Looking for practical Sepedi to Maori phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi phrase first, then the Maori translation (Maori) — 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 Maori.
Tip: when a Maori 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 Maori 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
Kia ora
Ke a leboga
Ngā mihi
Dumelang
Ata mārie
Mokhutsong o motle
Pō mārie
Mokhutsong o motle
Pō nui
Borai bo botle
Nō reira
Tsamaya sentle
Ka kite anō
Siyabonga
Haere rā
O na le leina lefe?
Ko wai tō ingoa?
Leina la ka ke John
Ko John tōku ingoa
O kae?
Kei te pēhea koe?
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
He pai ki te tūtaki i a koe
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na o bua Seisemane?
Ka korero koe i te reo Ingarihi?(kah korero koe ee teh reh-oh ingarihi)
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi(kaore ow ee kah-raw pai ee teh reh-oh hindee)
Ke sitwa go kwele
Kaore au e mohio(kaore ow ee moh-ee-oh)
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Tena koa korero āta(teh-nah koh-ah kah-raw-oh ah-tah)
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Ka taea e koe te korero ano?(kah tah-eh eh koh-eh teh kah-raw-oh ah-no)
Borai bo kae?
Kei hea te wharepaku?(kay he-ah teh fah-reh-pah-koo)
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Me pehea au e tae ki te pokapū o te tāone?(meh peh-heh-ah ow eh tie keh teh poh-kah-poo oh teh tah-oh-neh)
Fetola go le letšatši
Huri ki mauī(hoo-ree kee mow-ee)
Fetola go le letona
Huri ki te taha matau(hoo-ree kee teh tah-hah mah-tow)
Ya ka pela
Haere tika(high-reh tee-kah)
Phetho ke bokae?
E hia te utu?(eh hee-ah teh oo-too)
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Kotahi te tikiti, please(koh-tah-hee teh tee-kee-tee)
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Kei tawhiti mai i konei?(kay tah-whee-tee my ee koh-nay)
Ke sitwa go etse
Kua ngaro au(koo-ah nah-roh ow)
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Kei hea e taea ai e au te hoko kāri SIM?(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.
Ee
Āe
Aowa
Kāo
Mohlomong
Tērā pea
Ke a dumela
Kei te whakaae au
Ke sitwa go dumela
Kāore au e whakaae
Seo se utlwa sentle
He pai tēnā
O nagana eng?
He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?
O ka nthusa?
Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?
Ke hloka thuso
Kei te hiahia au i te awhina
Emela nako
Tēnā tūrua
Ke maswabi
Aroha mai
Ga go na bothata
Kāore he raru
Dumelang
Ngā mihi
Tlhogong e monate
Hari huritau
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Kia pai te haerenga
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?
Kei hea te teihana tereina?(Kei hea te teihana tereina?)
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?
Kei hea te pooti?(Kei hea te pooti?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Ko wai te papa?(Ko wai te papa?)
Nako efe e tlo fofa?
He aha te wa e wehe ai?(He aha te wa e wehe ai?)
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?
Kei te tika tēnei ara?(Kei te tika tēnei ara?)
E haufi le fa
Kei konei tata mai(Kei konei tata mai)
E hole le fa
Kei tawhiti mai i konei(Kei tawhiti mai i konei)
O ka mpontsha ka mape?
Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?(Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Tū mai i konei, koa(Tū mai i konei, koa)
E nka nako e kae?
E hia te wā e tango ana?(E hia te wā e tango ana?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
E hia te utu o tēnei?(ehia te utu o tei nei)
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi
He tino utu tēnā(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?
Kei a koe he mea iti ake?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Nka lefa ka khadi?
Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi
E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Bille, tswarela
Tēnā, te rīhi.(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ke movegetarian
He veggie ahau.(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela
Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Se ke se monate
He reka tēnei.(se ke se mo-na-te)
Nka fumana lenaneo?
Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela
Tēnā, he karaihe wai.(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
Karanga ki te pirihimana
B calla ambulance
Karanga ki te āwhina
Ke hloka ngaka
Kei te hiahia au i te rata
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Kei te pāngia au e te mate
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Kei hea te hōhipera tata?
Go a bohloko fa
E mamae ana i konei
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
I ngaro taku pasapo
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Ka taea e koe te karanga ki taku hōtera?
Thusa!
Tautoko!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Ka pai te kite i a koe
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui
Nako efe e go kgonang?
He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā
A re ka bua ka moso?
Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Ngā mihi mo tō wā
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Me hoki au ki a koe
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Ko te mutunga wā ko te Paraire
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.