sans-serifVariableOpen Font License

Menbere

7 weights • Version 1 • On Google Fonts since 2025 • Popularity #1721

Quick Summary

Styles

100-700

Weight Range

Variable axis

Languages / Subsets

About Menbere Fonts

Menbere is an Ethiopic font with a Latin matched to it. Aleme Tadesse designed Menbere with assistance from Eben Sorkin for the Latin. It is publishing by Sorkin Type Co. While contemporary in feeling, Menbere avoids being influenced by the Latin script. In the design of Menbere, Aleme judiciously modernizes traditional Ethiopic using low-contrast strokes that retain traditional gestures. Due to its multiple weights, and formal style, Menbere is an excellent choice for use in corporate design, both in print and on screen as well as UI and wayfinding. Menbere is also well suited to mixed script typesetting.

Menbere is named after Alame’s mother. “Menbere” means “seat of honor”. Menbere uses different word spaces for texts set in Ge’ez derived languages vs those in Latin for additional ease in reading with the Ethiopic script benefiting from a more expansive word space. All Ge’ez script derived languages are covered including Amharic, Tigrinya, Tigre, Bilen, and Harari.

To contribute, see github.com/SorkinType/Menbere.

Who Designed Menbere?

Aleme Tadesse

Aleme has designed "Menbere," a versatile five-weight typeface, and "Nigus," which artfully mimics traditional church manuscript writing. In addition to designing typefaces he is a full-time graphic designer, printer, painter, and painting instructor. He runs his own printing and graphic design company. He also has an MA in Architecture taken in Russia. His current focus is on watercolor creations, capturing the essence of Washington, DC, through his keen eye and delicate brushwork. These watercolors have become iconic, celebrated on postcards and cherished by locals and tourists alike.

dcwatercolor.com | beteseb.org