The Bantu language of the Tswana people, related to the Sotho languages and .Setswana is the official language of Botswana and it is one of the official languages of South Africa,widely spoken in Namibia also.
Vocabulary
Greetings and Conversation
| English Conversation: Learn with people | Setswana Puisano: Ithute le batho |
| Hello! (person) | Dumela! (motho a le mongwe) |
| Hello! (group) | Dumelang! (setlhopha) |
| How are you? | Le kae? |
| I’m fine, thanks. | Ke teng, o kae. |
| I could be better. | Go ka nna botoka. |
| And you? | Wena? |
| I am well. | Ke teng. |
| Goodbye (person staying) | Sala sentle (go sala motho a le mongwe) |
| Goodbye (group staying) | Salang sentle (go sala setlhopha) |
| Goodbye (person leaving) | Tsamaya sentle (go tsamaya motho a le mongwe) |
| Goodbye (group leaving) | Tsamayang sentle (go tsamaya setlhopha) |
Anatomy: Learn with your body | Ditho tsa mmele: Ithute ka ga mmele wa gago |
| Head | Tlhogo |
| Eye, Eyes | Leitlho, Matlho |
| Ear, Ears | Tsebe, Ditsebe |
| Nose | Nko |
| Mouth | Molomo |
| Tongue | Loleme |
| Hand, Hands | Seatla, Diatla |
| Arm, Arms | Letsogo, Matsogo |
| Leg, Legs | Leoto, Maoto |
| Foot, Feet | Lenao, Dinao |
Chess: Learn with your mind | Chess: Ithute ka monagano wa gago |
| Chess Piece(s) | Se(Di) tshamekisi tsa Chess |
| King | Kgosi |
| Queen | Kgosigadi |
| Rook (Castle) | Khasele |
| Bishop | Bishopo |
| Knight (Horse) | Pitse |
| Pawn (Soldier) | Lesole |
| Board | Boto |
| Square | Sekwere |
| Black | Ntsho |
| White | Tshweu |
| Chess Move(s) | Metsamao ya Chess |
| Check! From Persian Shah (King) | Ela tlhoko! |
| Checkmate! From Persian Shah (King) + Māt (Dead) | Ga o na botshabelo! |
| I take your piece. | Ke tsaya setshamekisi sa gago. |
| Good move! | Motsamao o montle! |
| I resign! | Ke a ineela! |
| Good luck for the game! | Masego a motshameko! |
| Thank you for the game! | Ke lebogela motshameko! |
Dating: Learn with your heart | Tsa Marato: Ithute ka pelo |
| What’s your name? | Leina la gago ke mang? |
| Can I get your number? | A nka bona nomore ya gago? |
| Would you like to get coffee? | A o ka rata go nwa kofi? |
| Would you like to go to dinner? | A o ka rata go ya tinareng? |
| Would you like to go for a drink? | A o ka rata go tswa go ya go bona seno? |
| Yes, I would. | Ee, nka rata jalo. |
| No, but thank you. | Nnyaa, ke a leboga. |
| You look beautiful. | O lebega o le montle. |
| May I kiss you? | A nka go atla |
| I miss you. | Ke go gopotse. |
| I miss you too. | Le nna ke go gopotse. |
| I love you. | Ke a go rata. |
| I love you so much. | Ke go rata thata. |
Top 10 Interview Questions: Learn for success | Dipotso tse 10 tsa botlhokwatlhokwa tsa Potsotherisano: Ithutele go bona katlego |
| Tell us about yourself? | Re bolelele ka ga gago? |
| What are your main strengths? | Dipharologantsho tsa gago tse dikgolo tse di supang maatla le bokgoni ke dife? |
| What are your weaknesses? | Dipharologantsho tsa gago tse di supang bokoa ke dife? |
| Why should we choose you for this job? | Ke goreng re tshwanetse go tlhopha wena mo tirong e? |
| What is your salary expectation? | O solofela go amogela bokae? |
| What are your hobbies outside of work? | Dingwe tse o itlosang bodutu ka tsone fa o se fa tirong ke dife? |
| Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? | O akanya go nna kae mo sebakeng sa dingwaga tse tlhano? |
| Why are you leaving your current job? | Ke goreng o tlogela tiro ya gago ya ga jaana? |
| Why do you want to work here? | Ke goreng o batla go dira fa? |
