Setswana is spoken by around 8M+ people in Botswana · South Africa. Here are common everyday words and phrases to get you started - then practise the pronunciation live with a native Setswana tutor.
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English
Flip through the everyday phrases below, then say them out loud with a native tutor.
Greetings
| Setswana | English |
|---|---|
| Dumela | Hello (to one person) |
| Dumelang | Hello (to a group) |
| Go tsogile jang? | How are you? (morning) |
| Le kae? | How are you all? |
| Ke teng | I am fine |
Everyday courtesy
| Setswana | English |
|---|---|
| Ke a leboga | Thank you |
| Ke a leboga thata | Thank you very much |
| Tshwarelo | Sorry / Excuse me |
| Tsweetswee | Please |
Useful basics
| Setswana | English |
|---|---|
| Ee | Yes |
| Nnyaa | No |
| Leina la me ke ___ | My name is ___ |
| O bidiwa mang? | What is your name? |
| Ke a go rata | I love you |
| Sala sentle | Goodbye (to one staying) |
| Tsamaya sentle | Goodbye (to one leaving) |
Numbers 1-5
| Setswana | English |
|---|---|
| Nngwe | 1 |
| Pedi | 2 |
| Tharo | 3 |
| Nne | 4 |
| Tlhano | 5 |
Start speaking Setswana today
Reading phrases is a great start - but the fastest way to learn Setswana is to speak it. Book a 30-minute trial with a native-speaker tutor and practise these phrases out loud.
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