Looking for practical Tswana to Tongan phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tswana phrase first, then the Tongan translation (Tongan) — 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 Tongan.
Tip: when a Tongan phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Tswana wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tswana to Tongan 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
Mālō
Ke a leboga
Mālō
Dumelang
Mālō e lelei
Dumela mo afternoon
Mālō e lelei
Dumela mo evening
Mālō e lelei
Borai
Nofo ā
Tsamaya sentle
Tōfā
Tsamaya sentle
Tōfā
O na le leina mang?
Ko e hā ho hingoa?
Leina la me ke John
Ko hoku hingoa ko John
O kae?
Ofa atu?
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Faka'apa'apa kiate koe
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
A o bua Seisemane?
Oe te u talanoa i te Galuega?(Oe te u talanoa i te Galuega?)
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Oe te u 'ikai talanoa lelei i te Hindi(Oe te u 'ikai talanoa lelei i te Hindi)
Ke sitwa go tlhaloganya
Oe te u 'ikai ma'u(Oe te u 'ikai ma'u)
Tsweetswee bua ka bonako
Fakamolemole talanoa ha feitu'u(Fakamolemole talanoa ha feitu'u)
A o ka bo o bua seo gape?
Kuo 'i ai e ke talanoa 'o e toe?(Kuo 'i ai e ke talanoa 'o e toe?)
Borai bo kae?
Ko e fea 'oku 'i ai e fanga?(Ko e fea 'oku 'i ai e fanga?)
Ke tshela jang go ya borai jwa motse?
E fa'ahinga e u 'alu ki he tu'a o e kolo?(E fa'ahinga e u 'alu ki he tu'a o e kolo?)
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le letona
Fakafoki ki he kolo(Fakafoki ki he kolo)
Fetola go ya ka letlhako le lebaganeng
Fakafoki ki he 'akau(Fakafoki ki he 'akau)
Tswelela ka fao
Alu 'o e 'alu(Alu 'o e 'alu)
Gaeletsi e bokae?
E hā e totongi?(E hā e totongi?)
Tikit e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Tiketí 'e taha, fakamolemole(Tiketí 'e taha, fakamolemole)
A ke kgole go tswa fano?
Oku 'i ai e 'i he 'i he 'a e fanga?(Oku 'i ai e 'i he 'i he 'a e fanga?)
Ke a latlhela
Oku ou 'i ma'u(Oku ou 'i ma'u)
Borai ke ka fao ke ka rekang SIM card?
Ko e fea 'oku ou ma'u e SIM card?(Ko e fea 'oku ou ma'u e SIM card?)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Āe
Nnyaa
Ikai
Mafoko
Māfai
Ke a dumela
Oku ou ʻilo
Ke sitwa go dumela
Oku ou ʻikai ʻilo
Seo se utlwisa molemo
Oku lelei ia
O akanya eng?
Ko e hā hoʻu manatu?
O ka nthusa?
Te u ʻofa mai?
Ke tlhoka thuso
Oku ou fiemaʻu ʻofa
Emisa motsotso
Fakamolemole
Ke maswabi
Oku ou fakamolemole
Ga go na bothata
Ikai ha palopalema
A re amogele
Fakaʻapaʻapa
Tlhogomelo e e monate
Mālō e lelei ki he ʻaho mate
O seka wa tsamaea ka bolokegong
Fakaʻaongaʻi lelei
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae borai jwa terene?
Ko fea e falemai?(ko fea e fale mai)
Ke kae borai jwa boso?
Ko fea e nofoa bus?(ko fea e nofoa bus)
Ke phetogo efe?
Ko e feheia e pātala?(ko e feheia e patala)
Nako efe e tlogang?
He taimi fē e 'alu ai?(he taimi fe e alu ai)
A ke tsela e e siameng?
Ko e ala lelei 'eni?(ko e ala lelei eni)
E kgaogang fa
Ko ia 'i he vaha'a ni(ko ia i he vahaa ni)
E le kgakala le fa
Ko ia 'i he tu'a(ko ia i he tua)
O ka nthusa go bontsha mo mape?
Oka e faka'ali'ali mai kiate au 'i he mapa?(oka e fakaali ali mai kiate au i he mapa)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Tū 'i he 'aiga, kataki(tu i he aiga kataki)
E tsaya nako e kae?
E taha e taimi?(e taha e taimi)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Ehia te fua o kēia?(ehia te fua o kehā)
Seo ke se expensive
Ko ia, e lahi loā(ko ia e lahi loa)
A o na le sengwe se se cheap?
Ofa mai ha meʻakai e ngāue?(ofa mai ha meakai e ngau)
Na nka lefa ka khadi?
E mafai au ke totongi e pātu?(e mafai au ke totongi e patu)
Ke kopa tafole ya babedi
Ofa atu au ke he meʻakai e tolu(ofa atu au ke he meakai e tolu)
Bille, tsweetswee
Te fua, kataki(te fua kataki)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
E aofia ai te ngāue?(e aofia ai te ngau)
Ke movegetarian
O au ko e meʻakai(o au ko e meakai)
A re na le dijo tse di spicy, tsweetswee
Kātoa ʻa e meʻakai ʻālohi, kataki(katoa a e meakai alohi kataki)
Se ke se monate
Ko ʻeni, e lelei(ko eni e lelei)
Na nka nna le menu?
E mafai au ke maʻu e meʻakai?(e mafai au ke mau e meakai)
Glasi ya metsi, tsweetswee
Ha ipu vai, kataki(ha ipu vai kataki)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Bua le mapolesa
Tū mai e polisi
Bua le ambulance
Tū mai e ambulance
Ke tlhoka ngaka
Ofa mai e fomaʻi
Ke ikutlwa ke sitwa
Oku ou fehi
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Oku ou maʻu e fakamātoato ki e pīnati
Hospitale e kgethegileng e kae?
Ko e fea e hōspitali lahi?
Go botlhoko fa
Oku ʻi ai e ʻā
Ke sitwa passport ya me
Naʻe ou fā e pāsipoti
O ka bua le hotele ya me?
Te ke tū mai e hoteli ko hoku?
Thusa!
Fakamolemole!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke itumetse go kopana le wena
Mālō e lelei
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Tōmua ta seti ha fakataha
Nako efe e go thusang?
Ko e hā e taimi e lelei kiate koe?
Ke tla romela reporteng gompieno
Te u fa'ahinga e lipooti 'i he 'aho ni
A re ka bua ka borai?
Tēnā mafai ta talanoa 'i he 'aho 'apongipongi?
Tsweetswee, etse fa faele e amanang
Kātoa e faile 'oku fakafā
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Mālō 'aupito kiate koe
Ke itumelela go dira le wena
Te u fie ma'u ke ngāue mo koe
A o ka tlhalosa ntlha eo?
Kātoa e mafai ke ke fakakaukau 'a e konga 'o ia?
A ke boele go wena
Tēnā e 'alu au kiate koe
Nako ya go fela ke Labohlano
Ko e ta'u 'o e ngāue ko e Falaite
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.