Looking for practical Tswana to Sepedi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Sepedi translation (Sepedi) — 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 Sepedi.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Sepedi-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tswana to Sepedi 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
Dumela
Ke a leboga
Ke a leboga
Dumelang
Dumelang
Dumela mo afternoon
Mokhutsong o motle
Dumela mo evening
Mokhutsong o motle
Borai
Borai bo botle
Tsamaya sentle
Tsamaya sentle
Tsamaya sentle
Siyabonga
O na le leina mang?
O na le leina lefe?
Leina la me ke John
Leina la ka ke John
O kae?
O kae?
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
Na o bua Seisemane?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Ke sitwa go kwele
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Borai bo kae?
Borai bo kae?
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Fetola go le letšatši
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Fetola go le letona
Tswelela ka fao
Ya ka pela
Gaeletsi e bokae?
Phetho ke bokae?
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Ke a latlhela
Ke sitwa go etse
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Ee
Nnyaa
Aowa
Mafoko
Mohlomong
Ke a dumela
Ke a dumela
Ke sitwa go dumela
Ke sitwa go dumela
Seo se utlwisa molemo
Seo se utlwa sentle
O akanya eng?
O nagana eng?
O ka nthusa?
O ka nthusa?
Ke tlhoka thuso
Ke hloka thuso
Emisa motsotso
Emela nako
Ke maswabi
Ke maswabi
Ga go na bothata
Ga go na bothata
A re amogele
Dumelang
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Tlhogong e monate
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?(Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?(Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?)
Ke phetogo efe?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(Ke sehlopha sefe?)
Nako efe e tlogang?
Nako efe e tlo fofa?(Nako efe e tlo fofa?)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?(A ke tsela e nepahetseng?)
E kgaogang fa
E haufi le fa(E haufi le fa)
E le kgakala le fa
E hole le fa(E hole le fa)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
O ka mpontsha ka mape?(O ka mpontsha ka mape?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Emisa fa, tsweetswee(Emisa fa, tsweetswee)
E tsaya nako e kae?
E nka nako e kae?(E nka nako e kae?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Ke bokae?(ke bo-ka-e)
Seo ke se expensive
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Na nka lefa ka khadi?
Nka lefa ka khadi?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Bille, tsweetswee
Bille, tswarela(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ke movegetarian
Ke movegetarian(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Se ke se monate
Se ke se monate(se ke se mo-na-te)
Na nka nna le menu?
Nka fumana lenaneo?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela(kha-la-se ya me-tsi tswa-re-la)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Bua le mapolesa
B calla mapolesa
Bua le ambulance
B calla ambulance
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Ke hloka ngaka
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Go botlhoko fa
Go a bohloko fa
Ke sitwa passport ya me
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
Thusa!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Nako efe e go thusang?
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
A re ka bua ka borai?
A re ka bua ka moso?
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
A ke boele go wena
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.