Looking for practical Tswana to Sesotho phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Sesotho translation (Sesotho) — 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 Sesotho.
Tip: read the Sesotho 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 Sesotho 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
Lumelang
Ke a leboga
Kea leboha
Dumelang
Dumelang
Dumela mo afternoon
Molo
Dumela mo evening
Dumelang
Borai
Borai
Tsamaya sentle
Re tla kopana hamorao
Tsamaya sentle
Tsamaya hantle
O na le leina mang?
O na le lebitso lefe?
Leina la me ke John
Lebitso la ka ke John
O kae?
O kae?
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Ke thabela ho kopana le wena
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
Na u bua Senyesemane?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Ke sitwa ho bua Hindi hantle
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Ke sitwa ho utloisisa
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Ka kopo bua butle
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Na u ka boela ua re?
Borai bo kae?
Ntloana e kae?
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
Ke etse joang ho ea bohareng ba toropo?
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Fetola ho ea letsohong
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Fetola ho ea ka ho letona
Tswelela ka fao
Eya ka pela
Gaeletsi e bokae?
Chelete ea sekepe ke e kae?
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Tiket e le 'ngoe, ka kopo
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Na e hole le mona?
Ke a latlhela
Ke lahlehile
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Ke kae moo ke ka rekang kharejamo?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Ee
Nnyaa
Che
Mafoko
Mohlomong
Ke a dumela
Ke lumela
Ke sitwa go dumela
Ke sitwa
Seo se utlwisa molemo
Seo se utloahala hantle
O akanya eng?
O nahana eng?
O ka nthusa?
Na o ka nthusa?
Ke tlhoka thuso
Ke hloka thuso
Emisa motsotso
Emisa motsotso
Ke maswabi
Ke maswabi
Ga go na bothata
Ha ho bothata
A re amogele
O amohelehile
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Letsatsi le monate la tsoalo
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Ebe le tsamaea hantle
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
Ke kae seteishene sa terene?(ke kae seteishene sa terene)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
Ke kae borai?(ke kae borai)
Ke phetogo efe?
Ke sehlopha sefe?(ke sehlopha sefe)
Nako efe e tlogang?
Nako e kae e tlohang?(nako e kae e tlohang)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
Na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng?(na ena ke tsela e nepahetseng)
E kgaogang fa
E haufi le mona(e haufi le mona)
E le kgakala le fa
E hole le mona(e hole le mona)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
O ka mpontša ka mapeng?(o ka mpontša ka mapeng)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Emisa mona, ka kopo(emisa mona, ka kopo)
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?
Se kostang hakaale?(se kostang hakaale)
Seo ke se expensive
Seo ke se theko e phahameng(seo ke se theko e phahameng)
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?
Na le na le eng e theko e tlase?(na le na le eng e theko e tlase)
Na nka lefa ka khadi?
Na nka lefa ka kharete?(na nka lefa ka kharete)
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi
Ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli(ke batla tafole bakeng sa batho ba babeli)
Bille, tsweetswee
Bille, ka kopo(bille, ka kopo)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe?(na ts'ebeletso e kenyelletsoe)
Ke movegetarian
Ke moithuti oa meroho(ke moithuti oa meroho)
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee
Tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo(tse ling tse chesang, ka kopo)
Se ke se monate
Se monate(se monate)
Na nka nna le menu?
Na nka fumana lenane la mealtime?(na nka fumana lenane la mealtime)
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee
Khalase ea metsi, ka kopo(khalase ea metsi, ka kopo)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Bua le mapolesa
Calla mapolesa
Bua le ambulance
Calla ambulance
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Ke hloka ngaka
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Ke ikutloa ke sitwa
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Ke na le allergy ho peanuts
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Hospital e haufi e kae?
Go botlhoko fa
Ho bohloko mona
Ke sitwa passport ya me
Ke lahlehetsoe ke passport
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
Na o ka bitsa hotele ea ka?
Thusa!
Thusa!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Ke thabile ho kopana le uena
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
A re etse kopano
Nako efe e go thusang?
Nako e kae e loketseng uena?
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Ke tla romela rapoto kajeno
A re ka bua ka borai?
Na re ka bua ka moso?
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Ka kopo, fumana faele e amanang
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Kea leboha ka nako ea hau
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Ke lebeletse ho sebetsa le uena
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
Na u ka hlakisa ntlha eo?
A ke boele go wena
A ke tle ke u boele
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Nako e felletseng ke Labohlano
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.