next week."

Fluent Tip

Common in professional contexts for continuing a task.

Two heads are better than one

/ቱ ሄድስ አር ቤተር ዘን ዋን/

ድር ቢያብር አንበሳ ያስር

It is easier to solve a problem with two people than with one.

አንድን ችግር ከአንድ ሰው ይልቅ በሁለት ሆኖ መፍታት ይቀላል::

In Practice

"Let's work together; two heads are better than one."

"I need your help; two heads are better than one."

Fluent Tip

Used to encourage collaboration.

Actions speak louder than words

/አክሽንስ ስፒክ ላውደር ዘን ወርድስ/

ከተግባር ንግግር አይቀድምም

What people do is more important than what they say.

ሰዎች የሚያደርጉት ነገር ከሚናገሩት በላይ ዋጋ አለው::

In Practice

"Don't just promise to help; actions speak louder than words."

"He says he's sorry, but actions speak louder than words."

Fluent Tip

Emphasizes results over promises.

Silence gives consent

/ሳይለንስ ጊቭስ ኮንሰንት/

ዝምታ የመስማማት ምልክት ነው

If you don't object, it is assumed you agree.

ካልተቃወሙ እንደተስማሙ ይቆጠራል::

In Practice

"Nobody disagreed, and silence gives consent."

"I'll take your silence as consent."

Fluent Tip

Often used in formal discussions where objections are expected.

Honesty is the best policy

/ኦነስቲ ኢዝ ዘ ቤስት ፖሊሲ/

ታማኝነት ከሁሉ ይበልጣል

It is always better to tell the truth.

ሁልጊዜ እውነትን መናገር የተሻለ ነው::

In Practice

"Just tell them you made a mistake; honesty is the best policy."

"In every discussion, honesty is the best policy."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging truthfulness in difficult talks.

Great minds think alike

/ግሬይት ማይንድስ ሲንክ አላይክ/

የአዋቂዎች ሃሳብ አንድ ነው

Used when two people have the same idea at the same time.

ሁለት ሰዎች በተመሳሳይ ጊዜ ተመሳሳይ ሃሳብ ሲያመጡ የሚባል::

In Practice

"I was just about to say that! Great minds think alike."

"We both picked the same topic; great minds think alike!"

Fluent Tip

A friendly way to acknowledge a shared idea.

Better late than never

/ቤተር ሌይት ዘን ኔቨር/

ከመቅረት መዘግየት ይሻላል

It is better to arrive or do something late than not at all.

አንድን ነገር ካለማድረግ ዘግይቶም ቢሆን ማድረግ ይሻላል::

In Practice

"You finally joined the discussion! Better late than never."

"I got the report late, but better late than never."

Fluent Tip

Used to accept a late contribution.

Don't judge a book by its cover

/ዶንት ጃጅ ኤ ቡክ ባይ ኢትስ ካቨር/

በውጫዊ ገጽታ አትፍረድ

Don't form an opinion based only on appearance.

በውጫዊ ገጽታ ብቻ በመነሳት አስተያየት አትስጥ::

In Practice

"He looks quiet, but he has great ideas; don't judge a book by its cover."

"The proposal looked simple, but it's brilliant."

Fluent Tip

Warning against superficial judgments.

Look before you leap

/ሉክ ቢፎር ዩ ሊፕ/

ሳታስብ አትግባ

Think carefully about the consequences before acting.

ከማድረግዎ በፊት ስለ ውጤቱ በጥንቃቄ ያስቡ::

In Practice

"Check the facts first; look before you leap."

"We should discuss this more; look before you leap."

Fluent Tip

Advice to be cautious in decision making.

A penny for your thoughts

/ኤ ፔኒ ፎር ዩር ሶትስ/

ምን እያሰብክ ነው?

A way of asking what someone is thinking about.

አንድ ሰው ምን እያሰበ እንደሆነ ለመጠየቅ የሚያገለግል::

In Practice

"You've been quiet for a while; a penny for your thoughts?"

