Looking for practical Kikongo to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Kikongo 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: when a Sepedi phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Kikongo wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Kikongo 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.
Mbote
Dumela
Mele
Ke a leboga
Mokolo mayele
Dumelang
Mokolo ya ntango
Mokhutsong o motle
Mokolo ya mambu
Mokhutsong o motle
Mokolo ya mpembe
Borai bo botle
Tala mosi
Tsamaya sentle
Tata
Siyabonga
Nki yina nzo?
O na le leina lefe?
Nzo yami ke John
Leina la ka ke John
Oko wanga?
O kae?
Nki ya mosi na yo
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Oyo o zola kutu English?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Nkeni kutu Hindi na mosi.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nkeni kanga.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Mokolo, zola kutu na mosi.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Oyo o zola kutu na mosi?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Kutu wapi banzela?
Borai bo kae?
Nki zola kuenda na kati ya mbanza?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Tanda na luma.
Fetola go le letšatši
Tanda na mambu.
Fetola go le letona
Enda na mosi.
Ya ka pela
Nki mbongo ya ndako?
Phetho ke bokae?
Ticket mosi, mokolo.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Nki feti na wapi?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Nkeni zola.
Ke sitwa go etse
Kutu wapi nki zola ku tanga SIM?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ewe
Ee
Te
Aowa
Kasi
Mohlomong
Nkiadi
Ke a dumela
Nkiadi te
Ke sitwa go dumela
Oyo ke nkiadi malamu
Seo se utlwa sentle
Nkiadi nini?
O nagana eng?
Okanza kudi nki?
O ka nthusa?
Nkiadi kudi nki
Ke hloka thuso
Lela na nki
Emela nako
Nkiadi na nki
Ke maswabi
Te na nki
Ga go na bothata
Tata na nki
Dumelang
Mokolo ya mbote
Tlhogong e monate
Tala na nzala ya malamu
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Wana wanga na tanga ya nzo?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Wana wanga na bus?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Nki platform yai?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Soki nki ntangu yina yenda?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Yai ke nzila ya nki?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Eza na nsi ya nzo
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Eza na mosi ya nzo
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Okanisa ngai na mape?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Tanga wana, s'il vous plaît
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Nki ntangu yina yenda?
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.
Nki yina kudi?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Yina kele na nsi
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Ona kima ki nsi?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Ncanza kudi na kadi?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Nkena na mesa ya mosi na mosi
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Kadi, ndakisa
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Kasi nsi ya mpasi ke na?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ndi muvegetari
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Kaka mfu, ndakisa
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Yina kele na nsi
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Ncanza na menu?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Ndi kadi ya mvula, ndakisa
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.
Landa boma
B calla mapolesa
Landa ambulance
B calla ambulance
Nkeni mosi
Ke hloka ngaka
Nkeni na mbisi
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Nkeni na nsembu ya nsembu
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Wana hospital ya mbote?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Eka na nki
Go a bohloko fa
Nkeni tanga pasipoti na ngai
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Olanda hotel na ngai?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Tala!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nzo ya kima
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(Nzò ya kima)
Tukala na mbandu
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(Tukàla na mbàndu)
Nki nsi ya ntangu?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(Nki nsi ya ntángu?)
Ndi zola ku sendela nsi ya lufulu
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(Ndi zòla ku sendèla nsi ya lufùlu)
Tukala na kanda se
A re ka bua ka moso?(Tukàla na kànda sè?)
Tula nsi ya file ya kima
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(Tùla nsi ya file ya kima)
Mosi na nsi ya ntangu
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(Mòsi na nsi ya ntángu)
Ndi zola ku zola na yo
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(Ndi zòla ku zòla na yò)
Nki o zola ku zola nki?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(Nki o zòla ku zòla nki?)
Ndi zola ku yindula na yo
A ke tle ke boe go wena(Ndi zòla ku yìndula na yò)
Nsi ya kima yina nsi ya mposo
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(Nsi ya kima yìna nsi ya mposò)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.