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Common Sepedi to Lingala phrases

100 practical Sepedi to Lingala phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

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Looking for practical Sepedi to Lingala phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi phrase first, then the Lingala translation (Lingala) — 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 Lingala.

Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Lingala-speaking trip in a few weeks.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sepedi to Lingala 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.

  1. Dumela

    Mbote

  2. Ke a leboga

    Melesi

  3. Dumelang

    Mbote na ntango ya mokolo

  4. Mokhutsong o motle

    Mbote na ntango ya midi

  5. Mokhutsong o motle

    Mbote na ntango ya soir

  6. Borai bo botle

    Malamu na butu

  7. Tsamaya sentle

    Tala yo nsima

  8. Siyabonga

    Kende malamu

  9. O na le leina lefe?

    Nkombo na yo nani?

  10. Leina la ka ke John

    Nkombo na ngai ezali John

  11. O kae?

    Ozalaki malamu?

  12. Ke thabela go kopana le wena

    Nayoki malamu na yo

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. Na o bua Seisemane?

    Ozali koloba lingala? (ozali koloba lingala)

  2. Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle

    Nasalaka hindi malamu te (nasalaka hindi malamu te)

  3. Ke sitwa go kwele

    Nalingi te (nalingi te)

  4. Tsweetswee bua ka borai

    S'il vous plaît, koloba butu (koloba butu)

  5. Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?

    Okoki koloba yango lisusu? (okoki koloba yango lisusu)

  6. Borai bo kae?

    Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi? (bato ya nzoto)

  7. Ke etse eng go ya borai?

    Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre? (nakokende na centre)

  8. Fetola go le letšatši

    Tika na mobali (tika na mobali)

  9. Fetola go le letona

    Tika na mwasi (tika na mwasi)

  10. Ya ka pela

    Kende na ntango (kende na ntango)

  11. Phetho ke bokae?

    Mbala nini ezali? (mbala nini)

  12. Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee

    Billet moko, s'il vous plaît (billet moko)

  13. Na ke kgole go tswa fano?

    Ezali na esika ya mbali? (ezali na esika ya mbali)

  14. Ke sitwa go etse

    Nazali na esika ya mabe (nazali na esika ya mabe)

  15. Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?

    Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card? (nakokota SIM card)

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Ee

    Oyo

  2. Aowa

    Te

  3. Mohlomong

    Soki

  4. Ke a dumela

    Nalingi

  5. Ke sitwa go dumela

    Nalingi te

  6. Seo se utlwa sentle

    Eza malamu

  7. O nagana eng?

    Oyo olingi nini?

  8. O ka nthusa?

    Okoki kosalisa ngai?

  9. Ke hloka thuso

    Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa

  10. Emela nako

    Sunga moke

  11. Ke maswabi

    Nasalaki mabe

  12. Ga go na bothata

    Nani azali na problème

  13. Dumelang

    Mokolo malamu

  14. Tlhogong e monate

    Mokolo ya mbotama malamu

  15. Dira leeto le le bolokehileng

    Zala na nzela ya malamu

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?

    Eko zali wapi? (Eko zali wapi?)

  2. Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?

    Eko zali wapi na bis? (Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)

  3. Ke sehlopha sefe?

    Eko zali na esika nini? (Ke sehlopha sefe?)

  4. Nako efe e tlo fofa?

    Ekozanga na ntango nini? (Nako efe e tlo fofa?)

  5. A ke tsela e nepahetseng?

    Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu? (A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)

  6. E haufi le fa

    Ezali pene awa. (E haufi le fa)

  7. E hole le fa

    Ezali mbali awa. (E hole le fa)

  8. O ka mpontsha ka mape?

    Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape? (O ka mpontsha ka mape?)

  9. Emisa fa, tsweetswee

    Tika awa, s'il vous plaît. (Emisa fa, tsweetswee)

  10. E nka nako e kae?

    Ekozala ntango nini? (E nka nako e kae?)

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. Ke bokae?

    Mbongo ya yango eza nini? (ke bo-ka-e)

  2. Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi

    Yango eza mabe na mbongo. (seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)

  3. O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?

    Ozali na makambo mosusu ya mbongo moke? (o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)

  4. Nka lefa ka khadi?

    Nalingi kobonga na carte? (nka le-fa ka kha-di)

  5. Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi

    Nalingi meka mpo na mibale. (ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)

  6. Bille, tswarela

    Liyangani, s'il vous plaît. (bil-le tswa-re-la)

  7. Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?

    Service eza na kati? (na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)

  8. Ke movegetarian

    Nazali mvegetarian. (ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)

  9. Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela

    Bokoya biloko ya mabe, s'il vous plaît. (a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)

  10. Se ke se monate

    Yango ezali malamu. (se ke se mo-na-te)

  11. Nka fumana lenaneo?

    Nalingi menu, s'il vous plaît. (nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)

  12. Khalase ya metsi, tswarela

    Leki ya mayi, s'il vous plaît. (kha-la-se ya me-tsi tswa-re-la)

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. B calla mapolesa

    Tindá polisi

  2. B calla ambulance

    Tindá ambulance

  3. Ke hloka ngaka

    Nalingi médecin

  4. Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya

    Nazali na maladi

  5. Ke na le allergy go peanuts

    Nazali na allergie na mbala

  6. Hospital e hwetšwa kae?

    Hospital ya liboso ezali wapi?

  7. Go a bohloko fa

    Ezalaka na nse awa

  8. Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka

    Nazwi passport na ngai

  9. O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?

    Okoki kotinda hôtel na ngai?

  10. Thusa!

    S.O.S!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Ke thabile go kopana le wena

    Nasepeli na yo

  2. A re beye ngwaga ya kopano

    Tika tozala na mitema

  3. Nako efe e go kgonang?

    Ngai nalobi ntango nini ekozala malamu na yo?

  4. Ke tla romela reportone gompieno

    Naboya raport lelo

  5. A re ka bua ka moso?

    Tango tozali na mposo?

  6. Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang

    S'il vous plaît, tala fichier oyo ezali na nzela

  7. Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago

    Mersi mpo na ntango na yo

  8. Ke lebeletse go dira le wena

    Nasalela yo na mosala

  9. A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?

    Okoki kosala likambo yango malamu?

  10. A ke tle ke boe go wena

    Napesi yo nzela

  11. Nako ya borai ke Labohlano

    Mokolo ya kokanga ezali Vendredi

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Ke nako efe?

    Nini tango ezali? (ni-ni tan-go e-za-li)

  2. Ke borai

    Ezali ntango ya misato (e-za-li n-tan-go ya mi-sa-to)

  3. Gompieno

    Lelo (Gompieno)

  4. Borai

    Bokoko (Borai)

  5. Maabane

    Kaka (Maabane)

  6. Mantšhi

    Lundi (Mantšhi)

  7. Laboraro

    Mardi (Laboraro)

  8. Laboraro

    Mercredi (Laboraro)

  9. Nngwe

    Moko (Nngwe)

  10. Pedi

    Mbala (Pedi)

  11. Tharo

    Misato (Tharo)

  12. Lesome

    Libwa (Lesome)

  13. Ngwaga

    Sankuru (Ngwaga)

  14. Hlaf

    Bato (Hlaf)

  15. Bokae

    Soki (Bokae)

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