| Is there anything that you would like to ask me? | A go na le sengwe se o ka ratang go se mpotsa? |
Formal Business Letter Setswana | |
Date: | Letlha: |
| Dear… | Madume… |
| Yours Sincerely, | Ka boikokobetso, |
Directions | |
| North | Bokone |
| South | Borwa |
| East | Botlhabatsatsi |
| West | Bophirima |
Days of the Week | |
| Sunday | Latshipi |
| Monday | Mosupologo |
| Tuesday | Labobedi |
| Wednesday | Laboraro |
| Thursday | Labone |
| Friday | Labotlhano |
| Saturday | Lamatlhatso |
Months of the Year | |
| January | Ferikgong |
| February | Tlhakole |
| March | Mopitlwe |
| April | Moranang |
| May | Motsheganong |
| June | Seetebosigo |
| July | Phukwi |
| August | Phatwe |
| September | Lwetse |
| October | Diphalane |
| November | Ngwanatsele |
| December | Sedimonthole |
Pretoria: 1. Tshwane
Sabbath: 1. Lamatlhatso
Saturday: 1. Lamatlhatso
Sunday: 1. Lamorena, Sontaga
Thursday: 1. Labone
Tuesday: 1. Labobedi
Wednesday: 1. Laboraro
West: 1. bophirima
academic: 1. moithuti
aeroplane: 1. sefofane
affair: 1. kgang | 2. kgang
after: 1. morago ga
afternoon: 1. thapama, mathapama
afterwards: 1. morago
aid: 1. thuso | 2. thuso
aircraft: 1. sefofane
airplane: 1. sefofane
ale: 1. bojalwa
also: 1. gape
and: 1. le, mme
arm: 1. letsogo
as: 1. jang | 2. jang | 3. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
ass: 1. tonki
assigned job: 1. tiro
at home: 1. gae
at that place: 1. gone, koo, teng
away: 1. kgakale
axe: 1. selepe
baboon: 1. tshwene
back: 1. mokwatla
beard: 1. ditedu
because: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka nthla ya gore | 2. gonne, ka gonne | 3. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
beer: 1. bojalwa
behind: 1. morago | 2. morago ga
below: 1. fatshe | 2. fatshe
bird: 1. nonyane
blood: 1. madi
bloom: 1. sethunya
body: 1. mmele
book: 1. buka
boulder: 1. lefika
box: 1. pitsa
boy: 1. mosimane
bread: 1. borotho
bug: 1. khunkhwane
business: 1. kgang
business deal: 1. kgang
but: 1. fela
cabin: 1. ntlo
car: 1. sejanaga
case: 1. kgang | 2. kgang | 3. kgang
cat: 1. katse
chair: 1. setulo
chest: 1. sefuba
city: 1. toropo
cloud: 1. maru
container: 1. pitsa
crocodile: 1. kwena
doctor: 1. ngaka
dog: 1. ntswa
donkey: 1. tonki
door: 1. lebati
downstairs: 1. fatshe
ear: 1. tsebe
east: 1. botlhaba
elder brother: 1. mogolo
elder sibling: 1. mogolo
elder sister: 1. mogolo
elephant: 1. tlou
exclusively: 1. fela
eye: 1. leitlho
face: 1. sefatlhego
farmer: 1. molemi
father: 1. ntate | 2. ntate
feather: 1. pene
fellow: 1. monna
finger: 1. monwana
firewood: 1. dikgong
first: 1. pele
firstly: 1. pele
first of all: 1. pele
fish: 1. tlhapi
flower: 1. sethunya
food: 1. dijo, sejo
foot: 1. lonao | 2. lonao
for: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
force: 1. maatla
forehead: 1. phatla
for the reason that: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka nthla ya gore | 2. gonne, ka gonne
fountain: 1. sediba
friend: 1. tsala
from: 1. mo go
gangster: 1. tsotsi
gazette: 1. kuranta
gentleman: 1. morena, motlotlegi
girl: 1. mosetsana
goat: 1. podi
good day: 1. dumela
gun: 1. sethunya
hamlet: 1. motse
hand: 1. seatla
head: 1. tlhogo | 2. tlhogo | 3. tlhogo | 4. tlhogo
head of cattle: 1. kgomo
hello: 1. dumela
help: 1. thuso | 2. thuso
hog: 1. kolobe
honor: 1. tlhompha
honour: 1. tlhompha
hoodlum: 1. tsotsi
horse: 1. pitse
how: 1. jang | 2. jang | 3. jang
how many: 1. ke bokae
how much: 1. ke bokae
hunter: 1. motsomi
hut: 1. ntlo
insect: 1. khunkhwane
inside: 1. ka mo
instructor: 1. morutabana
in what way: 1. jang | 2. jang
