Looking for practical Tsonga to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tsonga phrase first, then the Mam translation (Mam) — 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 Mam.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Mam-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tsonga to Mam 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.
Xewani
Xo'j(sho'j)
Ndza khensa
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Xewani xitulu
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Xewani ntlhanu
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Xewani nhloko
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Xewani xihlayo
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Tshamisa
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Sala kahle
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
U vitaniwani?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Ndzina i John
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
U njhani?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Ku rhandza ku hlangana na wena
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
U vulavula Xitsonga?
¿K'ax k'utun English?
A ndzi vulavula Hindi kahle.
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
A ndzi twisisi.
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Ndza kombela u vulavula hi ku hatlisa.
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
U nga vula sweswo na ku tlhela?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Xikombiso xihi?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Ndza famba njhani ku ya etikweni?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Khandziya ekhaya.
K'utun k'ux.
Khandziya ekunene.
K'utun k'ux.
Famba u ya emahlweni.
K'utun k'ux.
Mafambiselo ma yini?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Nhlamulo imwe, ndza kombela.
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
I yini ku tlula kona?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Ndzi khomiwe.
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Xina ndzi nga teka SIM card?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Inhlawulo
Juj(hoo)
A hi kona
Man(mah)
Swi nga va tano
K'ux(k'ush)
Ndzi amukela
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Ndzi nga amukeli
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Iku na switlhavelo
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
U ehleketa yini?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
U nga ndzi pfuna?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Ndzi lava mpfuno
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Hlayisa nkarhi
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Ndzi tsundzuka
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
A hi na xiphiqo
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
Ndzakuva
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Mavongele yo tsakela
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
U va na ndlela yo olova
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ku wihi xitlhavelo xa mabhazi?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
Ku wihi xitlhavelo xa mabhazi?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
I platform yihi?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
I nkarhi muni yi hamba?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
I ndlela leyi nga right?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
I kona edzongeni.
Ri k'ut pa ri.
I le n'hweti.
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
U nga ndzi kombisa eka mappu?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
Tshika lapha, ndza kombela.
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
I nkarhi muni ku taka?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.