"A penny for your thoughts on this new project."

Fluent Tip

Used to invite someone into a conversation.

Practice makes perfect

/ፕራክቲስ ሜይክስ ፐርፌክት/

ልምምድ ውጤታማ ያደርጋል

The more you do something, the better you become at it.

አንድን ነገር ደጋግመው ሲሰሩት ብቁ ይሆናሉ::

In Practice

"Keep practicing your debate skills; practice makes perfect."

"It's hard to discuss now, but practice makes perfect."

Fluent Tip

Encouragement for skill development.

Still waters run deep

/ስቲል ወተርስ ራን ዲፕ/

ዝምተኛ ሰው አዋቂ ሊሆን ይችላል

A quiet person may have a very complex personality or knowledge.

ዝም የሚል ሰው ጥልቅ እውቀት ወይም ውስብስብ ባህሪ ሊኖረው ይችላል::

In Practice

"She doesn't say much, but still waters run deep."

"Don't underestimate him; still waters run deep."

Fluent Tip

Observing that quiet participants may have strong opinions.

Every cloud has a silver lining

/ኤቭሪ ክላውድ ሃዝ ኤ ሲልቨር ላይኒንግ/

ከመጥፎ ነገር ጥሩ ነገር ይገኛል

There is a positive aspect to every bad situation.

በእያንዳንዱ መጥፎ ሁኔታ ውስጥ ጥሩ ጎን አለ::

In Practice

"We lost the contract, but every cloud has a silver lining; we learned a lot."

"Keep hope; every cloud has a silver lining."

Fluent Tip

Used to provide optimism during difficult discussions.

I'm down

/አይም ዳውን/

እስማማለሁ / እሺ

I agree to do something or I'm interested.

አንድን ነገር ለማድረግ መስማማት ወይም ፍላጎት መኖር::

In Practice

"Want to discuss this over coffee? I'm down."

"If you guys are going, I'm down."

Fluent Tip

Informal way to show agreement or participation.

No cap

/ኖው ካፕ/

እውነት ነው (ውሸት የለውም)

I am not lying; for real.

እየዋሸሁ አይደለም፤ በእውነት::

In Practice

"That was the best presentation ever, no cap."

"I think we can finish this by tonight, no cap."

Fluent Tip

Used to emphasize truthfulness.

Bet

/ቤት/

እሺ / ይሁን

Used to express agreement or confirmation.

መስማማትን ወይም ማረጋገጫን ለመግለጽ ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"See you at five? Bet."

"We're meeting tomorrow? Bet."

Fluent Tip

Very casual, common among younger people.

Word

/ወርድ/

ትክክል / እውነት ነው

Used to agree with someone or acknowledge a fact.

ከአንድ ሰው ጋር ለመስማማት ወይም እውነታን ለመቀበል ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"That movie was great. Word."

"It's way too hot today. Word."

Fluent Tip

Informal acknowledgment of a statement.

Period

/ፒሪየድ/

ውይይቱ አልቋል (ነጥብ)

Used to emphasize that a statement is final and there is nothing more to say.

ንግግሩ ማለቁን እና ተጨማሪ ነገር እንደማይፈለግ ለማሳየት ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"I'm not going, period."

"She is the best person for the job, period."

Fluent Tip

Used to end an argument firmly.

Lowkey

/ሎውኪ/

በመጠኑ / በከፊል

Secretly or to a small extent.

በሚስጥር ወይም በመጠኑ::

In Practice

"I lowkey think his idea is better."

"I'm lowkey tired of this discussion."

Fluent Tip

Used to express a subtle opinion.

Big facts

/ቢግ ፋክትስ/

ፍጹም እውነት

Used to strongly agree with a factual statement.

ከአንድ እውነታ ጋር በጥብቅ ለመስማማት ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"We need a break. Big facts."

"The team worked hard. Big facts."

Fluent Tip

Emphatic agreement.

Real talk

/ሪል ቶክ/

እውነተኛ ንግግር

Used to indicate that what one is about to say is serious and honest.

