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Common Sesotho to Lingala phrases

100 practical Sesotho to Lingala phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

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Looking for practical Sesotho to Lingala phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sesotho phrase first, then the Lingala translation (Lingala) — 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 Lingala.

Tip: pick five Lingala phrases from the greetings section and use them in a real message today. Small daily practice beats cramming before a trip.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sesotho to Lingala 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.

  1. Lumelang

    Mbote

  2. Kea leboha

    Melesi

  3. Dumelang

    Mbote na ntango ya mokolo

  4. Molo

    Mbote na ntango ya midi

  5. Dumelang

    Mbote na ntango ya soir

  6. Borai

    Malamu na butu

  7. Re tla kopana hamorao

    Tala yo nsima

  8. Tsamaya hantle

    Kende malamu

  9. O na le lebitso lefe?

    Nkombo na yo nani?

  10. Lebitso la ka ke John

    Nkombo na ngai ezali John

  11. O kae?

    Ozalaki malamu?

  12. Ke thabela ho kopana le wena

    Nayoki malamu na yo

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. Na u bua Senyesemane?

    Ozali koloba lingala? (ozali koloba lingala)

  2. Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle

    Nasalaka hindi malamu te (nasalaka hindi malamu te)

  3. Ke sitwa ho utloisisa

    Nalingi te (nalingi te)

  4. Ka kopo bua butle

    S'il vous plaît, koloba butu (koloba butu)

  5. Na u ka boela ua re?

    Okoki koloba yango lisusu? (okoki koloba yango lisusu)

  6. Ntloana e kae?

    Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi? (bato ya nzoto)

  7. Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?

    Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre? (nakokende na centre)

  8. Fetola ho ea letsohong

    Tika na mobali (tika na mobali)

  9. Fetola ho ea ka ho letona

    Tika na mwasi (tika na mwasi)

  10. Eya ka pela

    Kende na ntango (kende na ntango)

  11. Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?

    Mbala nini ezali? (mbala nini)

  12. Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo

    Billet moko, s'il vous plaît (billet moko)

  13. Na e hole le mona?

    Ezali na esika ya mbali? (ezali na esika ya mbali)

  14. Ke lahlehile

    Nazali na esika ya mabe (nazali na esika ya mabe)

  15. Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?

    Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card? (nakokota SIM card)

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Ee

    Oyo

  2. Che

    Te

  3. Mohlomong

    Soki

  4. Ke lumela

    Nalingi

  5. Ke sitwa

    Nalingi te

  6. Seo se utloahala hantle

    Eza malamu

  7. O nahana eng?

    Oyo olingi nini?

  8. Na o ka nthusa?

    Okoki kosalisa ngai?

  9. Ke hloka thuso

    Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa

  10. Emisa motsotso

    Sunga moke

  11. Ke maswabi

    Nasalaki mabe

  12. Ha ho bothata

    Nani azali na problème

  13. O amohelehile

    Mokolo malamu

  14. Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo

    Mokolo ya mbotama malamu

  15. Ebe le tsamaea hantle

    Zala na nzela ya malamu

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Ke kae seteishene sa terene?

    Eko zali wapi? (Eko zali wapi?)

  2. Ke kae borai?

    Eko zali wapi na bis? (ke kae borai)

  3. Ke sehlopha sefe?

    Eko zali na esika nini? (ke sehlopha sefe)

  4. Nako e kae e tlohang?

    Ekozanga na ntango nini? (nako e kae e tlohang)

  5. Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?

    Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu? (na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng)

  6. E haufi le mona

    Ezali pene awa. (e haufi le mona)

  7. E hole le mona

    Ezali mbali awa. (e hole le mona)

  8. O ka mpontša ka mapeng?

    Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape? (o ka mpontša ka mapeng)

  9. Emisa mona, ka kopo

    Tika awa, s'il vous plaît. (emisa mona, ka kopo)

  10. E nka nako e kae?

    Ekozala ntango nini? (e nka nako e kae)

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. Se kostang hakaale?

    Mbongo ya yango eza nini? (se kostang hakaale)

  2. Seo ke se theko e phahameng

    Yango eza mabe na mbongo. (seo ke se theko e phahameng)

  3. Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?

    Ozali na makambo mosusu ya mbongo moke? (na le na le eng e theko e tlase)

  4. Na nka lefa ka kharete?

    Nalingi kobonga na carte? (na nka lefa ka kharete)

  5. Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli

    Nalingi meka mpo na mibale. (ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)

  6. Bille, ka kopo

    Liyangani, s'il vous plaît. (bille, ka kopo)

  7. Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?

    Service eza na kati? (na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)

  8. Ke moithuti oa meroho

    Nazali mvegetarian. (ke moithuti oa meroho)

  9. Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo

    Bokoya biloko ya mabe, s'il vous plaît. (tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)

  10. Se monate

    Yango ezali malamu. (se monate)

  11. Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?

    Nalingi menu, s'il vous plaît. (na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)

  12. Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo

    Leki ya mayi, s'il vous plaît. (khalase ea metsi, ka kopo)

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. Calla mapolesa

    Tindá polisi

  2. Calla ambulance

    Tindá ambulance

  3. Ke hloka ngaka

    Nalingi médecin

  4. Ke ikutloa ke sitwa

    Nazali na maladi

  5. Ke na le allergy ho peanuts

    Nazali na allergie na mbala

  6. Hospital e haufi e kae?

    Hospital ya liboso ezali wapi?

  7. Ho bohloko mona

    Ezalaka na nse awa

  8. Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport

    Nazwi passport na ngai

  9. Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?

    Okoki kotinda hôtel na ngai?

  10. Thusa!

    S.O.S!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Ke thabile ho kopana le uena

    Nasepeli na yo

  2. A re etse kopano

    Tika tozala na mitema

  3. Nako e kae e loketseng uena?

    Ngai nalobi ntango nini ekozala malamu na yo?

  4. Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno

    Naboya raport lelo

  5. Na re ka bua ka moso?

    Tango tozali na mposo?

  6. Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang

    S'il vous plaît, tala fichier oyo ezali na nzela

  7. Kea leboha ka nako ea hau

    Mersi mpo na ntango na yo

  8. Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena

    Nasalela yo na mosala

  9. Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?

    Okoki kosala likambo yango malamu?

  10. A ke tle ke u boele

    Napesi yo nzela

  11. Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano

    Mokolo ya kokanga ezali Vendredi

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Ke hora efe?

    Nini tango ezali? (ni-ni tan-go e-za-li)

  2. Ke hora tse tharo

    Ezali ntango ya misato (e-za-li n-tan-go ya mi-sa-to)

  3. Kajeno

    Lelo (Kajeno)

  4. Hosane

    Bokoko (Hosane)

  5. Maobane

    Kaka (Maobane)

  6. Mantaha

    Lundi (Mantaha)

  7. Labobeli

    Mardi (Labobeli)

  8. Laboraro

    Mercredi (Laboraro)

  9. E le 'ngoe

    Moko (E le 'ngoe)

  10. Pele

    Mbala (Pele)

  11. Tharo

    Misato (Tharo)

  12. Leshome

    Libwa (Leshome)

  13. Sekete

    Sankuru (Sekete)

  14. Hlafuna

    Bato (Hlafuna)

  15. Haholo

    Soki (Haholo)

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