Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi: How Close Are the Sotho-Tswana Languages?

Say hello in Maseru and you might hear Lumela. In Gaborone it is Dumela. In Polokwane you could be greeted with Dumelang or, if you are older, a respectful Thobela. Three greetings, three official languages, and one very close family: the Sotho-Tswana languages Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi.

The Sotho-Tswana family

Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi (also called Sesotho sa Leboa or Northern Sotho) all belong to the Sotho-Tswana group of Bantu languages. All three are official languages of South Africa. Sesotho is also a national language of Lesotho, and Setswana of Botswana. Sepedi is spoken mainly in Limpopo, and also in Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Speakers often notice how much they share: similar greetings, similar ways of building a sentence, many related words. They also notice where things split, in vocabulary, in sounds and in spelling.

Same sound, different letters

Here is a detail that confuses learners. The Lesotho greeting Lumela and the South African Sesotho dumela are the same word, said the same way. A 2022 article in HTS Teologiese Studies by Tshokolo Makutoane explains that Lesotho and South Africa use two different spelling systems for Sesotho. In Lesotho spelling you write l before i and u; South African spelling writes d. Both are pronounced alike.

The same article gives other examples. Lesotho spelling writes kh where South African spelling writes kg, so “the cows are grazing” is Likhomo li a fula in Lesotho and Dikgomo di a fula in South Africa. The Lesotho system is the older one, developed by the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, and the first Sesotho Bible, published in 1881, used it. South Africa’s spelling was announced on 1 August 1959.

So when a Setswana speaker writes Dumela and a Mosotho from Lesotho writes Lumela, the gap is smaller than it looks on paper.

The merger that never happened

The same article describes committee meetings in the 1950s where officials discussed “integration” of Sesotho, Sepedi and Setswana into one language, partly so that books and exams could be shared. The idea was strongly opposed, including by language bodies in Lesotho, and it did not go ahead. The author calls the proposal something that could have done “irreparable” damage. Today the three are taught, published and recognised separately.

Words to know

Look at “thank you”. Sesotho has an h where Setswana and Sepedi have a g, and Lesotho spelling joins kea into one word. Small shifts like this run right through the family.

In everyday conversation

Here is the same polite opening in each language, taken from our beginner courses:

• Sesotho: Lumela, ‘Mè. U kae? Hello, ma’am. How are you?
• Setswana: Dumela, mma. O kae? Hello, ma’am. How are you?
• Sepedi: Thobela, tate. A respectful hello to an older man.

Our Sepedi course also notes that the singular Dumela can sound like an order, so Dumelang is the polite choice even with one person.

How close are the Sotho-Tswana languages?

Can speakers understand each other? Often, partly. How much depends on the person, the topic and how much contact they have had with the other language. Treat them as close relatives, not as the same language. If you learn one, the others will feel far less foreign.

Quick facts

• Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi belong to the Sotho-Tswana group of Bantu languages.
• All three are official languages of South Africa.
• Lumela and dumela are the same Sesotho word in two spelling systems, pronounced alike.
• A 1950s proposal to merge the three into one language was opposed and never went ahead.

Frequently asked questions

Are Sesotho and Setswana the same language?

No. They are closely related members of the Sotho-Tswana group and share many words, but they are separate official languages that are taught and published separately.

Why is it Lumela in Lesotho and Dumela in South Africa?

Lesotho and South Africa use different spelling systems for Sesotho. Lesotho spelling writes l before i and u, and South African spelling writes d, but both are pronounced the same.

Can Sepedi speakers understand Sesotho?

Often, partly. How much depends on the person, the topic and how much contact they have had with the other language.

Tell us

If you speak one of these languages, how much of the other two can you follow? Which words trip you up? For the background, read Makutoane’s 2022 article on Sesotho orthography and section 6 of South Africa’s Constitution on official languages. You might also enjoy Why Lesotho’s Flag Has a Mokorotlo Hat in the Middle.

Start with any of the three: Sesotho, Setswana or Sepedi, each with a free 5-minute lesson. Our Sesotho hub and the Sesotho: Complete Language Pack (A1 to C2) take you further, and you can book a trial with a Sesotho tutor to hear the differences for yourself.