ሊነገር ያለው ነገር ቁምነገር እና እውነት መሆኑን ለማሳየት ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"Real talk, we need to change our strategy."

"Real talk, I don't think this will work."

Fluent Tip

Prefacing a serious opinion.

Deadass

/ዴድአስ/

በቁም ነገር / በእውነት

To be completely serious.

ሙሉ በሙሉ ቁምነገር መያዝ::

In Practice

"I'm deadass about quitting if things don't change."

"Are you deadass right now?"

Fluent Tip

Used to show sincerity or surprise.

Flex

/ፍሌክስ/

መመካት / መኩራራት

To show off one's achievements or skills.

ስኬትን ወይም ችሎታን ማሳየት (መፎከር)::

In Practice

"Sharing your success is a bit of a flex."

"He was flexing his knowledge during the debate."

Fluent Tip

Usually social media slang but used in conversation.

Tea

/ቲ/

ሐሜት / ወሬ

Gossip or interesting news.

ሐሜት ወይም አስደሳች ወሬ::

In Practice

"What's the tea from the meeting?"

"Spill the tea on what happened."

Fluent Tip

Informal way to ask for hidden information.

Vibe check

/ቫይብ ቼክ/

ሁኔታውን መገምገም

Assessing the mood or energy of a person or group.

የአንድን ሰው ወይም ቡድን ስሜት ወይም ሁኔታ መገምገም::

In Practice

"Quick vibe check: how is everyone feeling about the plan?"

"The vibe check failed."

Fluent Tip

Used to gauge the group's attitude.

You can say that again

/ዩ ካን ሴይ ዛት አጌይን/

ትክክል ነህ / በጣም እስማማለሁ

Used to show strong agreement.

በጣም መስማማትን ለመግለጽ ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"It's freezing outside. You can say that again!"

"This project is tough. You can say that again."

Fluent Tip

Conversational way to validate someone's point.

Tell me about it

/ቴል ሚ አባውት ኢት/

እኔንም ጠይቀኝ (እስማማለሁ)

Used to say that you feel the same way or have had the same bad experience.

ተመሳሳይ ስሜት ወይም መጥፎ ተሞክሮ እንዳለዎት ለመግለጽ ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"Working overtime is exhausting. Tell me about it!"

"Parking is so hard here. Tell me about it."

Fluent Tip

Usually implies shared frustration.

I'm with you

/አይም ዊዝ ዩ/

ካንተ ጋር ነኝ / እስማማለሁ

I agree with you.

እስማማሃለሁ::

In Practice

"I'm with you on the need for more time."

"If you want to leave, I'm with you."

Fluent Tip

Friendly and direct agreement.

Fair enough

/ፌር ኢናፍ/

ተገቢ ነው / ይሁንልህ

Used to admit that something is reasonable or acceptable.

አንድ ነገር ተገቢ መሆኑን ለመቀበል ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"I can't come because I'm sick. Fair enough."

"He has a point; fair enough."

Fluent Tip

Used when you accept an explanation even if you don't fully agree.

Spot on

/ስፖት ኦን/

ትክክል / ልክ ነህ

Exactly correct.

በትክክል ትክክለኛ::

In Practice

"Your analysis of the situation was spot on."

"His guess was spot on."

Fluent Tip

Common in British English, used for accuracy.

For sure

/ፎር ሹር/

በእርግጥ / እርግጠኛ ነኝ

Definitely; certainly.

በእርግጥም፤ ያለምንም ጥርጥር::

In Practice

"Are you coming? For sure."

"That was a great talk, for sure."

Fluent Tip

Common casual affirmation.

I hear you

/አይ ሂር ዩ/

ይገባኛል

I understand your perspective (even if I don't agree).

የእርስዎን አመለካከት ተረድቻለሁ (ምንም እንኳን ባልስማማም)::

In Practice

"I hear you, but we just don't have the budget."

"I hear you; it's been a long day."

Fluent Tip

Used to show empathy in a discussion.

