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Setswana overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Setswana

25 essential Setswana phrases with pronunciation written out for English speakers. Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. The stressed syllable is in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.

Quick answers

Hello

Dumela

/doo-MEH-la/

Thank you

Ke a leboga

/keh a leh-BO-ga/

Goodbye

Tsamaya sentle

/tsa-MA-ya SEN-tleh/

Yes

Ee

/EH-eh/

No

Nnyaa

/N-nyaa/

Please

Tsweetswee

/tsweh-eh-TSWEH-eh/

Welcome

O amogetswe

/oh a-mo-GEH-tsweh/

Sorry

Intshwarele

/een-chwa-REH-leh/

How are you?

O tsogile jang?

/oh tso-GEE-leh JANG/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • DumelaHello/doo-MEH-la/
  • Ke a lebogaThank you/keh a leh-BO-ga/
  • O amogetsweWelcome/oh a-mo-GEH-tsweh/
  • Tsamaya sentleGoodbye/tsa-MA-ya SEN-tleh/
  • EeYes/EH-eh/
  • NnyaaNo/N-nyaa/
  • TsweetsweePlease/tsweh-eh-TSWEH-eh/
  • IntshwareleSorry/een-chwa-REH-leh/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Leina la me ke AmaraMy name is Amara/LEH-ee-na la meh keh a-MA-ra/
  • Leina la gago ke mang?What is your name?/LEH-ee-na la GA-go keh MANG/
  • O tsogile jang?How are you?/oh tso-GEE-leh JANG/
  • Ke tsogile sentleI am fine/keh tso-GEE-leh SEN-tleh/
  • MetsiWater/MEH-tsee/
  • DijoFood/DEE-jo/
  • TsalaFriend/TSA-la/
  • NtloHouse/N-tloh/

Counting

Numbers one to five and shopping at the market

  • NngweOne/N-ngweh/
  • PediTwo/PEH-dee/
  • TharoThree/TA-ro/
  • NneFour/N-neh/
  • TlhanoFive/TLHA-no/
  • Ke bokae?How much is it?/keh bo-KA-eh/
  • MmarakaMarket/m-ma-RA-ka/
  • MetsiWater/MEH-tsee/
  • MadiMoney/MA-dee/

Questions people ask about Setswana

How do you say "hello" in Setswana?

"Hello" in Setswana is Dumela, pronounced /doo-MEH-la/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Setswana?

"Thank you" in Setswana is Ke a leboga, pronounced /keh a leh-BO-ga/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "how are you?" in Setswana?

"How are you?" in Setswana is O tsogile jang?, pronounced /oh tso-GEE-leh JANG/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Setswana hard to learn?

  • Tone distinguishes otherwise identical words.
  • The g is pronounced as a throaty sound, closer to Scottish loch.
  • Politeness markers attach directly to verbs.

Where is Setswana spoken?

Botswana and South Africa — around 8 million. Writing system: Latin alphabet.

Can I learn Setswana 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.

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