Sesotho phrasebook

Sesotho is the main language of Lesotho and is one of the official languages of South Africa.

Pronunciation guide

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

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

Hello.: dumela. (doomellah)
Hello. (informal): Khotso. (hotsow)
How are you?: U phela joang? (oo-pee-la-jwang)
I'm fine. How are you?: Kea phela, wena ujwang (key-ah-pee-la wena-ujwang)
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 o... )
Thank you.: Kea leboha. ( )
You're welcome.: . ( )
Yes.: . (Eea )
No.: . (Che )/aowa(awa)
Excuse me. (getting attention): . (A k'u ntšoarele hanyane)
Excuse me. (begging pardon): . ( )
I'm sorry



Goodbye: Sala hantle. ( )
Goodbye (informal): . ( )
I can't speak Sesotho [well].: [ ]. ( [])
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.: . (Dumela/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 )

tjhelete Che le te

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