No biggie

/ኖው ቢጊ/

ችግር የለም

No problem; it's not a big deal.

ምንም ችግር የለውም፤ ትልቅ ጉዳይ አይደለም::

In Practice

"Sorry I'm late. No biggie."

"If you can't help, it's no biggie."

Fluent Tip

Casual way to dismiss a small issue.

Same here

/ሴም ሂር/

እኔም እንዲሁ

The same applies to me; I agree.

ለእኔም ተመሳሳይ ነው፤ እስማማለሁ::

In Practice

"I'm ready for lunch. Same here."

"I don't understand this chart. Same here."

Fluent Tip

Used to show shared feeling or state.

Way to go

/ዌይ ቱ ጎው/

ጎበዝ / በርታ

Used to congratulate someone.

አንድን ሰው ለማበረታታት ወይም ለመመሥገን ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"You finished the report on time! Way to go!"

"Way to go on your presentation."

Fluent Tip

Common positive reinforcement.

That's a point

/ዛትስ ኤ ፖይንት/

ጥሩ ነጥብ ነው

An acknowledgment that someone has said something valid.

አንድ ሰው ትክክለኛ ነገር መናገሩን መቀበያ::

In Practice

"It might rain today. That's a point, let's take umbrellas."

"That's a point I hadn't considered."

Fluent Tip

Used to admit a new perspective is valid.

Beats me

/ቢትስ ሚ/

አላውቅም / ግራ ገባኝ

I have no idea; I don't know.

ምንም ሃሳብ የለኝም፤ አላውቅም::

In Practice

"Why did he do that? Beats me."

"How does this machine work? Beats me."

Fluent Tip

Informal way to say you don't know the answer.

A meeting of the minds

/ኤ ሚቲንግ ኦፍ ዘ ማይንድስ/

የሃሳብ መገጣጠም

An agreement or mutual understanding.

መስማማት ወይም የጋራ ግንዛቤ::

In Practice

"We finally had a meeting of the minds regarding the contract."

"The negotiation led to a true meeting of the minds."

Fluent Tip

Formal way to describe reaching an agreement.

Food for thought

/ፉድ ፎር ሶት/

ሊታሰብበት የሚገባ ሃሳብ

Something that warrants serious consideration.

ቁምነገር ያለው እና ሊታሰብበት የሚገባ ነገር::

In Practice

"Your suggestion gave me some food for thought."

"The documentary provided much food for thought."

Fluent Tip

Used when an idea needs further reflection.

The floor is yours

/ዘ ፍሎር ኢዝ ዩርስ/

መድረኩ የእርስዎ ነው

It is your turn to speak.

የመናገር ተራው የእርስዎ ነው::

In Practice

"Any more questions? No? Then the floor is yours, Mike."

"The floor is yours if you have anything to add."

Fluent Tip

Used in formal meetings to hand over speaking rights.

Bridging the gap

/ብሪጂንግ ዘ ጋፕ/

ልዩነትን ማጥበብ

To reduce the differences between two opposing groups or ideas.

በሁለት ተቃራኒ ቡድኖች ወይም ሃሳቦች መካከል ያለውን ልዩነት መቀነስ::

In Practice

"We need to find a way of bridging the gap between management and staff."

"This proposal might bridge the gap in our discussion."

Fluent Tip

Focuses on reconciliation and compromise.

A slippery slope

/ኤ ስሊፐሪ ስሎውፕ/

ወደ መጥፎ የሚያመራ መንገድ

A course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one action to others with unintended consequences.

ወደማይፈለግ እና መጥፎ ውጤት የሚመራ ተግባር::

In Practice

"Allowing one exception could be a slippery slope."

"It's a slippery slope once you start lying."

Fluent Tip

Warning against the beginning of a bad trend.

Opening a can of worms

/ኦፕኒንግ ኤ ካን ኦፍ ወርምስ/

አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታን መፍጠር

To start a process that will cause many problems.

ብዙ ችግሮችን የሚያስከትል ሂደት መጀመር::

In Practice

"Discussing politics at dinner is opening a can of worms."