iron: 1. tshipi
job: 1. tiro
jug: 1. pitsa | 2. pitsa
just: 1. fela
knife: 1. thipa
lad: 1. mosimane
laddie: 1. mosimane
lady: 1. mohumagadi
lass: 1. mosetsana
leg: 1. leoto | 2. leoto
letter: 1. lekwalo
like: 1. jang
likewise: 1. gape
lion: 1. tau
lip: 1. pouname
loaf: 1. borotho
lord: 1. morena, motlotlegi
madam: 1. mohumagadi
magazine: 1. kuranta
man: 1. monna
matter: 1. kgang | 2. kgang
meat: 1. nama
meercat: 1. mosa
midday: 1. motshegare
milk: 1. masi
money: 1. madi
mother: 1. mme
mountain: 1. thaba
mouth: 1. molomo | 2. molomo | 3. molomo
nail: 1. nala
neck: 1. molala
necktie: 1. tae
newspaper: 1. kuranta
next: 1. morago
no: 1. nnyaa
noon: 1. motshegare
north: 1. bokone
nose: 1. nko
not: 1. nnyaa
nothing: 1. sepe
okay: 1. pila, sentle
old man: 1. mokgalaje
one: 1. mongwe
only: 1. fela
on that account: 1. ka foo
or: 1. kgotsa
ostrich: 1. ntshwe
out of: 1. mo go
over there: 1. gone, koo, teng
owl: 1. morubisi
paper: 1. pampiri
pate: 1. tlhogo
paw: 1. leoto
pawn: 1. lesole
periodical: 1. kuranta
physician: 1. ngaka
pig: 1. kolobe
plan: 1. leano
plane: 1. sefofane
plume: 1. pene
pot: 1. pitsa
problem: 1. bothata
project: 1. leano
question: 1. potso
quite: 1. thata
rain: 1. pula
reality: 1. nnete, ruri
rifle: 1. sethunya
river: 1. noka
road: 1. tsela
route: 1. tsela
scheme: 1. leano
shack: 1. ntlo
sheep: 1. nku
shoe: 1. sethlako
since: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
sir: 1. morena, motlotlegi
soldier: 1. lesole
song: 1. pina
source: 1. sediba
south: 1. borwa
spring: 1. sediba
steel: 1. tshipi
stomach: 1. mala
stone: 1. lefika
storm: 1. ledimo
strength: 1. maatla
student: 1. moithuti
subsequently: 1. morago
such a: 1. jang
such as: 1. jang
swine: 1. kolobe
table: 1. tafole
task: 1. tiro
teacher: 1. morutabana
that: 1. gore | 2. eng | 3. mang
there: 1. gone, koo, teng | 2. gone, koo, teng
therefore: 1. ka foo
the day before yesterday: 1. maloba
thigh: 1. lerope
thou: 1. wena | 2. wena | 3. wena
tie: 1. tae
time: 1. nako
today: 1. gompieno, kajeno
tomorrow: 1. moso
tongue: 1. leleme
too: 1. gape
tooth: 1. leino
town: 1. toropo
township: 1. motse
traveller: 1. moeti
tree: 1. setlhare
trouble: 1. bothata
truth: 1. nnete, ruri | 2. nnete, ruri
uncle: 1. malome
underneath: 1. fatshe | 2. fatshe
vehicle: 1. sejanaga
very: 1. thata
very much: 1. thata
vessel: 1. pitsa
vigour: 1. maatla
village: 1. toropo
way: 1. tsela
weather: 1. ledimo
well: 1. pila, sentle
wench: 1. mosetsana
west: 1. bophirima
what: 1. eng | 2. eng
what a: 1. jang
what for: 1. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng | 2. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng
when: 1. leng | 2. leng | 3. leng | 4. leng
where: 1. kae | 2. kae
wherefore: 1. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng
which: 1. mang | 2. mang
while: 1. nako
white man: 1. lekgowa
who: 1. mang
why: 1. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng | 2. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng | 3. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng
wind: 1. phefo
window: 1. letlhabaphefo
ye: 1. wena | 2. wena
yes: 1. ee
yesterday: 1. maabane
yon: 1. gone, koo, teng
yonder: 1. gone, koo, teng
you: 1. wena | 2. wena | 3. wena | 4. wena
younger brother: 1. nnake
younger sibling: 1. nnake
younger sister: 1. nnake
youngster: 1. lesogana
youth: 1. lesogana
Bloemfontein: 1. Mangaung
East: 1. botlhaba
European: 1. lekgowa
Friday: 1. Labotlhano
Johannesburg: 1. Gauteng
Mister: 1. morena, motlotlegi
Monday: 1. lantlha
Mr.: 1. morena, motlotlegi
Mrs.: 1. mohumagadi
North: 1. bokone