Looking for practical Bambara to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Bambara 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: pick five Sepedi phrases from the greetings section and use them in a real message today. Small daily practice beats cramming before a trip.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Bambara 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.
I ni ce
Dumela
I ni sogoma
Ke a leboga
I ni bɔ
Dumelang
I ni kɛ
Mokhutsong o motle
I ni sɔgɔ
Mokhutsong o motle
I ni tulu
Borai bo botle
N bɛ se ka
Tsamaya sentle
A bɛ se ka
Siyabonga
Nɛnɛ kɛ i tɛ?
O na le leina lefe?
N bɛ tɔgɔ John
Leina la ka ke John
I ni fɛ?
O kae?
N bɛ se ka i fɛ
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
I ni ce English?
Na o bua Seisemane?(ee nee che English)
N mɔgɔ bɛ Hindi kɛ
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle(N mo-go beh Hindi keh)
N mɔgɔ bɛ
Ke sitwa go kwele(N mo-go beh)
Sɛbɛn, kɛlɛ kɛ
Tsweetswee bua ka borai(Sebene, keh-leh keh)
I ka fɔ a la?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?(Ee kah fo ah lah)
Bamanakan kɛn na?
Borai bo kae?(Bah-mah-nah-kahn keh nah)
N bɛ fɔ kɔrɔbɔ?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?(N beh fo koh-roh-boh)
Kɛlɛn bɔ
Fetola go le letšatši(Keh-lehn boh)
Kɛlɛn bɔ kɔrɔ
Fetola go le letona(Keh-lehn boh koh-roh)
Fɔ kɛlɛn
Ya ka pela(Fo keh-lehn)
Fɛ kɛ?
Phetho ke bokae?(Feh keh)
Kɛnɛ ticket, please
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee(Ken-eh ticket, please)
I kɛ fɔ kɛnɛ?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?(Ee keh fo keh-neh)
N tɛ bɔ
Ke sitwa go etse(N teh boh)
N bɛ fɔ SIM card kɛn?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?(N beh fo SIM card ken)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Aye
Ee
Ala
Aowa
Bara
Mohlomong
N bɛ bɔ
Ke a dumela
N bɛ fɔ
Ke sitwa go dumela
I bɛ sɛbɛn
Seo se utlwa sentle
I ka fɛ kɛ?
O nagana eng?
I bɛ ma n bɔ?
O ka nthusa?
N bɛ fɔ n bɔ
Ke hloka thuso
Sira kɛ
Emela nako
N tɛgɛ
Ke maswabi
Ala ka fɔ
Ga go na bothata
I ni kɛ
Dumelang
I ni tɔgɔ kɛ
Tlhogong e monate
I bɛ tɔgɔ kɛ
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Fôlô kôkô tîgê?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Fôlô bôgô tîgê?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
I ni tîgê kô?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Kô tîgê bô?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
I ni tîgê bô?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
I tîgê kâ.
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
I tîgê kâ fô.
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
I bô kô tîgê fô?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Tîgê kâ, s'il vous plaît.
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Kô tîgê kô?
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.
I ni ce?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
O ye fɛɛrɛ.
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
I ni ka fɛɛrɛ?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
N bɛ tɔgɔ ka kɛ?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ kɔrɔ.
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Kɔrɔbaw, s'il vous plaît.
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Sɛbɛ ka fo?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
N bɛ sɔgɔma.
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Kɔrɔ fɛɛrɛ, s'il vous plaît.
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
I ye sɔgɔ.
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɔrɔbaw?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
N bɛ fɔlɔ jɔrɔ.
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.
Nɔgɔ fɔlɔ
B calla mapolesa(nogo folo)
Nɔgɔ kɔrɔ
B calla ambulance(nogo koro)
N bɛ sɔrɔ
Ke hloka ngaka(n be soro)
N bɛ tɛgɛn
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya(n be tegen)
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ
Ke na le allergy go peanuts(n be folokele)
N bɛ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?(n be koro folo)
I tɛgɛ fɛ
Go a bohloko fa(i tege fe)
N bɛ kɛlɛ fɔlɔ
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka(n be kele folo)
I bɛ nɔgɔ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?(i be nogo koro folo)
Tɛgɛ!
Thusa!(tege)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ)
Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ)
I ni bɔ a la?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(I ni bɔ a la?)
N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ)
N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?
A re ka bua ka moso?(N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?)
Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ)
I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ)
N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ)
I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?)
N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ
A ke tle ke boe go wena(N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ)
Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.