"I don't want to open a can of worms by bringing up the past."

Fluent Tip

Used to avoid complicated or controversial topics.

Breaking new ground

/ብሬኪንግ ኒው ግራውንድ/

አዲስ ፈጠራ / መንገድ

Doing something that has not been done before.

ከዚህ በፊት ያልተደረገ አዲስ ነገር ማድረግ::

In Practice

"This research is breaking new ground in science."

"Our discussion today broke new ground for the company."

Fluent Tip

Used for innovation or progress.

A blank slate

/ኤ ብላንክ ስሌት/

አዲስ ጅማሮ

A fresh start where nothing has been decided yet.

ምንም ያልተወሰነበት አዲስ ጅምር::

In Practice

"Let's look at this problem with a blank slate."

"The new year is a blank slate for all of us."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging unbiased or fresh thinking.

Weighing the options

/ዌይንግ ዘ ኦፕሽንስ/

አማራጮችን ማመዛዘን

Considering different possibilities before making a decision.

ውሳኔ ከመስጠትዎ በፊት የተለያዩ አማራጮችን ማየት::

In Practice

"The committee is still weighing the options."

"I'm weighing the options before I accept the job."

Fluent Tip

Describes a deliberate decision-making process.

Building a case

/ቢልዲንግ ኤ ኬይስ/

መከራከሪያ ነጥቦችን ማዘጋጀት

Gathering evidence to support an argument.

አንድን ክርክር ለመደገፍ ማስረጃዎችን መሰብሰብ::

In Practice

"She is building a case for a promotion."

"We need to build a strong case before we talk to the boss."

Fluent Tip

Used when preparing for a serious proposal or debate.

Sowing the seeds of doubt

/ሶዊንግ ዘ ሲድስ ኦፍ ዳውት/

ጥርጣሬን መዝራት

Doing or saying something that makes people begin to doubt.

ሰዎች እንዲጠራጠሩ የሚያደርግ ነገር ማድረግ ወይም መናገር::

In Practice

"His comments sowed seeds of doubt in my mind."

"Don't let him sow seeds of doubt about your project."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone undermines confidence.

Light at the end of the tunnel

/ላይት አት ዘ ኤንድ ኦፍ ዘ ታነል/

ተስፋ ሰጭ ምልክት

Signs of improvement or an end to a difficult period.

አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታ ማብቂያው ላይ መሆኑን የሚያሳይ ተስፋ::

In Practice

"After months of work, we see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for this project?"

Fluent Tip

Used to motivate during long discussions.

As clear as day

/አዝ ክሊር አዝ ዴይ/

እንደ ቀን ግልጽ

Very easy to understand.

ለመረዳት በጣም ቀላል::

In Practice

"The solution is as clear as day."

"Her intentions were as clear as day."

Fluent Tip

Used when something is obvious.

Like talking to a brick wall

/ላይክ ቶኪንግ ቱ ኤ ብሪክ ዎል/

ከደንጋይ ጋር እንደመነጋገር

Talking to someone who will not listen or respond.

ከማይሰማ ወይም ምላሽ ከማይሰጥ ሰው ጋር መነጋገር::

In Practice

"Trying to convince him is like talking to a brick wall."

"I give up; it's like talking to a brick wall."

Fluent Tip

Expresses frustration with an unyielding person.

As different as night and day

/አዝ ዲፍረንት አዝ ናይት ኤንድ ዴይ/

እንደ ሰማይና ምድር ይለያያሉ

Completely different from each other.

እርስ በእርስ ሙሉ በሙሉ የተለዩ::

In Practice

"The two proposals are as different as night and day."

"Their personalities are as different as night and day."

Fluent Tip

Used to emphasize a total lack of similarity.

Like oil and water

/ላይክ ኦይል ኤንድ ወተር/

እንደ ውሃና ዘይት (አይቀላቀሉም)

Not mixing well or being incompatible.

