Looking for practical Tswana to Acholi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Acholi translation (Acholi) — 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 Acholi.
Tip: pick five Acholi 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 Tswana to Acholi 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.
Dumela
Ayo(ah-yo)
Ke a leboga
Naki(nah-kee)
Dumelang
Bok moti(bok mo-tee)
Dumela mo afternoon
Bok nongo(bok non-go)
Dumela mo evening
Bok obedo(bok oh-beh-do)
Borai
Bok ngat(bok ngat)
Tsamaya sentle
Tye kany(tye kan-yee)
Tsamaya sentle
Itye(ee-tye)
O na le leina mang?
Iti ma ineno?(ee-tee mah ee-neh-no)
Leina la me ke John
Ineno John(ee-neh-no John)
O kae?
Iti ma inyo?(ee-tee mah een-yo)
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Gat ma inyo(gaht mah een-yo)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
Itye konyo English?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nye konyo Hindi kanyim.
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Nye neno.
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Nye konyo tye kanyim.
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Itye konyo tye kanyim?
Borai bo kae?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
Nye konyo kanyim ku city center?
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Konyo kuc.
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Konyo kuc.
Tswelela ka fao
Tye kanyim.
Gaeletsi e bokae?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
One ticket, please.
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Iti kanyim kanyim?
Ke a latlhela
Nye konyo.
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Iti kanyim ngat SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Aye
Nnyaa
Bila
Mafoko
Kweyo
Ke a dumela
Ng'ato konyo
Ke sitwa go dumela
Ng'ato konyo ni
Seo se utlwisa molemo
Okwero kany
O akanya eng?
Ika kany?
O ka nthusa?
Ikwok kany?
Ke tlhoka thuso
Ng'ato konyo kany
Emisa motsotso
Tye kany
Ke maswabi
Ng'ato konyo
Ga go na bothata
Bila kany
A re amogele
Tye kany
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Aye konyo
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Tye kany ma ng'ato
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
Atye kany kwo?(Atye kany kwo?)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
Atye kany bura?(Atye kany bura?)
Ke phetogo efe?
Kati onyo kwo?(Kati onyo kwo?)
Nako efe e tlogang?
Nye kwo nongo?(Nye kwo nongo?)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
Kik kwo gwen?(Kik kwo gwen?)
E kgaogang fa
Okwang kany ici(Okwang kany ici)
E le kgakala le fa
Okwang kany piny(Okwang kany piny)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
Nye konyo i map?(Nye konyo i map?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Doko ici, pe?(Doko ici, pe?)
E tsaya nako e kae?
Nye kwo ngat?(Nye kwo ngat?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Nye keken me?(Nye keken me?)
Seo ke se expensive
Okwero keken(Okwero keken)
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?
Itye keken me?(Itye keken me?)
Na nka lefa ka khadi?
Nye konyo kadi?(Nye konyo kadi?)
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi
Nye tye kany kwo(Nye tye kany kwo)
Bille, tsweetswee
Kaka, nyinga(Kaka, nyinga)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Kati kany me?(Kati kany me?)
Ke movegetarian
Nye konyo wot(Nye konyo wot)
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee
Kati wot kany, nyinga(Kati wot kany, nyinga)
Se ke se monate
Iti kany(Iti kany)
Na nka nna le menu?
Nye konyo kadi me?(Nye konyo kadi me?)
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee
Kadi me kic, nyinga(Kadi me kic, nyinga)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Bua le mapolesa
Yat ma police
Bua le ambulance
Yat ma ambulance
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Nye konyo doctor
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Nye konyo wot
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Nye konyo kany kic
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Kati ki hospital ma kany?
Go botlhoko fa
Okwero ineno
Ke sitwa passport ya me
Nye tye konyo passport
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
Okwero yat ma hotel amoni?
Thusa!
Yat!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Nye kany me(Nye kany me)
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Dano kany oting(Dano kany oting)
Nako efe e go thusang?
Nye kany ma kany?(Nye kany ma kany?)
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Ngatye kany report kany(Ngatye kany report kany)
A re ka bua ka borai?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Nye kany ma file kany(Nye kany ma file kany)
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Atye kany ma kany(Atye kany ma kany)
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Nye kany ma kany kany(Nye kany ma kany kany)
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
A ke boele go wena
Dano kany ma kany(Dano kany ma kany)
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Kany kany Friday(Kany kany Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.