Looking for practical Swahili to Sesotho phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Swahili phrase first, then the Sesotho translation (Sesotho) — 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 Sesotho.
Tip: when a Sesotho phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Swahili 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 Swahili to Sesotho 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.
Habari
Lumelang
Asante
Kea leboha
Habari ya asubuhi
Dumelang
Habari ya mchana
Molo
Habari ya jioni
Dumelang
Usiku mwema
Borai
Tutaonana baadaye
Re tla kopana hamorao
Kwaheri
Tsamaya hantle
Jina lako nani?
O na le lebitso lefe?
Jina langu ni John
Lebitso la ka ke John
Habari gani?
O kae?
Nafurahi kukutana na wewe
Ke thabela ho kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Unazungumza Kiingereza?
Na u bua Senyesemane?
Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
Sielewi.
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
Tafadhali ongea polepole.
Ka kopo bua butle
Unaweza kusema tena?
Na u ka boela ua re?
Choo kiko wapi?
Ntloana e kae?
Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
Geuka kushoto.
Fetola ho ea letsohong
Geuka kulia.
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Nenda moja kwa moja.
Eya ka pela
Nauli ni kiasi gani?
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
Tiketi moja, tafadhali.
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
Je, ni mbali na hapa?
Na e hole le mona?
Nimepotea.
Ke lahlehile
Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ndio
Ee
Hapana
Che
Pengine
Mohlomong
Ninakubaliana
Ke lumela
Sikubaliani
Ke sitwa
Inasikika vizuri
Seo se utloahala hantle
Unafikiriaje?
O nahana eng?
Unaweza kunisaidia?
Na o ka nthusa?
Nahitaji msaada
Ke hloka thuso
Subiri kidogo
Emisa motsotso
Ninasikitika
Ke maswabi
Hakuna shida
Ha ho bothata
Hongera
O amohelehile
Siku ya kuzaliwa njema
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
Safari njema
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?(ke kae seteishene sa terene)
Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?
Ke kae borai?(ke kae borai)
Ni jukwaa gani?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(ke sehlopha sefe)
Inatoka saa ngapi?
Nako e kae e tlohang?(nako e kae e tlohang)
Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?(na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng)
Iko karibu hapa
E haufi le mona(e haufi le mona)
Iko mbali na hapa
E hole le mona(e hole le mona)
Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?(o ka mpontša ka mapeng)
Simama hapa, tafadhali
Emisa mona, ka kopo(emisa mona, ka kopo)
Inachukua muda gani?
E nka nako e kae?(e nka nako e kae)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?
Se kostang hakaale?(se kostang hakaale)
Hiyo ni ghali sana
Seo ke se theko e phahameng(seo ke se theko e phahameng)
Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?(na le na le eng e theko e tlase)
Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?
Na nka lefa ka kharete?(na nka lefa ka kharete)
Ningependa meza ya watu wawili
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli(ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)
Tafadhali, bili
Bille, ka kopo(bille, ka kopo)
Je, huduma imejumuishwa?
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?(na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)
Mimi ni mboga
Ke moithuti oa meroho(ke moithuti oa meroho)
Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo(tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)
Hii ni tamu
Se monate(se monate)
Naweza kupata menyu?
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?(na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)
Tafadhali, glasi ya maji
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo(khalase ea metsi, ka kopo)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Piga simu polisi
Calla mapolesa
Piga simu ya wagonjwa
Calla ambulance
Nahitaji daktari
Ke hloka ngaka
Ninajisikia mgonjwa
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
Nina mzio wa karanga
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?
Hospital e haufi e kae?
Inaniuma hapa
Ho bohloko mona
Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?
Nisaidie!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nafurahi kukutana nawe
Ke thabile ho kopana le uena
Tuweke mkutano
A re etse kopano
Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
Nitaituma ripoti leo
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?
Na re ka bua ka moso?
Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Asante kwa muda wako
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
Nitarudi kwako
A ke tle ke u boele
Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.