በፍጹም የማይስማሙ ወይም የማይቀላቀሉ::

In Practice

"Our opinions on this are like oil and water."

"Those two departments work together like oil and water."

Fluent Tip

Describes conflict or incompatibility.

As firm as a rock

/አዝ ፈርም አዝ ኤ ሮክ/

እንደ ድንጋይ የጠነከረ

Unchanging and strong in opinion.

በሃሳብ የማይናወጥ እና ጠንካራ::

In Practice

"His decision remains as firm as a rock."

"She stood as firm as a rock against the criticism."

Fluent Tip

Used for steadfastness.

As stubborn as a mule

/አዝ ስታበርን አዝ ኤ ሚዩል/

እንደ በቅሎ ግትር

Very stubborn and refusing to change.

በጣም ግትር እና ሃሳብን ለመቀየር ፈቃደኛ ያልሆነ::

In Practice

"He won't listen to reason; he's as stubborn as a mule."

"Don't be as stubborn as a mule in this meeting."

Fluent Tip

Negative description of someone who won't compromise.

Like two peas in a pod

/ላይክ ቱ ፒዝ ኢን ኤ ፖድ/

ተመሳሳይ

Very similar in appearance or opinion.

በመልክ ወይም በሃሳብ በጣም ተመሳሳይ የሆኑ::

In Practice

"They always agree; they are like two peas in a pod."

"The two brothers are like two peas in a pod."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe people who always agree.

As plain as the nose on your face

/አዝ ፕሌይን አዝ ዘ ኖውዝ ኦን ዩር ፌስ/

በጣም ግልጽ

Very obvious and easy to see.

በጣም ግልጽ እና ለማየት ቀላል የሆነ::

In Practice

"The mistake is as plain as the nose on your face."

"The truth was as plain as the nose on your face."

Fluent Tip

Emphasis on something being undeniable.

As sharp as a tack

/አዝ ሻርፕ አዝ ኤ ታክ/

በጣም ብልህ

Very intelligent or quick to understand.

በጣም ብልህ ወይም ነገሮችን ቶሎ የሚረዳ::

In Practice

"She's as sharp as a tack in discussions."

"He might be old, but he's as sharp as a tack."

Fluent Tip

Complimenting someone's mental quickness.

As easy as pie

/አዝ ኢዚ አዝ ፓይ/

በጣም ቀላል

Very simple to do or understand.

ለማድረግ ወይም ለመረዳት በጣም ቀላል የሆነ::

In Practice

"Explaining this should be as easy as pie."

"The task was as easy as pie."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe simplicity.

Like a broken record

/ላይክ ኤ ብሮውከን ሪከርድ/

አንድን ነገር የሚደግም

Repeating the same thing over and over.

አንድን ነገር ደጋግሞ የሚናገር::

In Practice

"I know I sound like a broken record, but we need to save money."

"He's like a broken record with his complaints."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone is being repetitive.

As smooth as silk

/አዝ ስሙዝ አዝ ሲልክ/

ያለ ምንም ችግር / ልዝብ

Happening without any problems or difficulties.

ያለ ምንም ችግር ወይም መሰናክል የሚከናወን::

In Practice

"The discussion went as smooth as silk."

"The transition was as smooth as silk."

Fluent Tip

Used for successful, conflict-free processes.

Agree to disagree

/አግሪ ቱ ዲሳግሪ/

አለመስማማትን መቀበል

Accept that we have different opinions and stop arguing.

የተለያየ ሃሳብ እንዳለን አምኖ ክርክርን ማቆም::

In Practice

"We're not going to convince each other, so let's agree to disagree."

"They agreed to disagree on the topic of taxes."

Fluent Tip

Common way to end a deadlocked argument politely.

At the end of the day

/አት ዘ ኤንድ ኦፍ ዘ ዴይ/

በመጨረሻም

When everything is considered.

ሁሉም ነገር ታይቶ ሲጠቃለል::

In Practice

"At the end of the day, it's about profit."

"At the end of the day, we did our best."

