Free short notes and revision cards
Grade 10 Amharic on Temari has 22 revision cards, arranged by the chapters of the Ethiopian national curriculum. Every card says when the rule applies, what each symbol in it stands for, and the mistake students most often make with it. They are free to read and need no account.
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When you use it
Use this when two words join to give a new or stronger meaning, for example ቤት + መጽሐፍ = ቤተ-መጽሐፍ, written with a sub-hyphen. Some joined pairs take no hyphen at all, for example ወጥቶ + አደር = ወታደር.
Watch out
A joined pair can look like one ordinary word, such as ወታደር, so students forget it is a compound. Check that both parts still contribute to the meaning before you write it or use it in a sentence.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 1-13, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when you must present news or an event you watched, read or heard to classmates by speech. Prepare beforehand, note the names, places, dates, times and numbers, speak in your own words, and leave time for listeners to ask questions.
Watch out
Speakers who rely on memory drop the names, dates and numbers that make a report credible. Write those facts down before you speak, not after.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 1-13, then checked twice before it went up
| Parts joined | Compound word |
|---|---|
| ቤት + መጽሐፍ | ቤተ-መጽሐፍ |
| ህግ + መንግስት | ህገ-መንግስት |
| ወጥቶ + አደር | ወታደር |
| ወዝ + አደር | ወዛደር |
When you use it
Reach for these pairs when asked to show how a compound word is formed or to use one in a sentence.
Watch out
Keep the sub-hyphen where the textbook shows it (ቤተ-መጽሐፍ, ህገ-መንግስት) and write ወታደር and ወዛደር as single words.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 1-13, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when you must identify a sentence type or write one of a given type, for example a command or a question.
Watch out
Do not treat an exclamation as a question. A question uses an interrogative word or question mark and expects an answer, while an exclamation such as ዋው! or እሰይ! only shows feeling and asks nothing.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 14-30, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when you revise a sentence you have written, or when you choose words for an essay or letter.
Watch out
Repeating a word is acceptable only when it is deliberate, to give emphasis as in the chapter's ፍቅርን ... በእርሱ ነው example. Repeating a word with no purpose, or adding a second word where the first already carries the meaning, costs marks for clarity.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 14-30, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when you plan and carry out an interview to collect information. Thank the interviewee and state the purpose first, ask questions in order, take notes, read your notes back, then thank them at the end.
Watch out
Do not be stubborn or combative, and do not interrupt the interviewee with unnecessary comments. Skipping the read-back of your notes to the interviewee also loses marks for honesty and accuracy.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 31-47, then checked twice before it went up
| Strategy | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Scanning (አሰሳ ንባብ) | Find one key idea quickly. You do not need to read line by line. |
| Skimming (ገረፍታ ንባብ) | Take in the general information of a passage quickly, for example to revise before an exam. |
| In-depth reading (ጥልቅ ንባብ) | Check every detail. Use it for research texts and exam answers, where depth matters more than speed. |
| Extensive reading (ሰፊ ንባብ) | Read long texts such as novels over a long time, for enjoyment or to learn new words. |
When you use it
Use this to choose the right reading strategy for your purpose: scanning for one fact, skimming for the general idea, in-depth reading for detail, extensive reading for long texts.
Watch out
Scanning does not need line by line reading, but do not skim when the exam asks for every detail. Choosing the wrong strategy for the question costs marks.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 31-47, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when a question asks you to say whether a sentence is simple or complex, or to split a complex sentence into its simple sentences.
Watch out
Count the verbs, not the nouns or adjectives. The sentence 'ትናንት ከባህር ዳር የመጣው ልጅ ዛሬ ተመለሰ' has two verbs (መጣ and ተመለሰ), so it is complex, even though it reads like one idea.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 31-47, then checked twice before it went up
| Stage | Step |
|---|---|
| Before writing | Motivate yourself and decide the purpose: for whom, why and how you will write |
| Before writing | Choose a title that is interesting, clear and short, then narrow it to the points you will cover |
| Before writing | Prepare an outline (ቢጋር) that keeps the flow from start to end |
| Before writing | Gather information from people, books or mass media, then select only the points that fit the title |
| While writing | Write a draft (ረቂቅ) following the outline |
| While writing | Edit (አርትኦት) for spelling, word and sentence errors |
| While writing | Write the final draft, then have people who know the subject read it and give correction and comments |
When you use it
Reach for this when a task gives you a title and asks you to write a composition (ድርሰት), so you plan before you write and then check while you write.
Watch out
Do not skip the narrowing step or write the outline before the title is narrowed. A broad title produces points that do not match it, and the composition loses its flow.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 48-65, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when a qene verse must be decoded: find the hinge word (ህብረቃል) at the verse end, read its surface meaning (ሰም) and hidden meaning (ወርቅ), then unlock it by stretching or shortening words, using the history behind the verse, or splitting or joining words.
Watch out
The hinge word is usually at the end of the verse. For the ወርቅ answer, write the hidden meaning, not the literal sentence, which is the ሰም.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 66-84, then checked twice before it went up
| Device | What it does |
|---|---|
| Proverb (ምሳሌያዊ አነጋገር) | Short, well-chosen saying passed down the generations that carries the community's values and advice. |
| Idiom (ፈሊጣዊ አነጋገር) | Phrase whose meaning differs from the literal meaning of its words, so it cannot be translated word for word. |
| Metaphor (ዘይቤያዊ አነጋገር) | Deliberate departure from ordinary language that compares things or gives one thing the qualities of another, making ideas vivid. |
| Qene (ቅኔያዊ አነጋገር) | Verse with a clear surface meaning (ሰም) that hides a secret meaning (ወርቅ), joined by a hinge word (ህብረቃል). |
When you use it
Reach for this when you must name the figurative devices in the chapter and say what each one does to a sentence.
