Looking for practical Sesotho to Bambara phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sesotho phrase first, then the Bambara translation (Bambara) — 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 Bambara.
Tip: read the Bambara line out loud three times, then cover the Sesotho side and try to recall the meaning — repetition builds memory faster than silent reading.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sesotho to Bambara 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
I ni ce
Kea leboha
I ni sogoma
Dumelang
I ni bɔ
Molo
I ni kɛ
Dumelang
I ni sɔgɔ
Borai
I ni tulu
Re tla kopana hamorao
N bɛ se ka
Tsamaya hantle
A bɛ se ka
O na le lebitso lefe?
Nɛnɛ kɛ i tɛ?
Lebitso la ka ke John
N bɛ tɔgɔ John
O kae?
I ni fɛ?
Ke thabela ho kopana le wena
N bɛ se ka i fɛ
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na u bua Senyesemane?
I ni ce English?(ee nee che English)
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
N mɔgɔ bɛ Hindi kɛ(N mo-go beh Hindi keh)
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
N mɔgɔ bɛ(N mo-go beh)
Ka kopo bua butle
Sɛbɛn, kɛlɛ kɛ(Sebene, keh-leh keh)
Na u ka boela ua re?
I ka fɔ a la?(Ee kah fo ah lah)
Ntloana e kae?
Bamanakan kɛn na?(Bah-mah-nah-kahn keh nah)
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
N bɛ fɔ kɔrɔbɔ?(N beh fo koh-roh-boh)
Fetola ho ea letsohong
Kɛlɛn bɔ(Keh-lehn boh)
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Kɛlɛn bɔ kɔrɔ(Keh-lehn boh koh-roh)
Eya ka pela
Fɔ kɛlɛn(Fo keh-lehn)
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
Fɛ kɛ?(Feh keh)
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
Kɛnɛ ticket, please(Ken-eh ticket, please)
Na e hole le mona?
I kɛ fɔ kɛnɛ?(Ee keh fo keh-neh)
Ke lahlehile
N tɛ bɔ(N teh boh)
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
N bɛ fɔ SIM card kɛn?(N beh fo SIM card ken)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Aye
Che
Ala
Mohlomong
Bara
Ke lumela
N bɛ bɔ
Ke sitwa
N bɛ fɔ
Seo se utloahala hantle
I bɛ sɛbɛn
O nahana eng?
I ka fɛ kɛ?
Na o ka nthusa?
I bɛ ma n bɔ?
Ke hloka thuso
N bɛ fɔ n bɔ
Emisa motsotso
Sira kɛ
Ke maswabi
N tɛgɛ
Ha ho bothata
Ala ka fɔ
O amohelehile
I ni kɛ
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
I ni tɔgɔ kɛ
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
I bɛ tɔgɔ kɛ
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?
Fôlô kôkô tîgê?(ke kae seteishene sa terene)
Ke kae borai?
Fôlô bôgô tîgê?(ke kae borai)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
I ni tîgê kô?(ke sehlopha sefe)
Nako e kae e tlohang?
Kô tîgê bô?(nako e kae e tlohang)
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?
I ni tîgê bô?(na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng)
E haufi le mona
I tîgê kâ.(e haufi le mona)
E hole le mona
I tîgê kâ fô.(e hole le mona)
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?
I bô kô tîgê fô?(o ka mpontša ka mapeng)
Emisa mona, ka kopo
Tîgê kâ, s'il vous plaît.(emisa mona, ka kopo)
E nka nako e kae?
Kô tîgê kô?(e nka nako e kae)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Se kostang hakaale?
I ni ce?(se kostang hakaale)
Seo ke se theko e phahameng
O ye fɛɛrɛ.(seo ke se theko e phahameng)
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?
I ni ka fɛɛrɛ?(na le na le eng e theko e tlase)
Na nka lefa ka kharete?
N bɛ tɔgɔ ka kɛ?(na nka lefa ka kharete)
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ kɔrɔ.(ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)
Bille, ka kopo
Kɔrɔbaw, s'il vous plaît.(bille, ka kopo)
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?
Sɛbɛ ka fo?(na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)
Ke moithuti oa meroho
N bɛ sɔgɔma.(ke moithuti oa meroho)
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo
Kɔrɔ fɛɛrɛ, s'il vous plaît.(tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)
Se monate
I ye sɔgɔ.(se monate)
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɔrɔbaw?(na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo
N bɛ fɔlɔ jɔrɔ.(khalase ea metsi, ka kopo)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Calla mapolesa
Nɔgɔ fɔlɔ(nogo folo)
Calla ambulance
Nɔgɔ kɔrɔ(nogo koro)
Ke hloka ngaka
N bɛ sɔrɔ(n be soro)
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
N bɛ tɛgɛn(n be tegen)
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ(n be folokele)
Hospital e haufi e kae?
N bɛ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(n be koro folo)
Ho bohloko mona
I tɛgɛ fɛ(i tege fe)
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
N bɛ kɛlɛ fɔlɔ(n be kele folo)
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?
I bɛ nɔgɔ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(i be nogo koro folo)
Thusa!
Tɛgɛ!(tege)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile ho kopana le uena
N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ(N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ)
A re etse kopano
Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ(Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ)
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
I ni bɔ a la?(I ni bɔ a la?)
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ(N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ)
Na re ka bua ka moso?
N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?(N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?)
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ(Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ)
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ(I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ)
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ)
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?(I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?)
A ke tle ke u boele
N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ)
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday(Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.