Looking for practical Tiv to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tiv 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 Tiv 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 Tiv 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.
Mgbakpa
Dumela
Ior na
Ke a leboga
Mgbakpa u sha
Dumelang
Mgbakpa u kpa
Mokhutsong o motle
Mgbakpa u ter
Mokhutsong o motle
Mgbakpa u ter sha
Borai bo botle
Kpa a joo
Tsamaya sentle
Ior a joo
Siyabonga
Ior m ngu?
O na le leina lefe?
M ngu John
Leina la ka ke John
Ior m nande?
O kae?
Ior m nande a joo
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
I kpa English?
Na o bua Seisemane?
M nahan Hindi nahan.
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
M nahan usha.
Ke sitwa go kwele
M nahan usha kpa.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
I kpa a sha?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
I we a joo?
Borai bo kae?
Nenge a kpa a city center?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Kpa a joo.
Fetola go le letšatši
Kpa a nahan.
Fetola go le letona
Kpa a sha.
Ya ka pela
Nenge a kpa a fare?
Phetho ke bokae?
I kpa a ticket, please.
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
I we a nahan a nahan?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
M nahan sha.
Ke sitwa go etse
I we a kpa a SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Ee
Naa
Aowa
Iye
Mohlomong
M na a kpa
Ke a dumela
M na a kpa nahan
Ke sitwa go dumela
I kpa a kpa
Seo se utlwa sentle
U kpa a nahan?
O nagana eng?
U kpa m nahan?
O ka nthusa?
M na a kpa nahan
Ke hloka thuso
Kpa a kpa
Emela nako
M na a kpa
Ke maswabi
Naa a kpa
Ga go na bothata
I kpa a kpa
Dumelang
A kpa a kpa
Tlhogong e monate
U kpa a kpa
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ior a kpa?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Ior a nyam?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ior a gande?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Nenge a kpa?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Ior a nenge a?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
I na kpa a.
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
I na kpa a kpa.
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
I ma ior a gande?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Kpa a, please.
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
Nenge a kpa?
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.
Ior kwagh nahan?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Ior u kpa a kpa
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Ior m ngu u kpa?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Ior m gban a card?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
A doo a table m ngu a yô
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Ior a bill, please
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Ior a service m nahan?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
A m vegetarian
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
A m nahan a spicy food
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Ior a kpa
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Ior m gban a menu?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
A glass a water, please
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.
Kpa a police
B calla mapolesa
Kpa a ambulance
B calla ambulance
M ba a doctor
Ke hloka ngaka
M kpa a kpa
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
M kpa a nyam
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
I kpa a hospital mza?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
I kpa a sha
Go a bohloko fa
M kpa a passport m
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
I kpa a hotel m?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Kpa!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ior u kpa.
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Ka a hia ikyô.
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Nî kpa u kpa?
Nako efe e go kgonang?
M gbanor u kpe.
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
A hia nî u hia?
A re ka bua ka moso?
M kpa u venge.
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Ior u nenge.
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
M hia u kpa.
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Ior a hia u mba?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Ka m hia u.
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Ikyô u kpa a Friday.
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.