Watch out
Do not confuse the idiom with the proverb: an idiom is a phrase whose meaning is not read from its words, while a proverb is a complete saying with advice.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 66-84, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Reach for this when a phrase such as እግረ እርጥብ appears and you must explain it, because its meaning cannot be read from its separate words.
Watch out
Do not translate an idiom word by word. እግረ እርጥብ literally means wet-footed but its meaning is lucky, so a literal reading gives the wrong answer.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 66-84, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when asked to tell the two kinds of letter apart, or to choose the correct shape for a letter.
Watch out
A private letter has no fixed shape and its form is up to the writer, so students who write a business application in a free, chatty style lose the marks for its required parts. A business letter has its own fixed shape with the required parts listed in the chapter.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 85-100, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when a task asks you to write a letter or application to an organisation to get a matter handled.
Watch out
A letter from an organisation must carry a date, a reference number and a stamp (rectangular top stamp, round bottom stamp), but a letter from an individual to an organisation carries no reference number. Writing the reference number on a personal letter, or leaving the date, the addressee or the writer's name, title and signature off an official letter, costs marks.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 85-100, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when checking a sentence for grammar errors, especially one with a relative clause such as 'the girl who came yesterday'.
Watch out
In 'ትናንትና የመጣው ልጅ ዛሬ ተመለሰች' the clause የመጣው is masculine but the main verb ተመለሰች is feminine. Fix it either by making the main verb masculine (ተመለሰ) or by making the clause feminine (የመጣችው). Check both the clause and the main verb against the noun.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 101-117, then checked twice before it went up
| Element | What it is |
|---|---|
| Story (ታሪክ) | The events narrated in the order of time and action, the base of the novel. |
| Plot (ትልም) | The structure in which actions are linked by cause and effect. |
| Conflict (ግጭት) | The disagreement that arises when characters' aims and wishes do not match. |
| Character (ገጸባህሪ) | The imaginary people the author creates, who reflect human nature. |
| Setting (መቼት) | The time and place in which the characters move and the story happens. |
| Theme (ጭብጥ) | The message or main idea the author wants to convey in the work. |
| Point of view (የትረካ አንጻር) | The direction from which the story is told. |
When you use it
Use this when a question asks you to name or explain the elements (አላባውያን) of a novel, or to say what each one contributes.
Watch out
Do not confuse ጭብጥ (theme, the message) with ትልም (plot, the structure of linked events). A question about the message asks for ጭብጥ, and a question about cause and effect asks for ትልም.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 101-117, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Reach for this when a question asks you to write an essay and you must decide whether it should explain how something is or persuade the reader about a debated issue.
Watch out
An argumentative essay must weigh two or more opposing views and persuade the reader, not only describe one side. A descriptive essay explains what something is, how it is made or how it is done, and does not argue for a position.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 118-136, then checked twice before it went up
| Word | Literal meaning | Figurative meaning |
|---|---|---|
| እፉኝት | a kind of snake (viper) | poisonous |
| ወርቅ | a precious mineral | beautiful, fine |
| ተኩላ | a wild animal (wolf) | a plunderer, a predator |
| ባህር | still water | wide, vast |
When you use it
Reach for this when asked to give the literal (direct) meaning and the figurative (hidden or extended) meaning of a word, or to use a word in a sentence with one of them.
Watch out
Not every word has both meanings. Give the figurative meaning only where the word really carries an extended sense, and do not invent one for a plain word.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 118-136, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Reach for this when a question asks you to identify or classify the tense of a verb, or to write a sentence in a given tense.
Watch out
A verb with እየ- and ነበር shows an action that was going on in the past, but it does not confirm that the action was finished. Only the simple past form (ኃላፊ ጊዜ) shows a completed action.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, pages 118-136, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Reach for this when a question asks you to classify a verb as ገቢር (active) or ተገብሮ (passive), or to change a sentence from active to passive or back.
Watch out
The ተ prefix alone does not decide. ተኛ begins with ተ but the chapter lists it among ገቢር verbs. Ask whether the subject performs the action or receives it.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, page 137 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when a question gives a word from a passage and asks for its meaning in that passage (አውዳዊ ፍቺ), not its general dictionary meaning.
Watch out
Do not write the first meaning you remember from the glossary. Read the whole sentence and the sentence before it, then choose the meaning that fits the situation and subject of the passage.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, page 137 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when a question asks whether an active verb is ተሻጋሪ (transitive, the action passes to an object) or ኢተሻጋሪ (intransitive, it does not).
Watch out
Check whether the action passes on to a thing. In ልጁ ስልክ ገዛ, ስልክ is what is bought, so ገዛ is ተሻጋሪ. In ሰውዬው ከመኪና ላይ ወረደ, the action does not pass to an object, so ወረደ is ኢተሻጋሪ. Do not decide from the English translation.
Drafted from Grade 10 Amharic, page 137 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
The student textbook for the new curriculum, free as a PDF. The cards on this page follow its chapters.
Ministry of Education edition, Amharic
164 pages
Oromia Education Bureau edition, Amharic
183 pages
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