Sesotho phrasebook

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

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 :

Basics
I'm OK or fine (Ke hantle )
 * 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
 * Ntšoarele. ( )
 * 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?)
 * Good night (to sleep) : Robala hantle. ( )
 * I don't understand. : Ha ke utloisise. ( )
 * Where is the toilet? : ? (Ntloaneng ke kae?)

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : ("kgaohana le nna")
 * Don't touch me! : ("se ntshware")
 * I'll call the police. : ("ketla founela mapolesa")
 * Police! : ("mapolesa plr..leponesa sing")
 * Stop! Thief! : ("Ema!leshodu")
 * I need your help. : ke hloka thuso ya hao("...")
 * It's an emergency. : ("ke tshwanyetso")
 * I'm lost. : ke lahlehile ("...")
 * I lost my bag. : ("ke lahlehetswe ke mokotla waka")
 * I lost my wallet. : ("ke lahlehetswe ke sepatjhe saka")
 * I'm sick. : ("ke ya kula")
 * I've been injured. : ("ke lemetse")
 * I need a doctor. : ("ke hloka ngaka")
 * Can I use your phone? : ("Nka sebedisa mohala wa hao wa thekeng")

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

Clock time

 * Hour : Hora
 * Hours : Dihora
 * Minute : Motsotso
 * Minutes : Metsotso
 * Second : Motsotswana
 * Seconds : Metsotswana

Days

 * Monday : Mantaha
 * Tuesday : Labobedi
 * Wednesday : Laboraro
 * Thursday : Labone
 * Friday : Labohlano
 * Saturday : Moqebelo
 * Sunday : Sontaha
 * Weekend : Mafelo a beke

Months

 * January : ("pherekgong ")
 * February : ("hlakola")
 * March : ("hlakubele")
 * April : ("mmesa")
 * May : ("motsheanong")
 * June : ("phupu")
 * July : ("phupjane")
 * August : ("phato")
 * September : ("lwetse")
 * October : ("motsheanong")
 * November : ("pudungwane")
 * December : ("tshitswe")

Colors

 * Red : ("kgubedu")
 * Yellow : ("tshehla")
 * Green : ("tala")
 * Blue : ("bolou")
 * Black : ("ntsho")
 * White : ("sweu")
 * Purple : ("perese")
 * Orange : ("...")
 * Brown : ("...")
 * Grey : ("putswa")
 * Pink : ("...")

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to _____? : ("...")ke bokaye ticket
 * 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 _____? : ("...")

Money
tjhelete Che le te

Eating

 * Eat the food : ("eja dijo")