Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. Each entry shows the Sesotho spelling, the English meaning, and a respelling with the stressed syllable in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.
First words Greet someone and be polite
Lumela Hello Kea leboha Thank you O amoheletswe Welcome Sala hantle Goodbye E Yes Che No Ka kopo Please Ntshwarele Sorry Meeting people Introduce yourself and ask how someone is
Lebitso laka ke Amara My name is Amara Lebitso laheno ke mang? What is your name? O phela joang? How are you? Ke phela hantle I am fine Metsi Water Dijo Food Motswalle Friend Ntlo House Counting Numbers one to five and shopping at the market
Ngwe One Peli Two Tharo Three Nne Four Hlano Five Ke bokae? How much is it? Mmaraka Market Metsi Water Chelete Money Questions people ask about Sesotho Is Sesotho hard to learn? Lesotho and South African spelling conventions differ slightly. Written with many separate short words, unlike the Nguni languages. Greeting properly before any request is expected, not optional. Where is Sesotho spoken? Lesotho and South Africa — around 8 million. Writing system: Latin alphabet.
Can I learn Sesotho for free? Yes. This phrasebook is free to read, and SemaSoma gives you the first three units of the course plus 15 translations a day before anything is paid.