Looking for practical Sepedi to Acholi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi phrase first, then the Acholi translation (Acholi) — 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 Acholi.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Acholi-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sepedi to Acholi 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.
Dumela
Ayo(ah-yo)
Ke a leboga
Naki(nah-kee)
Dumelang
Bok moti(bok mo-tee)
Mokhutsong o motle
Bok nongo(bok non-go)
Mokhutsong o motle
Bok obedo(bok oh-beh-do)
Borai bo botle
Bok ngat(bok ngat)
Tsamaya sentle
Tye kany(tye kan-yee)
Siyabonga
Itye(ee-tye)
O na le leina lefe?
Iti ma ineno?(ee-tee mah ee-neh-no)
Leina la ka ke John
Ineno John(ee-neh-no John)
O kae?
Iti ma inyo?(ee-tee mah een-yo)
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Gat ma inyo(gaht mah een-yo)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na o bua Seisemane?
Itye konyo English?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nye konyo Hindi kanyim.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Nye neno.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Nye konyo tye kanyim.
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Itye konyo tye kanyim?
Borai bo kae?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Nye konyo kanyim ku city center?
Fetola go le letšatši
Konyo kuc.
Fetola go le letona
Konyo kuc.
Ya ka pela
Tye kanyim.
Phetho ke bokae?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
One ticket, please.
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Iti kanyim kanyim?
Ke sitwa go etse
Nye konyo.
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Iti kanyim ngat SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Aye
Aowa
Bila
Mohlomong
Kweyo
Ke a dumela
Ng'ato konyo
Ke sitwa go dumela
Ng'ato konyo ni
Seo se utlwa sentle
Okwero kany
O nagana eng?
Ika kany?
O ka nthusa?
Ikwok kany?
Ke hloka thuso
Ng'ato konyo kany
Emela nako
Tye kany
Ke maswabi
Ng'ato konyo
Ga go na bothata
Bila kany
Dumelang
Tye kany
Tlhogong e monate
Aye konyo
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Tye kany ma ng'ato
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?
Atye kany kwo?(Atye kany kwo?)
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?
Atye kany bura?(Atye kany bura?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Kati onyo kwo?(Kati onyo kwo?)
Nako efe e tlo fofa?
Nye kwo nongo?(Nye kwo nongo?)
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?
Kik kwo gwen?(Kik kwo gwen?)
E haufi le fa
Okwang kany ici(Okwang kany ici)
E hole le fa
Okwang kany piny(Okwang kany piny)
O ka mpontsha ka mape?
Nye konyo i map?(Nye konyo i map?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Doko ici, pe?(Doko ici, pe?)
E nka nako e kae?
Nye kwo ngat?(Nye kwo ngat?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Nye keken me?(Nye keken me?)
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi
Okwero keken(Okwero keken)
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?
Itye keken me?(Itye keken me?)
Nka lefa ka khadi?
Nye konyo kadi?(Nye konyo kadi?)
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi
Nye tye kany kwo(Nye tye kany kwo)
Bille, tswarela
Kaka, nyinga(Kaka, nyinga)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Kati kany me?(Kati kany me?)
Ke movegetarian
Nye konyo wot(Nye konyo wot)
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela
Kati wot kany, nyinga(Kati wot kany, nyinga)
Se ke se monate
Iti kany(Iti kany)
Nka fumana lenaneo?
Nye konyo kadi me?(Nye konyo kadi me?)
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela
Kadi me kic, nyinga(Kadi me kic, nyinga)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
B calla mapolesa
Yat ma police
B calla ambulance
Yat ma ambulance
Ke hloka ngaka
Nye konyo doctor
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Nye konyo wot
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Nye konyo kany kic
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Kati ki hospital ma kany?
Go a bohloko fa
Okwero ineno
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Nye tye konyo passport
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Okwero yat ma hotel amoni?
Thusa!
Yat!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Nye kany me(Nye kany me)
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Dano kany oting(Dano kany oting)
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Nye kany ma kany?(Nye kany ma kany?)
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Ngatye kany report kany(Ngatye kany report kany)
A re ka bua ka moso?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Nye kany ma file kany(Nye kany ma file kany)
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Atye kany ma kany(Atye kany ma kany)
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Nye kany ma kany kany(Nye kany ma kany kany)
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Dano kany ma kany(Dano kany ma kany)
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Kany kany Friday(Kany kany Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.