Looking for practical Sepedi to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi phrase first, then the Mam translation (Mam) — 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 Mam.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Mam-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sepedi to Mam 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
Xo'j(sho'j)
Ke a leboga
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Dumelang
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Mokhutsong o motle
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Mokhutsong o motle
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Borai bo botle
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Tsamaya sentle
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Siyabonga
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
O na le leina lefe?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Leina la ka ke John
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
O kae?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na o bua Seisemane?
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Borai bo kae?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Fetola go le letšatši
K'utun k'ux.
Fetola go le letona
K'utun k'ux.
Ya ka pela
K'utun k'ux.
Phetho ke bokae?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Ke sitwa go etse
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Juj(hoo)
Aowa
Man(mah)
Mohlomong
K'ux(k'ush)
Ke a dumela
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Ke sitwa go dumela
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Seo se utlwa sentle
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
O nagana eng?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
O ka nthusa?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Ke hloka thuso
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Emela nako
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Ke maswabi
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Ga go na bothata
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
Dumelang
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Tlhogong e monate
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Nako efe e tlo fofa?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
E haufi le fa
Ri k'ut pa ri.(E haufi le fa)
E hole le fa
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.(E hole le fa)
O ka mpontsha ka mape?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E nka nako e kae?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?(E nka nako e kae?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.