Looking for practical Fon to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Fon 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 Fon 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.
Nɔ́
Dumela(nɔ́)
Mèdɔ́
Ke a leboga(mèdɔ́)
Mèdɔ́ agblɔ
Dumelang(mèdɔ́ agblɔ)
Mèdɔ́ ɖe
Mokhutsong o motle(mèdɔ́ ɖe)
Mèdɔ́ ɖeɖe
Mokhutsong o motle(mèdɔ́ ɖeɖe)
Mèdɔ́ xɔxɔ
Borai bo botle(mèdɔ́ xɔxɔ)
Nɔ́ wɛ
Tsamaya sentle(nɔ́ wɛ)
Nɔ́ wɛ ɖe
Siyabonga(nɔ́ wɛ ɖe)
Nɔ́ wɛ nɔ́?
O na le leina lefe?(nɔ́ wɛ nɔ́?)
Mè nɔ́ John
Leina la ka ke John(mè nɔ́ John)
Nɔ́ wɛ nɔ́?
O kae?(nɔ́ wɛ nɔ́?)
Mèdɔ́ nɔ́
Ke thabela go kopana le wena(mèdɔ́ nɔ́)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
I gbè yé èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Mè n'gbè yé Èdè Hindi kè.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Mè n'kó nù.
Ke sitwa go kwele
S'il vous plaît, gbè yé kè.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Mè s'kà yé nù?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Èwé n'kà dɔ́?
Borai bo kae?
Mè n'kà yé nù àlà nà?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Tò n'kà kè.
Fetola go le letšatši
Tò n'kà pɔ́.
Fetola go le letona
Lè n'kà kè.
Ya ka pela
Kí n'kà dɔ́?
Phetho ke bokae?
Mè s'kà àyé, s'il vous plaît.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Èwé n'kà mɛ́?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Mè n'kà nɔ́.
Ke sitwa go etse
Èwé n'kà nɔ́ SIM?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ɛ
Ee(e)
Ayi
Aowa(ayi)
Mɛ
Mohlomong(me)
Mè yé
Ke a dumela(me ye)
Mè n'yi
Ke sitwa go dumela(me n'yi)
N'kɔ nɔ
Seo se utlwa sentle(n'ko no)
N'kɔ a kɔ?
O nagana eng?(n'ko a ko)
I n'kɔ mɛ?
O ka nthusa?(i n'ko me)
Mè n'kɔ mɛ
Ke hloka thuso(me n'ko me)
Tɔ́ nɔ
Emela nako(to no)
Mè nɔ n'kɔ
Ke maswabi(me no n'ko)
Ayi n'kɔ
Ga go na bothata(ayi n'ko)
Mè nɔ wé
Dumelang(me no we)
Mè nɔ tɔ́
Tlhogong e monate(me no to)
N'kɔ a wé dɔ
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng(n'ko a we do)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
N'ye wé train station?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
N'ye wé bus stop?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ké platform na?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Ké sa a yé?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
N'ye wé yé na?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Yé na hɛn
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Yé na hɛn gbo
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Mè wé hɛn n'ye map?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Tó hɛn, s'il vous plaît
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Ké sa a yé?
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.
Mè wé na?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Yè wé bɔ́ nɔ́.
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
A wé nɔ́ dɔ́?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Mè wé hɛn nɔ́?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Mè wé dɔ́ nɔ́ fɔ́.
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
A wé nɔ́ bɔ́.
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Sè wé bɔ́?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Mè wé kɔ́ nɔ́.
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Mè wé nɔ́ kɔ́ nɔ́.
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Yè wé sɔ́.
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Mè wé nɔ́ mɛ́ nɔ́?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Mè wé nɔ́ gɔ́ nɔ́.
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.
Nɔ̀ nɔ́ wɛ́
B calla mapolesa(nɔ̀ nɔ́ wɛ́)
Nɔ̀ nɔ́ àmblans
B calla ambulance(nɔ̀ nɔ́ àmblans)
Mè hùn wá dɔ́ktɛ́
Ke hloka ngaka(mè hùn wá dɔ́ktɛ́)
Mè tɔ́ dɔ́
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya(mè tɔ́ dɔ́)
Mè wá nùmɛ́ kɔ́
Ke na le allergy go peanuts(mè wá nùmɛ́ kɔ́)
Fɔ́ wɛ́ dɔ́kita nɔ́?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?(fɔ́ wɛ́ dɔ́kita nɔ́?)
A hùn nɔ́
Go a bohloko fa(a hùn nɔ́)
Mè lɔ́ mɔ́ kɔ́tɔ́
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka(mè lɔ́ mɔ́ kɔ́tɔ́)
Kɔ́ nɔ́ nɔ́ wɛ́ mɔ́ hɔ́tɛ́l?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?(kɔ́ nɔ́ nɔ́ wɛ́ mɔ́ hɔ́tɛ́l?)
Sè!
Thusa!(sè!)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Mè wá nɔ́
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(Me wa no)
Mè tɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(Me to no ko so)
Nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́ kó?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(No ko so ko?)
Mè yé sɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ bɔ́
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(Me ye so no ko bo)
Mè tɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ bɔ́ kɔ́
A re ka bua ka moso?(Me to no ko bo ko)
Mè tɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́ nɔ́
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(Me to no ko so no)
Mè tɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ nɔ́
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(Me to no ko no)
Mè tɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(Me to no ko so)
Nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́ kó?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(No ko so ko?)
Mè tɔ́ nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́
A ke tle ke boe go wena(Me to no ko so)
Nɔ́ kɔ́ sɔ́ kó
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(No ko so ko)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.