The Ge'ez alphabet took its writing system from the Sabaean system. Most of the letters are similar or nearly similar to the Sabaean alphabet. Two more letters are taken from the Greek alphabet. Look at the comparison between the Sabaean and the Ge'ez letters below.
| Sabaean | Ge'ez | Sabaean | Ge'ez |
|---|---|---|---|
| đŠ | á | 𩡠| á |
| 𩢠| á | đŠ | á |
| 𩣠| á | 𩤠| á |
| 𩥠| á | 𩧠| ᨠ|
| 𩨠| á | 𩪠| á° |
| 𩦠| á | 𩩠| á° |
| 𩫠| ᨠ| 𩬠| á |
| 𩰠| á | 𩱠| á |
| 𩲠| á | 𩼠| Ḡ|
| 𩳠| á | 𩷠| á |
| 𩴠| á | 𩹠| á |
| 𩵠| ᰠ| 𩺠| ᨠ|
The Ge'ez script includes over 200 characters. Among these, 26 base characters evolve into 7 forms depending on the vowel, making up 182 forms. The remaining 20 are labiovelars, some with only 4 forms. These forms express a wide variety of vowel sounds and syllabic combinations in the language.
| ä | u | i | a | e | É | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| h | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| l | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| Ḽ | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| m | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| Ĺ | á | ᥠ| ᢠ| ᣠ| ᤠ| ἠ| ጠ|
| r | ᨠ| አ| ᪠| ፠| Ꮰ| á | Ꭰ|
| ä | u | i | a | e | É | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s | ᰠ| Ṡ| Რ| ᳠| ᴠ| ᾠ| ᜠ|
| q | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| b | á | ᥠ| ᢠ| ᣠ| ᤠ| ἠ| ጠ|
| t | ᰠ| Ṡ| Რ| ᳠| ᴠ| ᾠ| ᜠ|
| Ḽ | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| n | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| ä | u | i | a | e | É | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ę | á | ᥠ| ᢠ| ᣠ| ᤠ| ἠ| ጠ|
| k | ᨠ| አ| ᪠| ፠| Ꮰ| á | Ꭰ|
| w | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| Ę | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| z | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| y | ᨠ| አ| ᪠| ፠| Ꮰ| á | Ꭰ|
| ä | u | i | a | e | É | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| d | ᰠ| Ṡ| Რ| ᳠| ᴠ| ᾠ| ᜠ|
| g | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| áš | á | ᥠ| ᢠ| ᣠ| ᤠ| ἠ| ጠ|
| p | ᰠ| Ṡ| Რ| ᳠| ᴠ| ᾠ| ᜠ|
| ᚣ | Ḡ| ᚠ| Ạ| ᝠ| ០| ὠ| ហ|
| ášŁĚ | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| f | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
| p | á | á | á | á | á | á | á |
âáášá˝â implies something incomplete. These 20 characters are considered special because some of them do not follow the standard seven-form pattern. Four have only four forms and serve unique phonetic roles in Ge'ez orthography.
The Amharic alphabet adapted the Ge'ez alphabet, taking its shape from it:
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church assigns unique, prayer-inspired meanings to each letter.
