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Learn Sesotho: the words and phrases you'll use first
Sesotho is spoken by 6M+ people in Lesotho Β· South Africa. Start with these 104 everyday phrases, each with a say-it-like guide, checked by native-speaking tutors. Tap Listen to hear 33 of them.
- 104 starter phrases
- 33 to listen to
- 898 in the full Sesotho library
Practise: 20 phrases to know first
0 / 20 knownHow do you say "Hello"?
Lumela
doo-MEH-lah / loo-MEH-lah
How do you say "Peace"?
Khotso
KHOH-tsoh
How do you say "How are you?"?
U kae?
oh KAH-eh
How do you say "I'm fine / I'm here"?
Ke teng
keh TENG
How do you say "We're fine"?
Re teng
reh TENG
How do you say "I'm living well"?
Ke phela hantle
keh PHEH-lah HAHN-tleh
How do you say "Thank you"?
Kea leboha
KEH-ah leh-BOH-ha
How do you say "Thank you very much"?
Kea leboha haholo
keh ah leh-BOH-ha hah-HOH-loh
How do you say "Sorry / excuse me"?
NtΕ‘oarele
n-tshwah-REH-leh
How do you say "Yes / No"?
E / Che
eh / cheh
How do you say "Go well"?
Tsamaea hantle
tsah-MAH-eh-ah HAHN-tleh
How do you say "Stay well"?
Sala hantle
SAH-lah HAHN-tleh
How do you say "Goodbye"?
Sala hantle / Tsamaea hantle
SAH-lah HAHN-tleh / tsah-MAH-eh-ah HAHN-tleh
How do you say "Good night"?
Robala hantle
roh-BAH-lah HAHN-tleh
How do you say "See you later"?
Re tla bonana
reh tlah boh-NAH-nah
How do you say "Sorry"?
NtΕ‘oarele
n-tshwah-REH-leh
How do you say "Excuse me"?
NtΕ‘oarele
n-tshwah-REH-leh
How do you say "Please"?
Ka kopo
How do you say "My name is β¦"?
Lebitso la ka ke β¦
leh-BEE-tso lah kah keh
How do you say "What is your name?"?
Lebitso la hao ke mang?
leh-BEE-tso lah HAH-oh keh MAHNG
You know all 20 first Sesotho phrases
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Greetings & courtesy
- LumelaHellodoo-MEH-lah / loo-MEH-lahβΊ
- KhotsoPeaceKHOH-tsohβΊ
- U kae?How are you?oh KAH-ehβΊ
- Ke tengI'm fine / I'm herekeh TENGβΊ
- Re tengWe're finereh TENGβΊ
- Ke phela hantleI'm living wellkeh PHEH-lah HAHN-tlehβΊ
- Kea lebohaThank youKEH-ah leh-BOH-haβΊ
- Kea leboha haholoThank you very muchkeh ah leh-BOH-ha hah-HOH-lohβΊ
- NtΕ‘oareleSorry / excuse men-tshwah-REH-lehβΊ
- E / CheYes / Noeh / chehβΊ
- Tsamaea hantleGo welltsah-MAH-eh-ah HAHN-tlehβΊ
- Sala hantleStay wellSAH-lah HAHN-tlehβΊ
- Sala hantle / Tsamaea hantleGoodbyeSAH-lah HAHN-tleh / tsah-MAH-eh-ah HAHN-tlehβΊ
- Robala hantleGood nightroh-BAH-lah HAHN-tlehβΊ
- Re tla bonanaSee you laterreh tlah boh-NAH-nahβΊ
- NtΕ‘oareleSorryn-tshwah-REH-lehβΊ
- NtΕ‘oareleExcuse men-tshwah-REH-lehβΊ
- Ka kopoPleaseβΊ
Introducing yourself
- Lebitso la ka ke β¦My name is β¦leh-BEE-tso lah kah kehβΊ
- Lebitso la hao ke mang?What is your name?leh-BEE-tso lah HAH-oh keh MAHNGβΊ
- Ke tsoa β¦I come from β¦keh TSWAHβΊ
- U tsoa kae?Where do you come from?oh tswah KAH-ehβΊ
- Ke lula β¦I live in β¦keh DOO-lahβΊ
- U lula kae?Where do you live?oh DOO-lah KAH-ehβΊ
- Ke ithuta SesothoI am learning Sesothokeh ee-THOO-tah seh-SOO-tooβΊ
- Ke MosothoI am a Mosothokeh moh-SOO-tooβΊ
- Kea utloaI understandKEH-ah OO-tlwahβΊ
- Ha ke utloeI don't understandha keh OO-tlwehβΊ
