Looking for practical Sesotho to Tswana phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sesotho phrase first, then the Tswana translation (Tswana) — 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 Tswana.
Tip: when a Tswana phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Sesotho 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 Sesotho to Tswana 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
Dumela
Kea leboha
Ke a leboga
Dumelang
Dumelang
Molo
Dumela mo afternoon
Dumelang
Dumela mo evening
Borai
Borai
Re tla kopana hamorao
Tsamaya sentle
Tsamaya hantle
Tsamaya sentle
O na le lebitso lefe?
O na le leina mang?
Lebitso la ka ke John
Leina la me ke John
O kae?
O kae?
Ke thabela ho kopana le wena
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na u bua Senyesemane?
A o bua Seisemane?
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Ka kopo bua butle
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Na u ka boela ua re?
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Ntloana e kae?
Borai bo kae?
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
Fetola ho ea letsohong
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Eya ka pela
Tswelela ka fao
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
Gaeletsi e bokae?
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Na e hole le mona?
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Ke lahlehile
Ke a latlhela
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Ee
Che
Nnyaa
Mohlomong
Mafoko
Ke lumela
Ke a dumela
Ke sitwa
Ke sitwa go dumela
Seo se utloahala hantle
Seo se utlwisa molemo
O nahana eng?
O akanya eng?
Na o ka nthusa?
O ka nthusa?
Ke hloka thuso
Ke tlhoka thuso
Emisa motsotso
Emisa motsotso
Ke maswabi
Ke maswabi
Ha ho bothata
Ga go na bothata
O amohelehile
A re amogele
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?
Ke kae borai jwa terene?(ke kae borai jwa terene)
Ke kae borai?
Ke kae borai jwa boso?(ke kae borai jwa boso)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Ke phetogo efe?(ke phetogo efe)
Nako e kae e tlohang?
Nako efe e tlogang?(nako efe e tlogang)
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?
A ke tsela e e siameng?(a ke tsela e e siameng)
E haufi le mona
E kgaogang fa(e kgaogang fa)
E hole le mona
E le kgakala le fa(e le kgakala le fa)
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?(o ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape)
Emisa mona, ka kopo
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E nka nako e kae?
E tsaya nako e kae?(e tsaya nako e kae)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Se kostang hakaale?
Ke bokae?(ke bo kae?)
Seo ke se theko e phahameng
Seo ke se expensive(se ke se expensive)
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?(a o na le sengwe se se cheap?)
Na nka lefa ka kharete?
Na nka lefa ka khadi?(na nka lefa ka khadi?)
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi(ke kopa tafole ya babedi)
Bille, ka kopo
Bille, tsweetswee(bille, tsweetswee)
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tshebeletso e akaretswe?)
Ke moithuti oa meroho
Ke movegetarian(ke mo vegetarian)
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee(a re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee)
Se monate
Se ke se monate(se ke se monate)
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?
Na nka nna le menu?(na nka nna le menu?)
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee(glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Calla mapolesa
Bua le mapolesa
Calla ambulance
Bua le ambulance
Ke hloka ngaka
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Hospital e haufi e kae?
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Ho bohloko mona
Go botlhoko fa
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
Ke sitwa passport ya me
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
Thusa!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile ho kopana le uena
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
A re etse kopano
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
Nako efe e go thusang?
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Na re ka bua ka moso?
A re ka bua ka borai?
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
A ke tle ke u boele
A ke boele go wena
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.