Looking for practical Bemba to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Bemba 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 Bemba 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.
Shani
Dumela
Natotela
Ke a leboga
Muli shani
Dumelang
Muli shani
Mokhutsong o motle
Muli shani
Mokhutsong o motle
Shalenipo bwino
Borai bo botle
Tukakutana
Tsamaya sentle
Twalumba
Siyabonga
Iwe ulishani?
O na le leina lefe?
Ndefwaya John
Leina la ka ke John
Uli bwanji?
O kae?
Nashitasha kukumona
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Ndefwaya kumfwa
Ke sitwa go kwele
Nimwandi ulukanda buteko
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Ningaloleleko?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Ili kuti ikalamba?
Borai bo kae?
Ningalileka shani ku city center?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Fumya kumwendo
Fetola go le letšatši
Fumya kumwendo
Fetola go le letona
Enda pamo
Ya ka pela
Kuli shani ifyabukata?
Phetho ke bokae?
Ticket imwe, nomba
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Kuli lishilu ukulya?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Ndi lost
Ke sitwa go etse
Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Eya
Ee
Awe
Aowa
Panga
Mohlomong
Ndi bwino
Ke a dumela
Ndi bwino na
Ke sitwa go dumela
Ilyo lishibukile
Seo se utlwa sentle
Uchite shani?
O nagana eng?
Ushakufwa?
O ka nthusa?
Ndefwaya ifyakufwa
Ke hloka thuso
Leka ifi
Emela nako
Nshakufwa
Ke maswabi
Takwaba shani
Ga go na bothata
Nshakufwa bwino
Dumelang
Nashala bwino mu mwaka
Tlhogong e monate
Ube na mulimo wabwino
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ninshi ni platform iyi?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Ninshi ikalamba?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Ili pamo na pano.
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Ili lishilu na pano.
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Ushibukishe pa mape?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Leka pano, chonde.
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Kuli shani?
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.
Ili shani?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Ili lya kuli
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Muli na chimo chibulu?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Ningakupanga na kadi?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Icilanga, tapali
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Ubufyashi bwakupanga?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ndi mvegetarian
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Ili lya bwino
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Ningakonda ifyalo?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Icupa ca mvula, tapali
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.
Tuma abashitisha
B calla mapolesa
Tuma ambulance
B calla ambulance
Nshikala na doctor
Ke hloka ngaka
Nshikala bwino
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Ndi na allergy ku nsalu
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Kuli ububi pano
Go a bohloko fa
Nashitile passport yangu
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Nawe tuma hotel yangu?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Chikondi!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nashamukeni
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(na-sha-mu-ke-ni)
Tulefwaya ukusanga
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(tu-le-fwa-ya u-ku-sanga)
Ninshi ifikala bwino kwa iwe?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(nin-shi i-fi-ka-la bwi-no kwa i-we)
Nizakutuma ifishina lelo
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(ni-za-ku-tu-ma i-fi-shi-na le-lo)
Twafwaya ukusambilila lero?
A re ka bua ka moso?(twa-fwa-ya u-ku-sam-bi-li-la le-ro)
Nomba fwebo file iliko
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(nom-ba fwe-bo fi-le i-li-ko)
Natotela pa nshita
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(na-to-te-la pa nshi-ta)
Nifwaya ukushanda na iwe
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(ni-fwa-ya u-ku-shan-da na i-we)
Wakosa ukufumya icikomo?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(wa-ko-sa u-ku-fum-ya i-ci-ko-mo)
Nizakukumbusha
A ke tle ke boe go wena(ni-za-ku-kum-bu-sha)
Ishina lyakupela ni Lwapula
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(i-shi-na lya-ku-pe-la ni Lwa-pu-la)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.