Speaking like a local
- Ke kopa thusoHelp!keh KOH-pah TOO-sohβΊ
- LumelaHi / hello, to one person. This one word is both the casual and the polite greeting; Lesotho spells it 'lumela', South Africa 'dumela'. To be respectful, add a title or use the plural 'Lumelang', even to one elderloo-MEH-lah (Lesotho) / doo-MEH-lah (SA)βΊ
- KhotsoHey / Peace . More neutral/standard: 'Lumela'KHOH-tso (kh = throaty h)βΊ
- U kae?How's it?oh KAH-ehβΊ
- Ke tengI'm good / I'm herekeh TENGβΊ
- Ke sharpI'm fine / all goodkeh SHARPβΊ
- Kea lebohaThankskeh-ah leh-BOH-hahβΊ
- EeYeah / yesEH-ehβΊ
- CheNope / noCHEHβΊ
- Sharp / Sharp-sharpCool / OK / got itSHARP / SHARP-SHARPβΊ
Numbers
- 'ngoeOneNNGWEHβΊ
- peliTwoPEH-deeβΊ
- tharoThreeTHAH-rohβΊ
- 'neFourNNEHβΊ
- hlanoFiveHLAH-nohβΊ
- tΕ‘elelaSixtsheh-LEH-lahβΊ
- supaSevenSOO-pahβΊ
- robeliEightroh-BEH-deeβΊ
- robongNineroh-BOHNGβΊ
- leshomeTenleh-SHOH-mehβΊ
- leshome le motso o le mongElevenleh-SHOH-meh leh MOH-tso oh leh MOHNGβΊ
- leshome le metso e mehlanoFifteenleh-SHOH-meh leh MEH-tso eh meh-HLAH-nohβΊ
Days & time
- MantahaMondaymahn-TAH-haβΊ
- LabobeliTuesdaylah-boh-BEH-deeβΊ
- LaboraroWednesdaylah-boh-RAH-rohβΊ
- LaboneThursdaylah-BOH-nehβΊ
- LabohlanoFridaylah-boh-HLAH-nohβΊ
- MoqebeloSaturdaymoh-keh-BEH-lohβΊ
- SontahaSundaysohn-TAH-haβΊ
- kajenoTodaykah-JEH-nohβΊ
- hosaneTomorrowhoh-SAH-nehβΊ
- maobaneYesterdaymah-oh-BAH-nehβΊ
Food & drink
- lijoFoodDEE-johβΊ
- metsiWaterMEH-tseeβΊ
- leheEggLEH-hehβΊ
- bohobeBreadboh-HOH-behβΊ
- papaPorridgePAH-pahβΊ
- namaMeatNAH-mahβΊ
- merohoVegetablesmeh-ROH-hohβΊ
- lebeseMilkleh-BEH-sehβΊ
- kofiCoffeeKOH-feeβΊ
- teeTeaTEH-ehβΊ
Shopping & money
- Ke kopa β¦May I have β¦ / I'd like β¦keh KOH-pahβΊ
- Ke batla β¦I want β¦keh BAH-tlahβΊ
- Ke bokae?How much is it?keh boh-KAH-ehβΊ
- cheleteMoneycheh-LEH-tehβΊ
- Ke theko e kae?What is the price?keh THEH-koh eh KAH-ehβΊ
- E theko e boimaIt is expensiveeh THEH-koh eh boh-EE-mahβΊ
- E theko e tlaseIt is cheapeh THEH-koh eh TLAH-sehβΊ
- Ke tla e rekaI will buy itkeh tlah eh REH-kahβΊ
Places & directions
- kae?Where?KAH-ehβΊ
- monaHereMOH-nahβΊ
- mane / monoThere / over thereMAH-neh / MOH-nohβΊ
- ka lehlakoreng le letonaOn the rightkah leh-hlah-KOH-reng leh leh-TOH-nahβΊ
- ka lehlakoreng le letΕ‘ehaliOn the leftkah leh-hlah-KOH-reng leh leh-tsheh-HAH-deeβΊ
- ka peleAhead / in frontkah PEH-lehβΊ
- moraoBehind / backmoh-RAH-ohβΊ
- ntloHousen-TLOHβΊ
Family & people
- lelapaFamily / homeleh-LAH-pahβΊ
- 'MΓ¨ / 'meMotherMMEHβΊ
- NtateFathern-TAH-tehβΊ
- ngoanaChildNGWAH-nahβΊ
- banaChildrenBAH-nahβΊ
- moraSonMOH-rahβΊ
- moraliDaughtermoh-RAH-deeβΊ
- nkhonoGrandmothern-KHOH-nohβΊ
- ntatemoholoGrandfathern-tah-teh-moh-HOH-lohβΊ
- abutiOlder brother / young manah-BOO-teeβΊ
Feelings
- Kea u rataI love youKEH-ah oh RAH-tahβΊ
- ngoanakaMy childngwah-NAH-kahβΊ
- Ke thabileI am happykeh thah-BEE-lehβΊ
- Ke utloile bohlokoI am sad / hurtkeh OO-tlwee-leh boh-HLOH-kohβΊ
- Ke khathetseI am tiredkeh khah-TEH-tsehβΊ
- Ke motlotlo ka uenaI am proud of youkeh moh-TLOH-tloh kah WEH-nahβΊ
- Se tΕ‘oheDon't be afraidseh TSOH-hehβΊ
- IketleTake it easy / relaxee-KEH-tlehβΊ