Looking for practical Sesotho to Maori phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sesotho 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: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Maori-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sesotho 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.
Lumelang
Kia ora
Kea leboha
Ngā mihi
Dumelang
Ata mārie
Molo
Pō mārie
Dumelang
Pō nui
Borai
Nō reira
Re tla kopana hamorao
Ka kite anō
Tsamaya hantle
Haere rā
O na le lebitso lefe?
Ko wai tō ingoa?
Lebitso la ka ke John
Ko John tōku ingoa
O kae?
Kei te pēhea koe?
Ke thabela ho 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 u bua Senyesemane?
Ka korero koe i te reo Ingarihi?(kah korero koe ee teh reh-oh ingarihi)
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi(kaore ow ee kah-raw pai ee teh reh-oh hindee)
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
Kaore au e mohio(kaore ow ee moh-ee-oh)
Ka kopo bua butle
Tena koa korero āta(teh-nah koh-ah kah-raw-oh ah-tah)
Na u ka boela ua re?
Ka taea e koe te korero ano?(kah tah-eh eh koh-eh teh kah-raw-oh ah-no)
Ntloana e kae?
Kei hea te wharepaku?(kay he-ah teh fah-reh-pah-koo)
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
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 ho ea letsohong
Huri ki mauī(hoo-ree kee mow-ee)
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Huri ki te taha matau(hoo-ree kee teh tah-hah mah-tow)
Eya ka pela
Haere tika(high-reh tee-kah)
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
E hia te utu?(eh hee-ah teh oo-too)
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
Kotahi te tikiti, please(koh-tah-hee teh tee-kee-tee)
Na e hole le mona?
Kei tawhiti mai i konei?(kay tah-whee-tee my ee koh-nay)
Ke lahlehile
Kua ngaro au(koo-ah nah-roh ow)
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
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
Che
Kāo
Mohlomong
Tērā pea
Ke lumela
Kei te whakaae au
Ke sitwa
Kāore au e whakaae
Seo se utloahala hantle
He pai tēnā
O nahana eng?
He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?
Na o ka nthusa?
Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?
Ke hloka thuso
Kei te hiahia au i te awhina
Emisa motsotso
Tēnā tūrua
Ke maswabi
Aroha mai
Ha ho bothata
Kāore he raru
O amohelehile
Ngā mihi
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
Hari huritau
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
Kia pai te haerenga
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?
Kei hea te teihana tereina?(Kei hea te teihana tereina?)
Ke kae borai?
Kei hea te pooti?(Kei hea te pooti?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Ko wai te papa?(Ko wai te papa?)
Nako e kae e tlohang?
He aha te wa e wehe ai?(He aha te wa e wehe ai?)
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?
Kei te tika tēnei ara?(Kei te tika tēnei ara?)
E haufi le mona
Kei konei tata mai(Kei konei tata mai)
E hole le mona
Kei tawhiti mai i konei(Kei tawhiti mai i konei)
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?
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 mona, ka kopo
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.
Se kostang hakaale?
E hia te utu o tēnei?(ehia te utu o tei nei)
Seo ke se theko e phahameng
He tino utu tēnā(seo ke se theko e phahameng)
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?
Kei a koe he mea iti ake?(na le na le eng e theko e tlase)
Na nka lefa ka kharete?
Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?(na nka lefa ka kharete)
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli
E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.(ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)
Bille, ka kopo
Tēnā, te rīhi.(bille, ka kopo)
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?
Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?(na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)
Ke moithuti oa meroho
He veggie ahau.(ke moithuti oa meroho)
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo
Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.(tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)
Se monate
He reka tēnei.(se monate)
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?
Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?(na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo
Tēnā, he karaihe wai.(khalase ea metsi, ka kopo)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Calla mapolesa
Karanga ki te pirihimana
Calla ambulance
Karanga ki te āwhina
Ke hloka ngaka
Kei te hiahia au i te rata
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
Kei te pāngia au e te mate
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri
Hospital e haufi e kae?
Kei hea te hōhipera tata?
Ho bohloko mona
E mamae ana i konei
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
I ngaro taku pasapo
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea 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 ho kopana le uena
Ka pai te kite i a koe
A re etse kopano
Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā
Na re ka bua ka moso?
Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Ngā mihi mo tō wā
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?
A ke tle ke u boele
Me hoki au ki a koe
Nako e felletseng 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.