Looking for practical Tongan to Tswana phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tongan phrase first, then the Tswana translation (Tswana) — 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 Tswana.
Tip: pick five Tswana phrases from the greetings section and use them in a real message today. Small daily practice beats cramming before a trip.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tongan to Tswana 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
Dumela mo afternoon
Mālō e lelei
Dumela mo evening
Nofo ā
Borai
Tōfā
Tsamaya sentle
Tōfā
Tsamaya sentle
Ko e hā ho hingoa?
O na le leina mang?
Ko hoku hingoa ko John
Leina la me ke John
Ofa atu?
O kae?
Faka'apa'apa kiate koe
Ke itumetse 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?
A 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 tlhaloganya(Oe te u 'ikai ma'u)
Fakamolemole talanoa ha feitu'u
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako(Fakamolemole talanoa ha feitu'u)
Kuo 'i ai e ke talanoa 'o e toe?
A o ka bo o bua seo 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 tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?(E fa'ahinga e u 'alu ki he tu'a o e kolo?)
Fakafoki ki he kolo
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona(Fakafoki ki he kolo)
Fakafoki ki he 'akau
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng(Fakafoki ki he 'akau)
Alu 'o e 'alu
Tswelela ka fao(Alu 'o e 'alu)
E hā e totongi?
Gaeletsi e bokae?(E hā e totongi?)
Tiketí 'e taha, fakamolemole
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee(Tiketí 'e taha, fakamolemole)
Oku 'i ai e 'i he 'i he 'a e fanga?
A ke kgole go tswa fano?(Oku 'i ai e 'i he 'i he 'a e fanga?)
Oku ou 'i ma'u
Ke a latlhela(Oku ou 'i ma'u)
Ko e fea 'oku ou ma'u e SIM card?
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang 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
Nnyaa
Māfai
Mafoko
Oku ou ʻilo
Ke a dumela
Oku ou ʻikai ʻilo
Ke sitwa go dumela
Oku lelei ia
Seo se utlwisa molemo
Ko e hā hoʻu manatu?
O akanya eng?
Te u ʻofa mai?
O ka nthusa?
Oku ou fiemaʻu ʻofa
Ke tlhoka thuso
Fakamolemole
Emisa motsotso
Oku ou fakamolemole
Ke maswabi
Ikai ha palopalema
Ga go na bothata
Fakaʻapaʻapa
A re amogele
Mālō e lelei ki he ʻaho mate
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Fakaʻaongaʻi lelei
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ko fea e falemai?
Ke kae borai jwa terene?(ke kae borai jwa terene)
Ko fea e nofoa bus?
Ke kae borai jwa boso?(ke kae borai jwa boso)
Ko e feheia e pātala?
Ke phetogo efe?(ke phetogo efe)
He taimi fē e 'alu ai?
Nako efe e tlogang?(nako efe e tlogang)
Ko e ala lelei 'eni?
A ke tsela e e siameng?(a ke tsela e e siameng)
Ko ia 'i he vaha'a ni
E kgaogang fa(e kgaogang fa)
Ko ia 'i he tu'a
E le kgakala le fa(e le kgakala le fa)
Oka e faka'ali'ali mai kiate au 'i he mapa?
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?(o ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape)
Tū 'i he 'aiga, kataki
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E taha e taimi?
E tsaya nako e kae?(e tsaya 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 kae?)
Ko ia, e lahi loā
Seo ke se expensive(se ke se expensive)
Ofa mai ha meʻakai e ngāue?
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?(a o na le sengwe se se cheap?)
E mafai au ke totongi e pātu?
Na nka lefa ka khadi?(na nka lefa ka khadi?)
Ofa atu au ke he meʻakai e tolu
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi(ke kopa tafole ya babedi)
Te fua, kataki
Bille, tsweetswee(bille, tsweetswee)
E aofia ai te ngāue?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tshebeletso e akaretswe?)
O au ko e meʻakai
Ke movegetarian(ke mo vegetarian)
Kātoa ʻa e meʻakai ʻālohi, kataki
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee(a re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee)
Ko ʻeni, e lelei
Se ke se monate(se ke se monate)
E mafai au ke maʻu e meʻakai?
Na nka nna le menu?(na nka nna le menu?)
Ha ipu vai, kataki
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee(glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Tū mai e polisi
Bua le mapolesa
Tū mai e ambulance
Bua le ambulance
Ofa mai e fomaʻi
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Oku ou fehi
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Oku ou maʻu e fakamātoato ki e pīnati
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Ko e fea e hōspitali lahi?
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Oku ʻi ai e ʻā
Go botlhoko fa
Naʻe ou fā e pāsipoti
Ke sitwa passport ya me
Te ke tū mai e hoteli ko hoku?
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
Fakamolemole!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Mālō e lelei
Ke itumetse 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 thusang?
Te u fa'ahinga e lipooti 'i he 'aho ni
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Tēnā mafai ta talanoa 'i he 'aho 'apongipongi?
A re ka bua ka borai?
Kātoa e faile 'oku fakafā
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Mālō 'aupito kiate koe
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Te u fie ma'u ke ngāue mo koe
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Kātoa e mafai ke ke fakakaukau 'a e konga 'o ia?
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
Tēnā e 'alu au kiate koe
A ke boele go wena
Ko e ta'u 'o e ngāue ko e Falaite
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.