Looking for practical Maori to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Maori 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 Maori 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.
Kia ora
Dumela
Ngā mihi
Ke a leboga
Ata mārie
Dumelang
Pō mārie
Mokhutsong o motle
Pō nui
Mokhutsong o motle
Nō reira
Borai bo botle
Ka kite anō
Tsamaya sentle
Haere rā
Siyabonga
Ko wai tō ingoa?
O na le leina lefe?
Ko John tōku ingoa
Leina la ka ke John
Kei te pēhea koe?
O kae?
He pai ki te tūtaki i a koe
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Ka korero koe i te reo Ingarihi?
Na o bua Seisemane?(kah korero koe ee teh reh-oh ingarihi)
Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle(kaore ow ee kah-raw pai ee teh reh-oh hindee)
Kaore au e mohio
Ke sitwa go kwele(kaore ow ee moh-ee-oh)
Tena koa korero āta
Tsweetswee bua ka borai(teh-nah koh-ah kah-raw-oh ah-tah)
Ka taea e koe te korero ano?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?(kah tah-eh eh koh-eh teh kah-raw-oh ah-no)
Kei hea te wharepaku?
Borai bo kae?(kay he-ah teh fah-reh-pah-koo)
Me pehea au e tae ki te pokapū o te tāone?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?(meh peh-heh-ah ow eh tie keh teh poh-kah-poo oh teh tah-oh-neh)
Huri ki mauī
Fetola go le letšatši(hoo-ree kee mow-ee)
Huri ki te taha matau
Fetola go le letona(hoo-ree kee teh tah-hah mah-tow)
Haere tika
Ya ka pela(high-reh tee-kah)
E hia te utu?
Phetho ke bokae?(eh hee-ah teh oo-too)
Kotahi te tikiti, please
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee(koh-tah-hee teh tee-kee-tee)
Kei tawhiti mai i konei?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?(kay tah-whee-tee my ee koh-nay)
Kua ngaro au
Ke sitwa go etse(koo-ah nah-roh ow)
Kei hea e taea ai e au te hoko kāri SIM?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?(kay he-ah eh tah-eh ah-ee eh ow teh hoh-koh kah-ree sim)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Āe
Ee
Kāo
Aowa
Tērā pea
Mohlomong
Kei te whakaae au
Ke a dumela
Kāore au e whakaae
Ke sitwa go dumela
He pai tēnā
Seo se utlwa sentle
He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?
O nagana eng?
Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?
O ka nthusa?
Kei te hiahia au i te awhina
Ke hloka thuso
Tēnā tūrua
Emela nako
Aroha mai
Ke maswabi
Kāore he raru
Ga go na bothata
Ngā mihi
Dumelang
Hari huritau
Tlhogong e monate
Kia pai te haerenga
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Kei hea te teihana tereina?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Kei hea te pooti?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ko wai te papa?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
He aha te wa e wehe ai?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Kei te tika tēnei ara?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Kei konei tata mai
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Kei tawhiti mai i konei
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Tū mai i konei, koa
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E hia te wā e tango ana?
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.
E hia te utu o tēnei?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
He tino utu tēnā
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Kei a koe he mea iti ake?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Tēnā, te rīhi.
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
He veggie ahau.
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
He reka tēnei.
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Tēnā, he karaihe wai.
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.
Karanga ki te pirihimana
B calla mapolesa
Karanga ki te āwhina
B calla ambulance
Kei te hiahia au i te rata
Ke hloka ngaka
Kei te pāngia au e te mate
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Kei hea te hōhipera tata?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
E mamae ana i konei
Go a bohloko fa
I ngaro taku pasapo
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Ka taea e koe te karanga ki taku hōtera?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Tautoko!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ka pai te kite i a koe
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?
A re ka bua ka moso?
Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Ngā mihi mo tō wā
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Me hoki au ki a koe
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Ko te mutunga wā ko te Paraire
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.