Ge'ez script
The Tigrinya Alphabet — Ge'ez Script (ፊደል), made simple.
Tigrinya is written in the Ge'ez script — a syllabary of 33 base characters, each in 7 vowel forms. Learn ፊደል with Gezana: clear examples, audio, and instant translation.
ግዕዝ
Ge'ez · Fidel · ፊደል
The alphabet
How the Ge'ez script works — consonant + vowel in one symbol.
Each base consonant has seven forms, one per vowel. Learn the system, and the entire script unlocks.
| — | ä | u | i | a | e | ə | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| h | ሀ | ሁ | ሂ | ሃ | ሄ | ህ | ሆ |
| l | ለ | ሉ | ሊ | ላ | ሌ | ል | ሎ |
| ḥ | ሐ | ሑ | ሒ | ሓ | ሔ | ሕ | ሖ |
| m | መ | ሙ | ሚ | ማ | ሜ | ም | ሞ |
| ś | ሠ | ሡ | ሢ | ሣ | ሤ | ሥ | ሦ |
| r | ረ | ሩ | ሪ | ራ | ሬ | ር | ሮ |
| s | ሰ | ሱ | ሲ | ሳ | ሴ | ስ | ሶ |
| š | ሸ | ሹ | ሺ | ሻ | ሼ | ሽ | ሾ |
| q | ቀ | ቁ | ቂ | ቃ | ቄ | ቅ | ቆ |
| b | በ | ቡ | ቢ | ባ | ቤ | ብ | ቦ |
| t | ተ | ቱ | ቲ | ታ | ቴ | ት | ቶ |
| n | ነ | ኑ | ኒ | ና | ኔ | ን | ኖ |
Showing 12 of 33 base consonants. Each consonant has 7 vowel forms (the Ge'ez abugida).
Eritrean conventions
Eritrean Tigrinya vs Tigray Tigrinya — same alphabet, different voice.
Most online resources for Ge'ez assume Amharic or Ethiopian Tigray. Gezana is tuned for Eritrean Tigrinya conventions.
Different vocabulary
Eritrean Tigrinya borrows from Italian, Arabic, and Tigre, while Tigray Tigrinya leans on Amharic. Spelling can diverge for shared concepts.
Punctuation style
Eritrean writers often follow Western punctuation conventions (comma, period) alongside the traditional Ge'ez word divider (፡).
Diaspora rendering
Web fonts vary in quality for Ge'ez. Gezana ensures characters render cleanly on every device.
Tigrinya alphabet — frequently asked questions
What is the Ge'ez script?
Ge'ez (ግዕዝ) is an abugida — a writing system where each consonant has built-in vowel forms. It originated in the 4th century in the Kingdom of Aksum and is used today for Tigrinya, Amharic, Tigre, and the Ge'ez liturgical language.
Is the Ge'ez script the same as the Tigrinya alphabet?
Yes — Tigrinya uses the Ge'ez script. It's often called ፊደል (Fidel), which simply means "alphabet."
How many characters are in the Ge'ez script?
Tigrinya uses 33 base consonants, each with 7 vowel forms — that's 231 core characters, plus labialized variants and numerals.
Is Eritrean Ge'ez different from Ethiopian?
The script itself is shared, but Eritrean Tigrinya has its own vocabulary, idioms, and conventions distinct from Ethiopian Tigray Tigrinya or Amharic.
Can I type Ge'ez on my phone?
Yes — iOS and Android both ship Tigrinya/Amharic keyboards. With Gezana you don't even need one: just type in Latin letters and it understands you.
Read and write ፊደል with confidence.
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