Looking for practical Lingala to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Lingala 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 Lingala 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
Melesi
Ke a leboga
Mbote na ntango ya mokolo
Dumelang
Mbote na ntango ya midi
Mokhutsong o motle
Mbote na ntango ya soir
Mokhutsong o motle
Malamu na butu
Borai bo botle
Tala yo nsima
Tsamaya sentle
Kende malamu
Siyabonga
Nkombo na yo nani?
O na le leina lefe?
Nkombo na ngai ezali John
Leina la ka ke John
Ozalaki malamu?
O kae?
Nayoki malamu na yo
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Ozali koloba lingala?
Na o bua Seisemane?(ozali koloba lingala)
Nasalaka hindi malamu te
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle(nasalaka hindi malamu te)
Nalingi te
Ke sitwa go kwele(nalingi te)
S'il vous plaît, koloba butu
Tsweetswee bua ka borai(koloba butu)
Okoki koloba yango lisusu?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?(okoki koloba yango lisusu)
Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi?
Borai bo kae?(bato ya nzoto)
Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?(nakokende na centre)
Tika na mobali
Fetola go le letšatši(tika na mobali)
Tika na mwasi
Fetola go le letona(tika na mwasi)
Kende na ntango
Ya ka pela(kende na ntango)
Mbala nini ezali?
Phetho ke bokae?(mbala nini)
Billet moko, s'il vous plaît
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee(billet moko)
Ezali na esika ya mbali?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?(ezali na esika ya mbali)
Nazali na esika ya mabe
Ke sitwa go etse(nazali na esika ya mabe)
Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?(nakokota SIM card)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Oyo
Ee
Te
Aowa
Soki
Mohlomong
Nalingi
Ke a dumela
Nalingi te
Ke sitwa go dumela
Eza malamu
Seo se utlwa sentle
Oyo olingi nini?
O nagana eng?
Okoki kosalisa ngai?
O ka nthusa?
Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa
Ke hloka thuso
Sunga moke
Emela nako
Nasalaki mabe
Ke maswabi
Nani azali na problème
Ga go na bothata
Mokolo malamu
Dumelang
Mokolo ya mbotama malamu
Tlhogong e monate
Zala na nzela ya malamu
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Eko zali wapi?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Eko zali wapi na bis?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Eko zali na esika nini?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Ekozanga na ntango nini?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Ezali pene awa.
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Ezali mbali awa.
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Tika awa, s'il vous plaît.
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Ekozala ntango nini?
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.
Mbongo ya yango eza nini?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Yango eza mabe na mbongo.
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Ozali na makambo mosusu ya mbongo moke?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Nalingi kobonga na carte?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Nalingi meka mpo na mibale.
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Liyangani, s'il vous plaît.
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Service eza na kati?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Nazali mvegetarian.
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Bokoya biloko ya mabe, s'il vous plaît.
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Yango ezali malamu.
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Nalingi menu, s'il vous plaît.
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Leki ya mayi, s'il vous plaît.
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.
Tindá polisi
B calla mapolesa
Tindá ambulance
B calla ambulance
Nalingi médecin
Ke hloka ngaka
Nazali na maladi
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Nazali na allergie na mbala
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Hospital ya liboso ezali wapi?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Ezalaka na nse awa
Go a bohloko fa
Nazwi passport na ngai
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Okoki kotinda hôtel na ngai?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
S.O.S!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nasepeli na yo
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Tika tozala na mitema
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Ngai nalobi ntango nini ekozala malamu na yo?
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Naboya raport lelo
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Tango tozali na mposo?
A re ka bua ka moso?
S'il vous plaît, tala fichier oyo ezali na nzela
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Mersi mpo na ntango na yo
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Nasalela yo na mosala
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Okoki kosala likambo yango malamu?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Napesi yo nzela
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Mokolo ya kokanga ezali Vendredi
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.