Sesotho phrasebook
From Halal Explorer
File:Sesotho phrasebook banner Maletsunyane Falls - Maletsunyane Falls Sesotho is the main language of Lesotho and is one of the official languages of South Africa.
Pronunciation guide
Vowels
- a
- as in spa
- e
- as in pit, cafe, or bed
- i
- as in beet
- o
- as in put, French "oiseau", or board
- u
- as in boot
Consonants
- b
- same as English, only fully voiced
- bj
- pronounced as above, followed by either the s as in vision or the j as in yarn
- d
- same as English as an allophone of l that only occurs before i and u
- f
- same as English
- fj
- pronounced as above, followed by sh as in she
- h
- same as English, voiced or unvoiced; it's an allophone, either way
- j
- as in vision or jam
- k
- as in skill, only unaspirated
- kh
- fully aspirated k, which occurs mostly in old loanwords and ideophones
- l
- same in English
- m
- same in English
- n
- same in English
- ng
- as in sing
- ny
- as in onion or Spanish "el niño"
- p
- as in spit, only unaspirated
- ph
- fully aspirated p
- pj
- pronounced as p, followed by sh as in she
- pjh
- aspirated pj
- s
- same as English
- sh
- as in shoe
- t
- as in stalk, only unaspirated
- th
- aspirated t
- tj
- as in which, only unaspirated
- tjh
- aspirated tj
- ts
- as in cats, only unaspirated
- tsh
- aspirated ts
- w
- same in English
- y
- as in yarn
- Tricky Consonants
- hl
- kg
- as in the way the Scottish say loch
- r
- as in French, only soft; originally pronounced as an alveolar rolled lingual
- tl
- tlh
- aspirated tl
- q
- qh
- aspirated q
- nq
Common diphthongs
Phrase list
Basics
Common signs|
- OPEN
- CLOSED
- ENTRANCE
- EXIT
- PUSH
- PULL
- TOILET
- MEN
- WOMEN
- FORBIDDEN
- }}
- Hello.
- dumela. (doomellah)
- Hello. (informal)
- Khotso. (hotsow)
- How are you?
- U phela joang? (oo-pee-la-jwang)
- Fine, thank you.
- Kea phela (key-ah-pee-la)
- What is your name?
- Lebitso la hau ke mang? (leh-beet-saw la-how key-mung)
- My name is ______ .
- Lebitso la ka ke ______ . ( _____ .)
- Nice to meet you.
- Ke thabela ho u tseba . ( key-ta-bell-a-who-oo-t-see-ba )
- Please.
- . (Ke kopa hore o... )
- Thank you.
- Kea leboha. ( )
- You're welcome.
- . ( )
- Yes.
- . (Eea )
- No.
- . (Che )
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- . (A k'u ntšoarele hanyane)
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- . ( )
- I'm sorry.
- Ntšoarele. ( )
- Goodbye
- Sala hantle. ( )
- Goodbye (informal)
- . ( )
- I can't speak name of language [well.
- [ ]. ( [Ha ke tseba ho bua Sefora/Sekhooa.])
- Do you speak English?
- U bua sekhooa ? ( ?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- ? (Hona le motho ea tsebang ho bua Sekhooa?)
- Help!
- Ke kopa thuso! ( !)
- Look out!
- ! (Hlokomela !)
- Good morning.
- . (Lumaka/Khotso )
- Good evening.
- . (dumela/Khotso )
- Good night.
- . (Lumela/Khotso )
- Good night (to sleep)
- Robala hantle. ( )
- I don't understand.
- Ha ke utloisise. ( )
- Where is the toilet?
- ? (Ntloaneng ke kae?)
I'm OK or fine (Ke hantle )
Problems
- Leave me alone.
- ("...")
- Don't touch me!
- ("...")
- I'll call the police.
- ("...")
- Police!
- ("...")
- Stop! Thief!
- ("...")
- I need your help.
- ke hloka thuso ya hao("...")
- It's an emergency.
- ("...")
- I'm lost.
- ke lahlehile ("...")
- I lost my bag.
- ("...")
- I lost my wallet.
- ("...")
- I'm sick.
- ("...")
- I've been injured.
- ("...")
- I need a doctor.
- ("...")
- Can I use your phone?
- ("...")
Numbers
- 1
- Ngoe
- 2
- Peli
- 3
- Tharo
- 4
- 'Ne
- 5
- Hlano
- 6
- Ts'elela
- 7
- Supa
- 8
- Robeli
- 9
- Robong
- 10
- Leshome
- 11
- Leshome le motso o mong
- 12
- Leshome le metso e 'meli
- 13
- Leshome le metso e meraro
- 14
- Leshome le metso e mene
- 15
- Leshome le metso e mehlano
- 16
- Leshome le metso e ts'eletseng
- 17
- Leshome le metso e supileng
- 18
- Leshome le metso e robeli
- 19
- Leshome le metso e robong
- 20
- Mashome a mabeli
- 30
- Mashome a mararo
- 40
- Mashome a mane
- 50
- Mashome a mahlano
- 60
- Mashome a ts'eletseng
- 70
- Mashome a supileng
- 80
- Mashome a robeli
- 90
- Mashome a robong
- 100
- Lekholo
- 200
- Makholo a mabeli
- 300
- Makholo a mararo
- 400
- Makholo a mane
- 600
- Makholo a mahlano
- 600
- Makholo a ts'eletseng
- 700
- Makholo a supileng
- 800
- Makholo a robeli
- 900
- Makholo a robong
- 1000
- Sekete
Time
Clock time
- Hour
- Hora
- Hours
- Dihora
- Minute
- Motsotso
- Minutes
- Metsotso
- Second
- Motsotswana
- Seconds
- Metsotswana
Duration
Days
- Monday
- Mantaha
- Tuesday
- Labobedi
- Wednesday
- Laboraro
- Thursday
- Labone
- Friday
- Labohlano
- Saturday
- Moqebelo
- Sunday
- Sontaha
- Weekend
- Mafelo a beke
Months
- Januaty
- ("...")
- February
- ("...")
- March
- ("...")
- April
- ("...")
- May
- ("...")
- June
- ("...")
- July
- ("...")
- August
- ("...")
- September
- ("...")
- October
- ("...")
- November
- ("...")
- December
- ("...")
Writing time and date
Colors
- Red
- ("...")
- Yellow
- ("...")
- Green
- ("...")
- Blue
- ("...")
- Black
- ("...")
- White
- ("...")
- Purple
- ("...")
- Orange
- ("...")
- Brown
- ("...")
- Grey
- ("...")
- Pink
- ("...")
Transportation
Bus and train
- How much is a ticket to _____?
- ("...")
- One ticket to _____, please.
- ("...")
- Where does this train/bus go?
- ("...")
- Where is the train/bus to _____?
- ("...")
- Does this train/bus stop in _____?
- ("...")
- When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
- ("...")
- When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
- ("...")