Looking for practical Luo to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Luo 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 Luo 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.
Naki
Dumela(Naki)
Asante
Ke a leboga(Asante)
Naki chuo
Dumelang(Naki chuo)
Naki ng'ato
Mokhutsong o motle(Naki ng'ato)
Naki owadgi
Mokhutsong o motle(Naki owadgi)
Naki buya
Borai bo botle(Naki buya)
Ting' kendo
Tsamaya sentle(Ting' kendo)
Naki
Siyabonga(Naki)
Ine ng'ama in?
O na le leina lefe?(Ine ng'ama in?)
Inyalo John
Leina la ka ke John(Inyalo John)
Okwere?
O kae?(Okwere?)
Naki konyo
Ke thabela go kopana le wena(Naki konyo)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Naki konyo English?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Naki konyo Hindi mako.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nyingi.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Tende konyo chalo.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Naki konyo to?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Ith gi toilet?
Borai bo kae?
Ning'eyo konyo city center?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Konyo chike.
Fetola go le letšatši
Konyo duto.
Fetola go le letona
Yie chalo.
Ya ka pela
Ning'eyo koro?
Phetho ke bokae?
Ticket moko, ndalo.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Nia ng'ato kendo?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Nin gi chalo.
Ke sitwa go etse
Ith gi SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Ee
Ayi
Aowa
Kaka
Mohlomong
Akwong'
Ke a dumela
Ayi Akwong'
Ke sitwa go dumela
Ong'eyo
Seo se utlwa sentle
Ine owuon?
O nagana eng?
Naki gi chalo?
O ka nthusa?
Nind gi chalo
Ke hloka thuso
Chakre
Emela nako
Naki
Ke maswabi
Ayi koro
Ga go na bothata
Naki chalo
Dumelang
Naki buo
Tlhogong e monate
Naki chalo gi chalo
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Naki yieng' ma train?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Naki yieng' ma bus?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Naki platform ng'eyo?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Naki koro ng'ato?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Ning'eyo ni ng'ato?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Niko neno.
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Niko piny.
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Okwong' ni on map?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Dhi here, please.
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Naki koro ng'ato?
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.
Nia ni?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Owino ni gi chalo.
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
I konyo kanyo?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Inyalo nind gi kad?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Nin gi chula mar duong'.
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Chakruok, plis.
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Isango ni gi?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Nin gi vegeterian.
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Naki chalo chalo, plis.
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Owino ni gi dho.
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Inyalo nind gi menu?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Gik konyo mar maji, plis.
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.
Nedhi polisi
B calla mapolesa
Nedhi ambulance
B calla ambulance
Aneedo daktari
Ke hloka ngaka
Akwong' gi chalo
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
An gi allergy kuom peanuts
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Naki hospital mar koro?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Okwong' mana
Go a bohloko fa
Nying' my passport
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Inyalo nedhi hotel ang'wen?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Konyo!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Naki konyo
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(Naki konyo)
Nying' konyo joma
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(Nying' konyo joma)
Naki konyo nigi?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(Naki konyo nigi?)
Ng'ato nind gi report nyaka
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(Ng'ato nind gi report nyaka)
Ning'eyo konyo nyaka?
A re ka bua ka moso?(Ning'eyo konyo nyaka?)
Chieng' ni file ni
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(Chieng' ni file ni)
Asante gi chako
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(Asante gi chako)
Nying' konyo gi nyaka
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(Nying' konyo gi nyaka)
Ning'eyo konyo ni?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(Ning'eyo konyo ni?)
Ning'eyo konyo nind gi
A ke tle ke boe go wena(Ning'eyo konyo nind gi)
Dede ni Friday
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(Dede ni Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.