Looking for practical Sepedi to Bambara phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi phrase first, then the Bambara translation (Bambara) — 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 Bambara.
Tip: when a Bambara phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Sepedi wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sepedi to Bambara 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
I ni ce
Ke a leboga
I ni sogoma
Dumelang
I ni bɔ
Mokhutsong o motle
I ni kɛ
Mokhutsong o motle
I ni sɔgɔ
Borai bo botle
I ni tulu
Tsamaya sentle
N bɛ se ka
Siyabonga
A bɛ se ka
O na le leina lefe?
Nɛnɛ kɛ i tɛ?
Leina la ka ke John
N bɛ tɔgɔ John
O kae?
I ni fɛ?
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
N bɛ se ka i fɛ
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na o bua Seisemane?
I ni ce English?(ee nee che English)
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
N mɔgɔ bɛ Hindi kɛ(N mo-go beh Hindi keh)
Ke sitwa go kwele
N mɔgɔ bɛ(N mo-go beh)
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Sɛbɛn, kɛlɛ kɛ(Sebene, keh-leh keh)
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
I ka fɔ a la?(Ee kah fo ah lah)
Borai bo kae?
Bamanakan kɛn na?(Bah-mah-nah-kahn keh nah)
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
N bɛ fɔ kɔrɔbɔ?(N beh fo koh-roh-boh)
Fetola go le letšatši
Kɛlɛn bɔ(Keh-lehn boh)
Fetola go le letona
Kɛlɛn bɔ kɔrɔ(Keh-lehn boh koh-roh)
Ya ka pela
Fɔ kɛlɛn(Fo keh-lehn)
Phetho ke bokae?
Fɛ kɛ?(Feh keh)
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Kɛnɛ ticket, please(Ken-eh ticket, please)
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
I kɛ fɔ kɛnɛ?(Ee keh fo keh-neh)
Ke sitwa go etse
N tɛ bɔ(N teh boh)
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
N bɛ fɔ SIM card kɛn?(N beh fo SIM card ken)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Aye
Aowa
Ala
Mohlomong
Bara
Ke a dumela
N bɛ bɔ
Ke sitwa go dumela
N bɛ fɔ
Seo se utlwa sentle
I bɛ sɛbɛn
O nagana eng?
I ka fɛ kɛ?
O ka nthusa?
I bɛ ma n bɔ?
Ke hloka thuso
N bɛ fɔ n bɔ
Emela nako
Sira kɛ
Ke maswabi
N tɛgɛ
Ga go na bothata
Ala ka fɔ
Dumelang
I ni kɛ
Tlhogong e monate
I ni tɔgɔ kɛ
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
I bɛ tɔgɔ kɛ
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?
Fôlô kôkô tîgê?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?
Fôlô bôgô tîgê?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
I ni tîgê kô?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Nako efe e tlo fofa?
Kô tîgê bô?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?
I ni tîgê bô?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
E haufi le fa
I tîgê kâ.(E haufi le fa)
E hole le fa
I tîgê kâ fô.(E hole le fa)
O ka mpontsha ka mape?
I bô kô tîgê fô?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Tîgê kâ, s'il vous plaît.(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E nka nako e kae?
Kô tîgê kô?(E nka nako e kae?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
I ni ce?(ke bo-ka-e)
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi
O ye fɛɛrɛ.(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?
I ni ka fɛɛrɛ?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Nka lefa ka khadi?
N bɛ tɔgɔ ka kɛ?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ kɔrɔ.(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Bille, tswarela
Kɔrɔbaw, s'il vous plaît.(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Sɛbɛ ka fo?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ke movegetarian
N bɛ sɔgɔma.(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela
Kɔrɔ fɛɛrɛ, s'il vous plaît.(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Se ke se monate
I ye sɔgɔ.(se ke se mo-na-te)
Nka fumana lenaneo?
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɔrɔbaw?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela
N bɛ fɔlɔ jɔrɔ.(kha-la-se ya me-tsi tswa-re-la)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
B calla mapolesa
Nɔgɔ fɔlɔ(nogo folo)
B calla ambulance
Nɔgɔ kɔrɔ(nogo koro)
Ke hloka ngaka
N bɛ sɔrɔ(n be soro)
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
N bɛ tɛgɛn(n be tegen)
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ(n be folokele)
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
N bɛ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(n be koro folo)
Go a bohloko fa
I tɛgɛ fɛ(i tege fe)
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
N bɛ kɛlɛ fɔlɔ(n be kele folo)
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
I bɛ nɔgɔ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(i be nogo koro folo)
Thusa!
Tɛgɛ!(tege)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ(N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ)
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ(Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ)
Nako efe e go kgonang?
I ni bɔ a la?(I ni bɔ a la?)
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ(N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ)
A re ka bua ka moso?
N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?(N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?)
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ(Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ)
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ(I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ)
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ)
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?(I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?)
A ke tle ke boe go wena
N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ)
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday(Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.