Looking for practical Tswana to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana 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: read the Mam 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 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.
Dumela
Xo'j(sho'j)
Ke a leboga
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Dumelang
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Dumela mo afternoon
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Dumela mo evening
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Borai
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Tsamaya sentle
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Tsamaya sentle
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
O na le leina mang?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Leina la me ke John
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
O kae?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Borai bo kae?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
K'utun k'ux.
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
K'utun k'ux.
Tswelela ka fao
K'utun k'ux.
Gaeletsi e bokae?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Ke a latlhela
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Juj(hoo)
Nnyaa
Man(mah)
Mafoko
K'ux(k'ush)
Ke a dumela
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Ke sitwa go dumela
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Seo se utlwisa molemo
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
O akanya eng?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
O ka nthusa?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Ke tlhoka thuso
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Emisa motsotso
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Ke maswabi
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Ga go na bothata
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
A re amogele
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Tlhogomelo e e monate
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
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.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?(ke kae borai jwa terene)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?(ke kae borai jwa boso)
Ke phetogo efe?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?(ke phetogo efe)
Nako efe e tlogang?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?(nako efe e tlogang)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?(a ke tsela e e siameng)
E kgaogang fa
Ri k'ut pa ri.(e kgaogang fa)
E le kgakala le fa
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.(e le kgakala le fa)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?(o ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?(emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E tsaya nako e kae?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?(e tsaya nako e kae)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.