Looking for practical Sesotho to Acholi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sesotho phrase first, then the Acholi translation (Acholi) — 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 Acholi.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Acholi-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sesotho to Acholi 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.
Lumelang
Ayo(ah-yo)
Kea leboha
Naki(nah-kee)
Dumelang
Bok moti(bok mo-tee)
Molo
Bok nongo(bok non-go)
Dumelang
Bok obedo(bok oh-beh-do)
Borai
Bok ngat(bok ngat)
Re tla kopana hamorao
Tye kany(tye kan-yee)
Tsamaya hantle
Itye(ee-tye)
O na le lebitso lefe?
Iti ma ineno?(ee-tee mah ee-neh-no)
Lebitso la ka ke John
Ineno John(ee-neh-no John)
O kae?
Iti ma inyo?(ee-tee mah een-yo)
Ke thabela ho kopana le wena
Gat ma inyo(gaht mah een-yo)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na u bua Senyesemane?
Itye konyo English?
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
Nye konyo Hindi kanyim.
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
Nye neno.
Ka kopo bua butle
Nye konyo tye kanyim.
Na u ka boela ua re?
Itye konyo tye kanyim?
Ntloana e kae?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
Nye konyo kanyim ku city center?
Fetola ho ea letsohong
Konyo kuc.
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Konyo kuc.
Eya ka pela
Tye kanyim.
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
One ticket, please.
Na e hole le mona?
Iti kanyim kanyim?
Ke lahlehile
Nye konyo.
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
Iti kanyim ngat SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Aye
Che
Bila
Mohlomong
Kweyo
Ke lumela
Ng'ato konyo
Ke sitwa
Ng'ato konyo ni
Seo se utloahala hantle
Okwero kany
O nahana eng?
Ika kany?
Na o ka nthusa?
Ikwok kany?
Ke hloka thuso
Ng'ato konyo kany
Emisa motsotso
Tye kany
Ke maswabi
Ng'ato konyo
Ha ho bothata
Bila kany
O amohelehile
Tye kany
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
Aye konyo
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
Tye kany ma ng'ato
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?
Atye kany kwo?(Atye kany kwo?)
Ke kae borai?
Atye kany bura?(Atye kany bura?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Kati onyo kwo?(Kati onyo kwo?)
Nako e kae e tlohang?
Nye kwo nongo?(Nye kwo nongo?)
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?
Kik kwo gwen?(Kik kwo gwen?)
E haufi le mona
Okwang kany ici(Okwang kany ici)
E hole le mona
Okwang kany piny(Okwang kany piny)
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?
Nye konyo i map?(Nye konyo i map?)
Emisa mona, ka kopo
Doko ici, pe?(Doko ici, pe?)
E nka nako e kae?
Nye kwo ngat?(Nye kwo ngat?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Se kostang hakaale?
Nye keken me?(Nye keken me?)
Seo ke se theko e phahameng
Okwero keken(Okwero keken)
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?
Itye keken me?(Itye keken me?)
Na nka lefa ka kharete?
Nye konyo kadi?(Nye konyo kadi?)
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli
Nye tye kany kwo(Nye tye kany kwo)
Bille, ka kopo
Kaka, nyinga(Kaka, nyinga)
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?
Kati kany me?(Kati kany me?)
Ke moithuti oa meroho
Nye konyo wot(Nye konyo wot)
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo
Kati wot kany, nyinga(Kati wot kany, nyinga)
Se monate
Iti kany(Iti kany)
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?
Nye konyo kadi me?(Nye konyo kadi me?)
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo
Kadi me kic, nyinga(Kadi me kic, nyinga)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Calla mapolesa
Yat ma police
Calla ambulance
Yat ma ambulance
Ke hloka ngaka
Nye konyo doctor
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
Nye konyo wot
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
Nye konyo kany kic
Hospital e haufi e kae?
Kati ki hospital ma kany?
Ho bohloko mona
Okwero ineno
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
Nye tye konyo passport
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?
Okwero yat ma hotel amoni?
Thusa!
Yat!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile ho kopana le uena
Nye kany me(Nye kany me)
A re etse kopano
Dano kany oting(Dano kany oting)
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
Nye kany ma kany?(Nye kany ma kany?)
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
Ngatye kany report kany(Ngatye kany report kany)
Na re ka bua ka moso?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Nye kany ma file kany(Nye kany ma file kany)
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Atye kany ma kany(Atye kany ma kany)
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
Nye kany ma kany kany(Nye kany ma kany kany)
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
A ke tle ke u boele
Dano kany ma kany(Dano kany ma kany)
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Kany kany Friday(Kany kany Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.