Looking for practical Tetum to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum phrase first, then the Sepedi translation (Sepedi) — 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 Sepedi.
Tip: when a Sepedi phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Tetum 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 Tetum to Sepedi 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.
Olá
Dumela
Obrigadu
Ke a leboga
Bondia
Dumelang
Bona tarde
Mokhutsong o motle
Bona noite
Mokhutsong o motle
Bona noite
Borai bo botle
Ami hanesan
Tsamaya sentle
Adeus
Siyabonga
Quale naran ida?
O na le leina lefe?
Naran hau John.
Leina la ka ke John
Kona ba o?
O kae?
Diak ba halo ho o.
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Hau la hatene.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Favor fala ba moris.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Keta bele fala fali?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Onde mak banheira?
Borai bo kae?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Virar ba hadau.
Fetola go le letšatši
Virar ba direita.
Fetola go le letona
Baa diretamente.
Ya ka pela
Iha ne'e barak?
Phetho ke bokae?
Ticket ida, favor.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Iha ne'e laran ka?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Hau nune'e.
Ke sitwa go etse
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Ee
La
Aowa
Talvez
Mohlomong
Hau hakarak
Ke a dumela
Hau la hakarak
Ke sitwa go dumela
Nia mak diak
Seo se utlwa sentle
Ita nian ideia sa?
O nagana eng?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
O ka nthusa?
Hau precisa ajuda
Ke hloka thuso
Hakarak momentu
Emela nako
Hau mós
Ke maswabi
La problema
Ga go na bothata
Parabens
Dumelang
Parabens ba aniversario
Tlhogong e monate
Hau haruka viagen diak
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Hora ne'e sai?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Iha ne'e perto
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Iha ne'e laran
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Kona ba mapa?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Kona tempu hira?
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.
Ita nia presu sa'o?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Esa mak baratu demais.
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Fatu, por favor.
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Servisu iha ka?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Hau vegetarian.
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Esa mak saboru.
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Kopa agua, por favor.
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela(kha-la-se ya me-tsi tswa-re-la)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Liga ba polícia
B calla mapolesa
Liga ba ambulansia
B calla ambulance
Hau precisa doutor
Ke hloka ngaka
Hau sente sick
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Hau iha alergia ba karu
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
Go a bohloko fa
Hau hasai passport
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Help!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Kita halo reunião
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
A re ka bua ka moso?
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Hau sei volta ba ita
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Prazo mak sexta-feira
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.