Looking for practical Tetum to Sesotho phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum 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 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 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.
Olá
Lumelang
Obrigadu
Kea leboha
Bondia
Dumelang
Bona tarde
Molo
Bona noite
Dumelang
Bona noite
Borai
Ami hanesan
Re tla kopana hamorao
Adeus
Tsamaya hantle
Quale naran ida?
O na le lebitso lefe?
Naran hau John.
Lebitso la ka ke John
Kona ba o?
O kae?
Diak ba halo ho o.
Ke thabela ho kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
Na u bua Senyesemane?
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
Hau la hatene.
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
Favor fala ba moris.
Ka kopo bua butle
Keta bele fala fali?
Na u ka boela ua re?
Onde mak banheira?
Ntloana e kae?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
Virar ba hadau.
Fetola ho ea letsohong
Virar ba direita.
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Baa diretamente.
Eya ka pela
Iha ne'e barak?
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
Ticket ida, favor.
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
Iha ne'e laran ka?
Na e hole le mona?
Hau nune'e.
Ke lahlehile
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Ee
La
Che
Talvez
Mohlomong
Hau hakarak
Ke lumela
Hau la hakarak
Ke sitwa
Nia mak diak
Seo se utloahala hantle
Ita nian ideia sa?
O nahana eng?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
Na o ka nthusa?
Hau precisa ajuda
Ke hloka thuso
Hakarak momentu
Emisa motsotso
Hau mós
Ke maswabi
La problema
Ha ho bothata
Parabens
O amohelehile
Parabens ba aniversario
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
Hau haruka viagen diak
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?(ke kae seteishene sa terene)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
Ke kae borai?(ke kae borai)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(ke sehlopha sefe)
Hora ne'e sai?
Nako e kae e tlohang?(nako e kae e tlohang)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?(na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng)
Iha ne'e perto
E haufi le mona(e haufi le mona)
Iha ne'e laran
E hole le mona(e hole le mona)
Kona ba mapa?
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?(o ka mpontša ka mapeng)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
Emisa mona, ka kopo(emisa mona, ka kopo)
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?
Se kostang hakaale?(se kostang hakaale)
Esa mak baratu demais.
Seo ke se theko e phahameng(seo ke se theko e phahameng)
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?(na le na le eng e theko e tlase)
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
Na nka lefa ka kharete?(na nka lefa ka kharete)
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli(ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)
Fatu, por favor.
Bille, ka kopo(bille, ka kopo)
Servisu iha ka?
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?(na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)
Hau vegetarian.
Ke moithuti oa meroho(ke moithuti oa meroho)
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo(tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)
Esa mak saboru.
Se monate(se monate)
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?(na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)
Kopa agua, por favor.
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.
Liga ba polícia
Calla mapolesa
Liga ba ambulansia
Calla ambulance
Hau precisa doutor
Ke hloka ngaka
Hau sente sick
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
Hau iha alergia ba karu
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
Hospital e haufi e kae?
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
Ho bohloko mona
Hau hasai passport
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?
Help!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
Ke thabile ho kopana le uena
Kita halo reunião
A re etse kopano
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
Na re ka bua ka moso?
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
Hau sei volta ba ita
A ke tle ke u boele
Prazo mak sexta-feira
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.