Fluent Tip

Used to summarize a point of view.

In my humble opinion

/ኢን ማይ ሃምብል ኦፒኒየን/

በትህትና በኔ እይታ

A polite way to introduce your thought.

ሃሳብን በትህትና ለመግለጽ የሚቀደም ንግግር::

In Practice

"In my humble opinion, we should wait."

"IMHO, this is the better choice."

Fluent Tip

Often used to sound less aggressive (or ironically).

It is what it is

/ኢት ኢዝ ዋት ኢት ኢዝ/

ነገሩ እንዲህ ነው (ሊቀየር አይችልም)

An expression of acceptance of a difficult situation.

ሊቀየር የማይችልን አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታ የመቀበያ ንግግር::

In Practice

"We lost the funding. It is what it is."

"I don't like the rule, but it is what it is."

Fluent Tip

Used to signal resignation or acceptance.

Think outside the box

/ሲንክ አውትሳይድ ዘ ቦክስ/

ከተለመደው ውጪ ማሰብ

Think creatively or in an unconventional way.

በተለየ እና በፈጠራ መንገድ ማሰብ::

In Practice

"We need to think outside the box to solve this."

"Think outside the box for the new marketing campaign."

Fluent Tip

Common in brainstorming sessions.

Win-win situation

/ዊን ዊን ሲቹዌሽን/

ለሁለቱም ወገን የሚጠቅም

A result that benefits everyone involved.

በጉዳዩ ላይ ላሉት ሁሉ የሚጠቅም ውጤት::

In Practice

"This partnership is a win-win situation."

"We want a win-win situation for both companies."

Fluent Tip

Used in negotiations to encourage cooperation.

Let's touch base

/ሌትስ ታች ቤዝ/

እንገናኝ / እንነጋገር

Briefly talk or contact someone.

ከአንድ ሰው ጋር በአጭሩ መገናኘት ወይም መነጋገር::

In Practice

"Let's touch base later this week."

"I'll touch base with you after the meeting."

Fluent Tip

Business cliché for follow-up communication.

The bottom line

/ዘ ቦተም ላይን/

ዋናው ነጥብ

The most important fact or result.

በጣም አስፈላጊው ነጥብ ወይም ውጤት::

In Practice

"The bottom line is we need more sales."

"What's the bottom line here?"

Fluent Tip

Used to focus on the essential conclusion.

Level playing field

/ሌቭል ፕሌይንግ ፊልድ/

እኩል ዕድል

A situation in which everyone has the same opportunities.

ሁሉም ሰው እኩል ዕድል ያለውበት ሁኔታ::

In Practice

"The regulation ensures a level playing field for all businesses."

"We need to create a level playing field in this discussion."

Fluent Tip

Common in fairness-related discussions.

To be honest

/ቱ ቢ ኦነስት/

እውነቱን ለመናገር

Used to introduce an honest and sometimes critical opinion.

እውነተኛ (አንዳንዴም ነቀፌታ ያለበት) ሃሳብን ለመግለጽ ያገለግላል::

In Practice

"To be honest, I don't like the new design."

"TBH, I think we are wasting time."

Fluent Tip

Very common filler for honesty.

Every coin has two sides

/ኤቭሪ ኮይን ሃዝ ቱ ሳይድስ/

እያንዳንዱ ነገር ሁለት ገጽታ አለው

Every situation has two different perspectives.

እያንዳንዱ ሁኔታ ሁለት የተለያዩ አመለካከቶች አሉት::

In Practice

"Remember, every coin has two sides before you judge."

"Let's listen to him too; every coin has two sides."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging a balanced view of a discussion.

Without a shadow of a doubt

/ዊዛውት ኤ ሻዶው ኦፍ ኤ ዳውት/

ያለምንም ጥርጥር

Completely certain.

ሙሉ በሙሉ እርግጠኛ::

In Practice

"He is the best candidate without a shadow of a doubt."

"It was her fault, without a shadow of a doubt."

Fluent Tip

Used for absolute certainty.