Looking for practical Tongan to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tongan 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 Tongan 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 Tongan 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.
Mālō
Dumela
Mālō
Ke a leboga
Mālō e lelei
Dumelang
Mālō e lelei
Mokhutsong o motle
Mālō e lelei
Mokhutsong o motle
Nofo ā
Borai bo botle
Tōfā
Tsamaya sentle
Tōfā
Siyabonga
Ko e hā ho hingoa?
O na le leina lefe?
Ko hoku hingoa ko John
Leina la ka ke John
Ofa atu?
O kae?
Faka'apa'apa kiate koe
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Oe te u talanoa i te Galuega?
Na o bua Seisemane?(Oe te u talanoa i te Galuega?)
Oe te u 'ikai talanoa lelei i te Hindi
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle(Oe te u 'ikai talanoa lelei i te Hindi)
Oe te u 'ikai ma'u
Ke sitwa go kwele(Oe te u 'ikai ma'u)
Fakamolemole talanoa ha feitu'u
Tsweetswee bua ka borai(Fakamolemole talanoa ha feitu'u)
Kuo 'i ai e ke talanoa 'o e toe?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?(Kuo 'i ai e ke talanoa 'o e toe?)
Ko e fea 'oku 'i ai e fanga?
Borai bo kae?(Ko e fea 'oku 'i ai e fanga?)
E fa'ahinga e u 'alu ki he tu'a o e kolo?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?(E fa'ahinga e u 'alu ki he tu'a o e kolo?)
Fakafoki ki he kolo
Fetola go le letšatši(Fakafoki ki he kolo)
Fakafoki ki he 'akau
Fetola go le letona(Fakafoki ki he 'akau)
Alu 'o e 'alu
Ya ka pela(Alu 'o e 'alu)
E hā e totongi?
Phetho ke bokae?(E hā e totongi?)
Tiketí 'e taha, fakamolemole
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee(Tiketí 'e taha, fakamolemole)
Oku 'i ai e 'i he 'i he 'a e fanga?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?(Oku 'i ai e 'i he 'i he 'a e fanga?)
Oku ou 'i ma'u
Ke sitwa go etse(Oku ou 'i ma'u)
Ko e fea 'oku ou ma'u e SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?(Ko e fea 'oku ou ma'u e SIM card?)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Āe
Ee
Ikai
Aowa
Māfai
Mohlomong
Oku ou ʻilo
Ke a dumela
Oku ou ʻikai ʻilo
Ke sitwa go dumela
Oku lelei ia
Seo se utlwa sentle
Ko e hā hoʻu manatu?
O nagana eng?
Te u ʻofa mai?
O ka nthusa?
Oku ou fiemaʻu ʻofa
Ke hloka thuso
Fakamolemole
Emela nako
Oku ou fakamolemole
Ke maswabi
Ikai ha palopalema
Ga go na bothata
Fakaʻapaʻapa
Dumelang
Mālō e lelei ki he ʻaho mate
Tlhogong e monate
Fakaʻaongaʻi lelei
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ko fea e falemai?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Ko fea e nofoa bus?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ko e feheia e pātala?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
He taimi fē e 'alu ai?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
Ko e ala lelei 'eni?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
Ko ia 'i he vaha'a ni
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
Ko ia 'i he tu'a
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
Oka e faka'ali'ali mai kiate au 'i he mapa?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Tū 'i he 'aiga, kataki
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E taha e taimi?
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.
Ehia te fua o kēia?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Ko ia, e lahi loā
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
Ofa mai ha meʻakai e ngāue?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
E mafai au ke totongi e pātu?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ofa atu au ke he meʻakai e tolu
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Te fua, kataki
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
E aofia ai te ngāue?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
O au ko e meʻakai
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Kātoa ʻa e meʻakai ʻālohi, kataki
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Ko ʻeni, e lelei
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
E mafai au ke maʻu e meʻakai?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Ha ipu vai, kataki
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.
Tū mai e polisi
B calla mapolesa
Tū mai e ambulance
B calla ambulance
Ofa mai e fomaʻi
Ke hloka ngaka
Oku ou fehi
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Oku ou maʻu e fakamātoato ki e pīnati
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Ko e fea e hōspitali lahi?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Oku ʻi ai e ʻā
Go a bohloko fa
Naʻe ou fā e pāsipoti
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Te ke tū mai e hoteli ko hoku?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Fakamolemole!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Mālō e lelei
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Tōmua ta seti ha fakataha
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Ko e hā e taimi e lelei kiate koe?
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Te u fa'ahinga e lipooti 'i he 'aho ni
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Tēnā mafai ta talanoa 'i he 'aho 'apongipongi?
A re ka bua ka moso?
Kātoa e faile 'oku fakafā
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Mālō 'aupito kiate koe
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Te u fie ma'u ke ngāue mo koe
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Kātoa e mafai ke ke fakakaukau 'a e konga 'o ia?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Tēnā e 'alu au kiate koe
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Ko e ta'u 'o e ngāue ko e Falaite
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.