Looking for practical Acholi to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Acholi phrase first, then the Sepedi translation (Sepedi) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.
The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Sepedi.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Sepedi-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Acholi to Sepedi translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.
Greetings and pleasantries
Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.
Ayo
Dumela(ah-yo)
Naki
Ke a leboga(nah-kee)
Bok moti
Dumelang(bok mo-tee)
Bok nongo
Mokhutsong o motle(bok non-go)
Bok obedo
Mokhutsong o motle(bok oh-beh-do)
Bok ngat
Borai bo botle(bok ngat)
Tye kany
Tsamaya sentle(tye kan-yee)
Itye
Siyabonga(ee-tye)
Iti ma ineno?
O na le leina lefe?(ee-tee mah ee-neh-no)
Ineno John
Leina la ka ke John(ee-neh-no John)
Iti ma inyo?
O kae?(ee-tee mah een-yo)
Gat ma inyo
Ke thabela go kopana le wena(gaht mah een-yo)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Itye konyo English?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Nye konyo Hindi kanyim.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nye neno.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Nye konyo tye kanyim.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Itye konyo tye kanyim?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Borai bo kae?
Nye konyo kanyim ku city center?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Konyo kuc.
Fetola go le letšatši
Konyo kuc.
Fetola go le letona
Tye kanyim.
Ya ka pela
Iti kanyim ngat?
Phetho ke bokae?
One ticket, please.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Iti kanyim kanyim?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Nye konyo.
Ke sitwa go etse
Iti kanyim ngat SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Aye
Ee
Bila
Aowa
Kweyo
Mohlomong
Ng'ato konyo
Ke a dumela
Ng'ato konyo ni
Ke sitwa go dumela
Okwero kany
Seo se utlwa sentle
Ika kany?
O nagana eng?
Ikwok kany?
O ka nthusa?
Ng'ato konyo kany
Ke hloka thuso
Tye kany
Emela nako
Ng'ato konyo
Ke maswabi
Bila kany
Ga go na bothata
Tye kany
Dumelang
Aye konyo
Tlhogong e monate
Tye kany ma ng'ato
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Atye kany kwo?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Atye kany bura?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Kati onyo kwo?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Nye kwo nongo?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Kik kwo gwen?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Okwang kany ici
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Okwang kany piny
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Nye konyo i map?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Doko ici, pe?
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Nye kwo ngat?
E nka nako e kae?(E nka nako e kae?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Nye keken me?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Okwero keken
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Itye keken me?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Nye konyo kadi?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Nye tye kany kwo
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Kaka, nyinga
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Kati kany me?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Nye konyo wot
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Kati wot kany, nyinga
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Iti kany
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Nye konyo kadi me?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Kadi me kic, nyinga
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela(kha-la-se ya me-tsi tswa-re-la)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Yat ma police
B calla mapolesa
Yat ma ambulance
B calla ambulance
Nye konyo doctor
Ke hloka ngaka
Nye konyo wot
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Nye konyo kany kic
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Kati ki hospital ma kany?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Okwero ineno
Go a bohloko fa
Nye tye konyo passport
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Okwero yat ma hotel amoni?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Yat!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nye kany me
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(Nye kany me)
Dano kany oting
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(Dano kany oting)
Nye kany ma kany?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(Nye kany ma kany?)
Ngatye kany report kany
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(Ngatye kany report kany)
Nye kany ma kany tye?
A re ka bua ka moso?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Nye kany ma file kany
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(Nye kany ma file kany)
Atye kany ma kany
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(Atye kany ma kany)
Nye kany ma kany kany
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(Nye kany ma kany kany)
Nye kany ma kany tye?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Dano kany ma kany
A ke tle ke boe go wena(Dano kany ma kany)
Kany kany Friday
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(Kany kany Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.