Looking for practical Maori to Sesotho phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Maori phrase first, then the Sesotho translation (Sesotho) — 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 Sesotho.
Tip: pick five Sesotho 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 Sesotho 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
Lumelang
Ngā mihi
Kea leboha
Ata mārie
Dumelang
Pō mārie
Molo
Pō nui
Dumelang
Nō reira
Borai
Ka kite anō
Re tla kopana hamorao
Haere rā
Tsamaya hantle
Ko wai tō ingoa?
O na le lebitso lefe?
Ko John tōku ingoa
Lebitso la ka ke John
Kei te pēhea koe?
O kae?
He pai ki te tūtaki i a koe
Ke thabela ho 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 u bua Senyesemane?(kah korero koe ee teh reh-oh ingarihi)
Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle(kaore ow ee kah-raw pai ee teh reh-oh hindee)
Kaore au e mohio
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa(kaore ow ee moh-ee-oh)
Tena koa korero āta
Ka kopo bua butle(teh-nah koh-ah kah-raw-oh ah-tah)
Ka taea e koe te korero ano?
Na u ka boela ua re?(kah tah-eh eh koh-eh teh kah-raw-oh ah-no)
Kei hea te wharepaku?
Ntloana e kae?(kay he-ah teh fah-reh-pah-koo)
Me pehea au e tae ki te pokapū o te tāone?
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?(meh peh-heh-ah ow eh tie keh teh poh-kah-poo oh teh tah-oh-neh)
Huri ki mauī
Fetola ho ea letsohong(hoo-ree kee mow-ee)
Huri ki te taha matau
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona(hoo-ree kee teh tah-hah mah-tow)
Haere tika
Eya ka pela(high-reh tee-kah)
E hia te utu?
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?(eh hee-ah teh oo-too)
Kotahi te tikiti, please
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo(koh-tah-hee teh tee-kee-tee)
Kei tawhiti mai i konei?
Na e hole le mona?(kay tah-whee-tee my ee koh-nay)
Kua ngaro au
Ke lahlehile(koo-ah nah-roh ow)
Kei hea e taea ai e au te hoko kāri SIM?
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?(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
Che
Tērā pea
Mohlomong
Kei te whakaae au
Ke lumela
Kāore au e whakaae
Ke sitwa
He pai tēnā
Seo se utloahala hantle
He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?
O nahana eng?
Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?
Na o ka nthusa?
Kei te hiahia au i te awhina
Ke hloka thuso
Tēnā tūrua
Emisa motsotso
Aroha mai
Ke maswabi
Kāore he raru
Ha ho bothata
Ngā mihi
O amohelehile
Hari huritau
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
Kia pai te haerenga
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Kei hea te teihana tereina?
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?(ke kae seteishene sa terene)
Kei hea te pooti?
Ke kae borai?(ke kae borai)
Ko wai te papa?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(ke sehlopha sefe)
He aha te wa e wehe ai?
Nako e kae e tlohang?(nako e kae e tlohang)
Kei te tika tēnei ara?
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?(na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng)
Kei konei tata mai
E haufi le mona(e haufi le mona)
Kei tawhiti mai i konei
E hole le mona(e hole le mona)
Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?(o ka mpontša ka mapeng)
Tū mai i konei, koa
Emisa mona, ka kopo(emisa mona, ka kopo)
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?
Se kostang hakaale?(se kostang hakaale)
He tino utu tēnā
Seo ke se theko e phahameng(seo ke se theko e phahameng)
Kei a koe he mea iti ake?
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?(na le na le eng e theko e tlase)
Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?
Na nka lefa ka kharete?(na nka lefa ka kharete)
E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli(ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)
Tēnā, te rīhi.
Bille, ka kopo(bille, ka kopo)
Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?(na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)
He veggie ahau.
Ke moithuti oa meroho(ke moithuti oa meroho)
Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo(tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)
He reka tēnei.
Se monate(se monate)
Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?(na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)
Tēnā, he karaihe wai.
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo(khalase ea metsi, ka kopo)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Karanga ki te pirihimana
Calla mapolesa
Karanga ki te āwhina
Calla ambulance
Kei te hiahia au i te rata
Ke hloka ngaka
Kei te pāngia au e te mate
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
Kei hea te hōhipera tata?
Hospital e haufi e kae?
E mamae ana i konei
Ho bohloko mona
I ngaro taku pasapo
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
Ka taea e koe te karanga ki taku hōtera?
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea 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 ho kopana le uena
Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui
A re etse kopano
He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?
Na re ka bua ka moso?
Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Ngā mihi mo tō wā
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
Me hoki au ki a koe
A ke tle ke u boele
Ko te mutunga wā ko te Paraire
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.