Looking for practical Mam to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Mam 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 Mam 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.
Xo'j
Dumela(sho'j)
Tz'ik
Ke a leboga(tz'ik)
Xo'j nax
Dumelang(sho'j nax)
Xo'j q'ij
Mokhutsong o motle(sho'j q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Mokhutsong o motle(sho'j k'ux)
Xo'j k'ux nax
Borai bo botle(sho'j k'ux nax)
K'ux q'ij
Tsamaya sentle(k'ux q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Siyabonga(sho'j k'ux)
Ja' k'ux nax?
O na le leina lefe?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Ja' k'ux nax John
Leina la ka ke John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Jach' k'ux?
O kae?(hach' k'ux?)
Nab' k'ux
Ke thabela go kopana le wena(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Borai bo kae?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
K'utun k'ux.
Fetola go le letšatši
K'utun k'ux.
Fetola go le letona
K'utun k'ux.
Ya ka pela
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Phetho ke bokae?
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Ke sitwa go etse
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Juj
Ee(hoo)
Man
Aowa(mah)
K'ux
Mohlomong(k'ush)
Juj k'ux
Ke a dumela(hoo k'ush)
Man k'ux
Ke sitwa go dumela(mah k'ush)
K'ux juj
Seo se utlwa sentle(k'ush hoo)
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?
O nagana eng?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?
O ka nthusa?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut
Ke hloka thuso(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux k'ut
Emela nako(k'ush k'ut)
Juj k'ux k'ut
Ke maswabi(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Man k'ux k'ut
Ga go na bothata(mah k'ush k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut
Dumelang(k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Tlhogong e monate(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Ri k'ut pa ri.
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
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.
K'ux k'ulub' ri'?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
K'ux ri' k'ulub'?
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Ri' k'ulub', por favor
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
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.
K'uxik la policía
B calla mapolesa
K'uxik un ambulancia
B calla ambulance
Nek' a doctor
Ke hloka ngaka
K'utun k'ax
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Nek' a k'uxi' ch'ich'
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Jach' k'uxik la hospital?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
K'utun k'uxi' aquí
Go a bohloko fa
Nek' a k'uxik mi pasaporte
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
¿K'uxik a k'uxik mi hotel?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
¡Ayuda!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Chik'oj ch'ab'ej
Ke thabile go kopana le wena(chee-k'oh chahb'eh)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ulb'al
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano(kah-hee k'ah-wik ree kool-bahl)
K'ut ri k'utal k'axik?
Nako efe e go kgonang?(k'oot ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee)
In k'axik ri k'ik'oj ch'ich'
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno(een kah-hee ree kee-k'oh ch'eech')
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ik'oj k'ay?
A re ka bua ka moso?(kah-hee ch'ah-wik ree kee-k'oh kahy)
Ch'awik ri k'ulb'al k'axik
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang(ch'ah-wik ree kool-bahl kah-hee)
Tz'ib'ej ri k'utal
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago(tzee-beh-eh ree k'oo-tahl)
In k'axik ri k'ulb'al k'axik
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena(een kah-hee ree kool-bahl kah-hee)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'utal?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?(kah-hee ch'ah-wik ree k'oo-tahl)
K'axik in k'axik ch'awik
A ke tle ke boe go wena(kah-hee een kah-hee ch'ah-wik)
Ri k'utal k'axik k'ay
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano(ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee kahy)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.