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Common Tswana to Lingala phrases

100 practical Tswana to Lingala phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

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Looking for practical Tswana to Lingala phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Lingala translation (Lingala) — 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 Lingala.

Tip: read the Lingala line out loud three times, then cover the Tswana side and try to recall the meaning — repetition builds memory faster than silent reading.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tswana to Lingala 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.

  1. Dumela

    Mbote

  2. Ke a leboga

    Melesi

  3. Dumelang

    Mbote na ntango ya mokolo

  4. Dumela mo afternoon

    Mbote na ntango ya midi

  5. Dumela mo evening

    Mbote na ntango ya soir

  6. Borai

    Malamu na butu

  7. Tsamaya sentle

    Tala yo nsima

  8. Tsamaya sentle

    Kende malamu

  9. O na le leina mang?

    Nkombo na yo nani?

  10. Leina la me ke John

    Nkombo na ngai ezali John

  11. O kae?

    Ozalaki malamu?

  12. Ke itumetse go kopana le wena

    Nayoki malamu na yo

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. A o bua Seisemane?

    Ozali koloba lingala? (ozali koloba lingala)

  2. Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle

    Nasalaka hindi malamu te (nasalaka hindi malamu te)

  3. Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya

    Nalingi te (nalingi te)

  4. Tsweetswee bua ka bonako

    S'il vous plaît, koloba butu (koloba butu)

  5. A o ka bo o bua seo gape?

    Okoki koloba yango lisusu? (okoki koloba yango lisusu)

  6. Borai bo kae?

    Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi? (bato ya nzoto)

  7. Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?

    Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre? (nakokende na centre)

  8. Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona

    Tika na mobali (tika na mobali)

  9. Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng

    Tika na mwasi (tika na mwasi)

  10. Tswelela ka fao

    Kende na ntango (kende na ntango)

  11. Gaeletsi e bokae?

    Mbala nini ezali? (mbala nini)

  12. Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee

    Billet moko, s'il vous plaît (billet moko)

  13. A ke kgole go tswa fano?

    Ezali na esika ya mbali? (ezali na esika ya mbali)

  14. Ke a latlhela

    Nazali na esika ya mabe (nazali na esika ya mabe)

  15. Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?

    Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card? (nakokota SIM card)

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Ee

    Oyo

  2. Nnyaa

    Te

  3. Mafoko

    Soki

  4. Ke a dumela

    Nalingi

  5. Ke sitwa go dumela

    Nalingi te

  6. Seo se utlwisa molemo

    Eza malamu

  7. O akanya eng?

    Oyo olingi nini?

  8. O ka nthusa?

    Okoki kosalisa ngai?

  9. Ke tlhoka thuso

    Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa

  10. Emisa motsotso

    Sunga moke

  11. Ke maswabi

    Nasalaki mabe

  12. Ga go na bothata

    Nani azali na problème

  13. A re amogele

    Mokolo malamu

  14. Tlhogomelo e e monate

    Mokolo ya mbotama malamu

  15. O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong

    Zala na nzela ya malamu

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Ke kae borai jwa terene?

    Eko zali wapi? (Eko zali wapi?)

  2. Ke kae borai jwa boso?

    Eko zali wapi na bis? (ke kae borai jwa boso)

  3. Ke phetogo efe?

    Eko zali na esika nini? (ke phetogo efe)

  4. Nako efe e tlogang?

    Ekozanga na ntango nini? (nako efe e tlogang)

  5. A ke tsela e e siameng?

    Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu? (a ke tsela e e siameng)

  6. E kgaogang fa

    Ezali pene awa. (e kgaogang fa)

  7. E le kgakala le fa

    Ezali mbali awa. (e le kgakala le fa)

  8. O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?

    Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape? (o ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape)

  9. Emisa fa, tsweetswee

    Tika awa, s'il vous plaît. (emisa fa, tsweetswee)

  10. E tsaya nako e kae?

    Ekozala ntango nini? (e tsaya nako e kae)

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. Ke bokae?

    Mbongo ya yango eza nini? (ke bo kae?)

  2. Seo ke se expensive

    Yango eza mabe na mbongo. (se ke se expensive)

  3. A o na le sengwe se se cheap?

    Ozali na makambo mosusu ya mbongo moke? (a o na le sengwe se se cheap?)

  4. Na nka lefa ka khadi?

    Nalingi kobonga na carte? (na nka lefa ka khadi?)

  5. Ke kopa tafole ya babedi

    Nalingi meka mpo na mibale. (ke kopa tafole ya babedi)

  6. Bille, tsweetswee

    Liyangani, s'il vous plaît. (bille, tsweetswee)

  7. Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?

    Service eza na kati? (na tshebeletso e akaretswe?)

  8. Ke movegetarian

    Nazali mvegetarian. (ke mo vegetarian)

  9. A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee

    Bokoya biloko ya mabe, s'il vous plaît. (a re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee)

  10. Se ke se monate

    Yango ezali malamu. (se ke se monate)

  11. Na nka nna le menu?

    Nalingi menu, s'il vous plaît. (na nka nna le menu?)

  12. Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee

    Leki ya mayi, s'il vous plaît. (glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee)

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. Bua le mapolesa

    Tindá polisi

  2. Bua le ambulance

    Tindá ambulance

  3. Ke tlhoka ngaka

    Nalingi médecin

  4. Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa

    Nazali na maladi

  5. Ke na le allergy go peanuts

    Nazali na allergie na mbala

  6. Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?

    Hospital ya liboso ezali wapi?

  7. Go botlhoko fa

    Ezalaka na nse awa

  8. Ke sitwa passport ya me

    Nazwi passport na ngai

  9. O ka bua le hotele ya me?

    Okoki kotinda hôtel na ngai?

  10. Thusa!

    S.O.S!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Ke itumetse go kopana le wena

    Nasepeli na yo

  2. A re beye ngwaga ya kopano

    Tika tozala na mitema

  3. Nako efe e go thusang?

    Ngai nalobi ntango nini ekozala malamu na yo?

  4. Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno

    Naboya raport lelo

  5. A re ka bua ka borai?

    Tango tozali na mposo?

  6. Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang

    S'il vous plaît, tala fichier oyo ezali na nzela

  7. Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago

    Mersi mpo na ntango na yo

  8. Ke itumelela go dira le wena

    Nasalela yo na mosala

  9. A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?

    Okoki kosala likambo yango malamu?

  10. A ke boele go wena

    Napesi yo nzela

  11. Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano

    Mokolo ya kokanga ezali Vendredi

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Ke neng?

    Nini tango ezali? (ni-ni tan-go e-za-li)

  2. Ke borai

    Ezali ntango ya misato (e-za-li n-tan-go ya mi-sa-to)

  3. Gompieno

    Lelo

  4. Borai

    Bokoko

  5. Maabane

    Kaka

  6. Mošupologo

    Lundi

  7. Labobedi

    Mardi

  8. Labone

    Mercredi

  9. Ngwaga

    Moko

  10. Beke

    Mbala

  11. Borai

    Misato

  12. Lesome

    Libwa

  13. Bolekane

    Sankuru

  14. Sephiri

    Bato

  15. Go feta

    Soki

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