Ge'ez: áĽáá ááááą áá ἠáĽá á
áľá ááááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááĽá° áĽá áĽááľááááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá áá ááá° áá°ááĽá¨áĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá áááá ááĽáŠ ááĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á á¨á á áĽá áĽááľááááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á¨áá á°áá áááľááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á°áĽá áŽá áĽáááĽááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááłáá áá ááĽáąáĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á áľá
áľáá áá¨á° áĽáááĽááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á°á°áĽá áá°á°áááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááŤá áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááĽá á°áá ááᨠáááááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á á á˛áś ááĽá´áĽá ááĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á¨áá áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá áá¨á° áĽáá°ááŤáľáĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá áá˘á áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá áá˛á ááĽá
á áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á¨áá áĽááá áĽáá ááĽá¨áľ ááááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á°áᨠáááŽáś ááľá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááŁáŹ á°ááŤáľ áááľááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á á˘áĽ áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á°áŤá
ááŚáľ áááá° á˝áľá
áĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá á¸á áá˝áľá
áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááᨠá˝áľá
áĽááá áĽáááĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá áá ᨠááá á áĽá áĄáĄáĄ Ge'ez: áĽáá ááá¤á áľá ááĽááá áĽáááĄáĄá â The Father's life was before the world
Amharic: á¨á ἠá ááአá¨ááá á ááľ áááĄáĄ
English: The Father's life was before the world.á â Christ was incarnated from the Virgin Mary
Amharic: áááľáśáľ á¨áľááá áááŤá áĽáá áá á°áĄáĄ
English: Christ was incarnated from the Virgin Mary.á â Christ suffered, died, and was buried
Amharic: áááľáśáľ áłááᣠáá°áŁ á°áá á¨áĄáĄ
English: Christ suffered, died, and was buried.á â God's work is wonderful
Amharic: á¨áĽááá áĽáá áĽáŤá áľáá
áááĄáĄ
English: God's work is wonderful.á â The Lord was born (manifested) in human form
Amharic: ááł á áĽá á°ááá° (á°ááá )áĄáĄ
English: The Lord was born (manifested) in human form.ᨠâ The earth is established by His word
Amharic: ááľá á áá á¨áá˝ (á¸áá˝)áĄáĄ
English: The earth is established by His word.á° â Our Lord became man
Amharic: ááłá˝á á°á áááĄáĄ
English: Our Lord became man.á â It was originally a word
Amharic: á ááááŞáŤ áá áá ááĄáĄ
English: It was originally a word.á â Our Lord came down to us in His humility
Amharic: ááłá˝á á áľááľáá áá°á áá¨á°áĄáĄ
English: Our Lord came down to us in His humility.á° â Our Lord became man
Amharic: ááłá˝á á°á áááĄáĄ
English: Our Lord became man.á â God is powerful
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá ááŤá áááĄáĄ
English: God is powerful.á â Our Lord has borne our infirmities and carried our sicknesses
Amharic: ááłá˝á á°ááŤá˝áá áŤááá áááá˝áá á°á¸á¨ááááĄáĄ
English: Our Lord has borne our infirmities and carried our sicknesses.á â I thank God
Amharic: áĽááá áĽááá á áá°ááááááĄáĄ
English: I thank God.ᨠâ God is omnipotent
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá ááá áťá áááĄáĄ
English: God is omnipotent.á â He came down from the heavens
Amharic: á¨á°ááŤáľ áá¨á°áĄáĄ
English: He came down from the heavens.á â God is great
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá áłáá
áááĄáĄ
English: God is great.á â God is the Ruler of all things
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá ááá á¨ááá áááĄáĄ
English: God is the Ruler of all things.ᨠâ The right hand of God has made power
Amharic: á¨áĽááá áĽáá áá áááá á á°á¨áá˝áĄáĄ
English: The right hand of God has made power.á° â He united His divinity with our flesh
Amharic: áááŽáąá á¨áĽáá˝á áá á ááľ á á°á¨ááĄáĄ
English: He united His divinity with our flesh.á â He is the One who created the earth and the heavens
Amharic: ááľáá á°ááŤáľá á¨áá ᨠáááĄáĄ
English: He is the One who created the earth and the heavens.á â God is wise
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá á á˘áĽ áááĄáĄ
English: God is wise.á° â The Paraclete is the Spirit of truth
Amharic: á°áŤá
ááŚáľ á¨áĽáááľ ááááľ áááĄáĄ
English: The Paraclete is the Spirit of truth.Ḡâ God is grace and truth
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá á¸áá áĽáááľ áááĄáĄ
English: God is grace and truth.á â God is the sun of truth
Amharic: áĽááá áĽáá á¨áĽáááľ ááá áááĄáĄ
English: God is the sun of truth.á â He created the world with His wisdom
Amharic: á áĽá ᥠáááá áá á¨áĄáĄ
English: He created the world with His wisdom.á â The name of God is Papael
Amharic: á¨áĽááá áĽáá áľá ááá¤á áááĄáĄ
English: The name of God is Papael.