Looking for practical Tswana to Kiga phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Kiga translation (Kiga) — 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 Kiga.
Tip: when a Kiga phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Tswana 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 Tswana to Kiga 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
Okwagala
Ke a leboga
Webale
Dumelang
Osiibye bulungi
Dumela mo afternoon
Osiibye bulungi
Dumela mo evening
Osiibye bulungi
Borai
Osiibye bulungi
Tsamaya sentle
Tugenda okukutana
Tsamaya sentle
Nkwagala
O na le leina mang?
Erinnya lyo ani?
Leina la me ke John
Erinnya lyange nze John
O kae?
Oli otya?
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Nneebwanga okukuyita
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
Oli muwandiika kiingereza?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Sikuwandiika Hindi bulungi.
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Sikuganya.
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Nkwenda okwandiika bulungi.
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Osobola okuwandiika ekyo na?
Borai bo kae?
Ekitanda kiki?
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
Nkwenda otya mu kiti?
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Genda ku kkono.
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Genda ku ddyo.
Tswelela ka fao
Genda mu maaso.
Gaeletsi e bokae?
Ekitundu kiki?
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Ekitanda emu, nyamba.
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Kiki ekitundu okuva wano?
Ke a latlhela
Ndi mu kwegendereza.
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Nkwenda kutuuka wa SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Eee
Nnyaa
Oya
Mafoko
Wali
Ke a dumela
Ndiinze
Ke sitwa go dumela
Sindiinze
Seo se utlwisa molemo
Ekitanga kiza
O akanya eng?
Oteka ki?
O ka nthusa?
Okwetegera?
Ke tlhoka thuso
Nfuna okwetegera
Emisa motsotso
Leka akaseke
Ke maswabi
Ndi mwefwe
Ga go na bothata
Tera kintu
A re amogele
Nkwagala
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Okwagala omwaka omukya
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Okwetegera mu nsi
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
Eri heza y'ekitabo?(Eri heza y'ekitabo?)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
Eri heza y'ekibuga?(Eri heza y'ekibuga?)
Ke phetogo efe?
Ekiyungiriro ki?(Ekiyungiriro ki?)
Nako efe e tlogang?
Ekitonde ki?(Ekitonde ki?)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
Oni omukono ogw'ekirungi?(Oni omukono ogw'ekirungi?)
E kgaogang fa
Eri wansi wano(Eri wansi wano)
E le kgakala le fa
Eri kure wano(Eri kure wano)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
Oyinza okundabira ku karita?(Oyinza okundabira ku karita?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Mugume wano, nyabo(Mugume wano, nyabo)
E tsaya nako e kae?
Ekitanga ki?(Ekitanga ki?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Ekitanga ki?(ekitanga ki)
Seo ke se expensive
Ekitanga ky'ekikula(ekitanga ky'ekikula)
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?
Oli n'ekintu ekirungi?(oli n'ekintu ekirungi)
Na nka lefa ka khadi?
Nkwenda okwekwasa ku kadi?(nkwenda okwekwasa ku kadi)
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi
Nkwenda akatabo ku b'abiri(nkwenda akatabo ku b'abiri)