Amharic interpreting & translation services

Amharic is the working language of Ethiopia's federal government and the first or second language of tens of millions of Ethiopians. Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Ethiopian communities in the United States, centered on Little Ethiopia along Fairfax Avenue, with further communities in the Bay Area, San Diego, and Sacramento.

In California, Amharic interpreters are requested for healthcare visits, social services and benefits interviews, immigration and asylum hearings, and workers' compensation matters. Because many Amharic speakers also understand Tigrinya or Oromo to some degree, it is important to confirm the language a person is most comfortable in before an appointment; our coordinators do this as part of scheduling.

Amharic is written in the Ge'ez script (fidel), an abugida with more than 200 characters. Certified translation of Ethiopian documents such as kebele ID cards, birth records, school transcripts, and marriage certificates requires translators who work fluently in the script and who convert Ethiopian calendar dates correctly for U.S. agencies.