Looking for practical Sepedi to Swahili phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi phrase first, then the Swahili translation (Swahili) — 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 Swahili.
Tip: when a Swahili 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 Swahili 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
Habari
Ke a leboga
Asante
Dumelang
Habari ya asubuhi
Mokhutsong o motle
Habari ya mchana
Mokhutsong o motle
Habari ya jioni
Borai bo botle
Usiku mwema
Tsamaya sentle
Tutaonana baadaye
Siyabonga
Kwaheri
O na le leina lefe?
Jina lako nani?
Leina la ka ke John
Jina langu ni John
O kae?
Habari gani?
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Nafurahi kukutana na wewe
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na o bua Seisemane?
Unazungumza Kiingereza?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Sielewi.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Tafadhali ongea polepole.
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Unaweza kusema tena?
Borai bo kae?
Choo kiko wapi?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?
Fetola go le letšatši
Geuka kushoto.
Fetola go le letona
Geuka kulia.
Ya ka pela
Nenda moja kwa moja.
Phetho ke bokae?
Nauli ni kiasi gani?
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Tiketi moja, tafadhali.
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Je, ni mbali na hapa?
Ke sitwa go etse
Nimepotea.
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Ndio
Aowa
Hapana
Mohlomong
Pengine
Ke a dumela
Ninakubaliana
Ke sitwa go dumela
Sikubaliani
Seo se utlwa sentle
Inasikika vizuri
O nagana eng?
Unafikiriaje?
O ka nthusa?
Unaweza kunisaidia?
Ke hloka thuso
Nahitaji msaada
Emela nako
Subiri kidogo
Ke maswabi
Ninasikitika
Ga go na bothata
Hakuna shida
Dumelang
Hongera
Tlhogong e monate
Siku ya kuzaliwa njema
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Safari njema
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?
Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?
Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Ni jukwaa gani?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Nako efe e tlo fofa?
Inatoka saa ngapi?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?
Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
E haufi le fa
Iko karibu hapa(E haufi le fa)
E hole le fa
Iko mbali na hapa(E hole le fa)
O ka mpontsha ka mape?
Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Simama hapa, tafadhali(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E nka nako e kae?
Inachukua muda gani?(E nka nako e kae?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?(ke bo-ka-e)
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi
Hiyo ni ghali sana(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?
Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Nka lefa ka khadi?
Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi
Ningependa meza ya watu wawili(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Bille, tswarela
Tafadhali, bili(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Je, huduma imejumuishwa?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ke movegetarian
Mimi ni mboga(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela
Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Se ke se monate
Hii ni tamu(se ke se mo-na-te)
Nka fumana lenaneo?
Naweza kupata menyu?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela
Tafadhali, glasi ya maji(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
Piga simu polisi
B calla ambulance
Piga simu ya wagonjwa
Ke hloka ngaka
Nahitaji daktari
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Ninajisikia mgonjwa
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Nina mzio wa karanga
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?
Go a bohloko fa
Inaniuma hapa
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?
Thusa!
Nisaidie!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Nafurahi kukutana nawe
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Tuweke mkutano
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Nitaituma ripoti leo
A re ka bua ka moso?
Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Asante kwa muda wako
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Nitarudi kwako
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.