Looking for practical Tswana to Maori phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Maori translation (Maori) — 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 Maori.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Maori-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tswana to Maori 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
Kia ora
Ke a leboga
Ngā mihi
Dumelang
Ata mārie
Dumela mo afternoon
Pō mārie
Dumela mo evening
Pō nui
Borai
Nō reira
Tsamaya sentle
Ka kite anō
Tsamaya sentle
Haere rā
O na le leina mang?
Ko wai tō ingoa?
Leina la me ke John
Ko John tōku ingoa
O kae?
Kei te pēhea koe?
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
He pai ki te tūtaki i a koe
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
Ka korero koe i te reo Ingarihi?(kah korero koe ee teh reh-oh ingarihi)
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi(kaore ow ee kah-raw pai ee teh reh-oh hindee)
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Kaore au e mohio(kaore ow ee moh-ee-oh)
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Tena koa korero āta(teh-nah koh-ah kah-raw-oh ah-tah)
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Ka taea e koe te korero ano?(kah tah-eh eh koh-eh teh kah-raw-oh ah-no)
Borai bo kae?
Kei hea te wharepaku?(kay he-ah teh fah-reh-pah-koo)
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
Me pehea au e tae ki te pokapū o te tāone?(meh peh-heh-ah ow eh tie keh teh poh-kah-poo oh teh tah-oh-neh)
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Huri ki mauī(hoo-ree kee mow-ee)
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Huri ki te taha matau(hoo-ree kee teh tah-hah mah-tow)
Tswelela ka fao
Haere tika(high-reh tee-kah)
Gaeletsi e bokae?
E hia te utu?(eh hee-ah teh oo-too)
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Kotahi te tikiti, please(koh-tah-hee teh tee-kee-tee)
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Kei tawhiti mai i konei?(kay tah-whee-tee my ee koh-nay)
Ke a latlhela
Kua ngaro au(koo-ah nah-roh ow)
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Kei hea e taea ai e au te hoko kāri SIM?(kay he-ah eh tah-eh ah-ee eh ow teh hoh-koh kah-ree sim)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Āe
Nnyaa
Kāo
Mafoko
Tērā pea
Ke a dumela
Kei te whakaae au
Ke sitwa go dumela
Kāore au e whakaae
Seo se utlwisa molemo
He pai tēnā
O akanya eng?
He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?
O ka nthusa?
Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?
Ke tlhoka thuso
Kei te hiahia au i te awhina
Emisa motsotso
Tēnā tūrua
Ke maswabi
Aroha mai
Ga go na bothata
Kāore he raru
A re amogele
Ngā mihi
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Hari huritau
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Kia pai te haerenga
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
Kei hea te teihana tereina?(Kei hea te teihana tereina?)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
Kei hea te pooti?(Kei hea te pooti?)
Ke phetogo efe?
Ko wai te papa?(Ko wai te papa?)
Nako efe e tlogang?
He aha te wa e wehe ai?(He aha te wa e wehe ai?)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
Kei te tika tēnei ara?(Kei te tika tēnei ara?)
E kgaogang fa
Kei konei tata mai(Kei konei tata mai)
E le kgakala le fa
Kei tawhiti mai i konei(Kei tawhiti mai i konei)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?(Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Tū mai i konei, koa(Tū mai i konei, koa)
E tsaya nako e kae?
E hia te wā e tango ana?(E hia te wā e tango ana?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
E hia te utu o tēnei?(ehia te utu o tei nei)
Seo ke se expensive
He tino utu tēnā(se ke se expensive)
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?
Kei a koe he mea iti ake?(a o na le sengwe se se cheap?)
Na nka lefa ka khadi?
Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?(na nka lefa ka khadi?)
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi
E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.(ke kopa tafole ya babedi)
Bille, tsweetswee
Tēnā, te rīhi.(bille, tsweetswee)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?(na tshebeletso e akaretswe?)
Ke movegetarian
He veggie ahau.(ke mo vegetarian)
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee
Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.(a re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee)
Se ke se monate
He reka tēnei.(se ke se monate)
Na nka nna le menu?
Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?(na nka nna le menu?)
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee
Tēnā, he karaihe wai.(glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Bua le mapolesa
Karanga ki te pirihimana
Bua le ambulance
Karanga ki te āwhina
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Kei te hiahia au i te rata
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Kei te pāngia au e te mate
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Kei hea te hōhipera tata?
Go botlhoko fa
E mamae ana i konei
Ke sitwa passport ya me
I ngaro taku pasapo
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
Ka taea e koe te karanga ki taku hōtera?
Thusa!
Tautoko!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Ka pai te kite i a koe
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui
Nako efe e go thusang?
He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā
A re ka bua ka borai?
Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Ngā mihi mo tō wā
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?
A ke boele go wena
Me hoki au ki a koe
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Ko te mutunga wā ko te Paraire
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.