FIRST STEPS IN SPOKEN SETSWANA
1ST PERSON SINGULAR - Ke (I)
2nd PERSON PLURAL - O (You)
TRANSLATE INTO SETSWANA
1. Hello Sir. Are you a Motswana? Yes, I'm a Motswana.
Dumela Rra. A O Motswana? Ee, Ke Motswana.
2. Hello, Ladies.
Dumelang Bomma.
3. Are you a minister? Yes, I'm a minister.
A o moruti? Ee, ke moruti.
4. Are you a shepherd, Joe? Yes Sir, I'm a shepherd.
A o modisa, Joe? Ee rra, Ke modisa.
8 mini sentences. Here I got 8/8. I gave myself "very good" :)...
Rosy.
TRANSLATE TO SETSWANA - 1
I want to go with you to the hospital.
Ke batla go tsamaya le wena ko sepateleng.
She did well yesterday.
O dirile sentle maabane.
I like to eat meat and pap.
Ke rata go ja nama le phaletshe.
I will stay in the office
today.
ketla nna mo ofising gompieno.
Where do you come from?
O tswa kae?
I would like to spend the day
with you.
Ke batla go tlhola le wena.
How much is that car?
Koloi eo ke bo kae?
Teacher Peggy speaks Setswana
fast.
Morutabana Peggy O bua Setswana ka bonako.
Wait a second, I want to go
with you.
Ema motsotso, ke batla go tsamaya le wena.
Where are you going?
O ya kae?
Where are you going?
O ya kae?
Vote of Thanks
I need to give a Vote of Thanks at our office Christmas Party. My Teacher Peggy has helped me to translate the Thanks in English to Setswana. This is how it goes...
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.
With your permission, I would like to say the Vote of Thanks in Setswana; because I am learning Setswana and feeling enthusiastic about speaking it. So here it goes...
Dumela Borra le Bomma.
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.
Mo boemong jwa GG, ke batla go leboga botle baba leng teng fa, ka go dira letsatsile lele itumedisang.
On behalf of GG, I wish to thank you all for being here and making this evening a joyful event.
Re rata go leboga batsamayisi ba tiro e, baba berekileng ka thata go dira gore letsatsile le tsamaye sentle; jaaka Masego, Lebogang, le Jayu.
We thank all the organizers who worked hard to make this party a success; eg Masego, Lebogang, and Jayu.
Re le eleletsa matsalo a morena aa itumedisang le ngwaga wa 2012 o mosha.
We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.
Now, here I am going to sing a Christmas Carol in, Setswana of course :)
Ke rata go leboga Morutabana wa me, Peggy.
I also thank my Teacher Peggy.
Re a le rata lotle.
We love you all.
Ke a leboga.
Thank you.
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.
With your permission, I would like to say the Vote of Thanks in Setswana; because I am learning Setswana and feeling enthusiastic about speaking it. So here it goes...
Dumela Borra le Bomma.
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.
Mo boemong jwa GG, ke batla go leboga botle baba leng teng fa, ka go dira letsatsile lele itumedisang.
On behalf of GG, I wish to thank you all for being here and making this evening a joyful event.
Re rata go leboga batsamayisi ba tiro e, baba berekileng ka thata go dira gore letsatsile le tsamaye sentle; jaaka Masego, Lebogang, le Jayu.
We thank all the organizers who worked hard to make this party a success; eg Masego, Lebogang, and Jayu.
Re le eleletsa matsalo a morena aa itumedisang le ngwaga wa 2012 o mosha.
We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.
Now, here I am going to sing a Christmas Carol in, Setswana of course :)
Ke rata go leboga Morutabana wa me, Peggy.
I also thank my Teacher Peggy.
Re a le rata lotle.
We love you all.
Ke a leboga.
Thank you.
Introducing Myself
Vocabulary
I - Ke
We - Re
You - O (Singular)
You - Lo/Le (Plural)
He/She - O
They - Ba
Dumela - Good Day. Greeting. (Singular)
Dumelang - Good Day. Greeting. (Plural)
Tsoga - To Rise (Present)
Tsolgile - Rose (Past Tense)
Sentle - Well
Kae - Where
Teng - Here
Jang - How
Leng - When
Eng - What
Kagoreng - Why
Mang - Who
O tsogile jang? (Formal)
How are you? (Actually saying, how did u rise this morning)
Le tsogile jang? (Informal)
How are you? (Actually saying, how did u rise this morning)
Ke tsogile sentle.
I am well. (Actually saying, I rose well this morning)
Re tsogile sentle.
We are well. (Actually saying, I rose well this morning)
It is not customary to say "How are you" back to an elderly person after your response "I am well".
Le kae? (very informal greeting)
How are you?
Ke teng, wena o kae?
Fine, and you?
A o teng?
Are you there? (Meaning, are you listening)
Ke teng.
I am here.
Leina ke mang?
What is your name?
O mang?
Who are you?
Na ko ke mang?
What is the time?
______________________________________________________
Introducing yourself
Leina la me ke Rose.
My name is Rose.
Ke tsholetswe ko Canada.
I was born in Canada.
Mme ke tlile mo Botswana ka 1984 le batsadi ba me.
But I came to Botswana in 1984 with my parents.
Ke na le ngwana wa mosimane.
I have a child who is a boy.
Ngwanake wa mosimane o tshotswe ka 1998, mo Gaborone.
My son was born in 1998, in Gaborone.
O bidiwa Tdeep.
He is called Tdeep.
Ke nna ko G-West mo Gaborone le Tdeep.
I live in G-West in Gaborone with my son.
Intshwarele, ga ke tlhaloganye Setswana.
Sorry, I don't understand Setswana.
Ke santse ke ithuta Setswana le Morutabana Peggy.
I am still learning Setswana with Teacher Peggy.
Peggy o aruta sentle.
Peggy teaches well.
Morutabana wa me go siame.
My teacher is good.
I - Ke
We - Re
You - O (Singular)
You - Lo/Le (Plural)
He/She - O
They - Ba
Dumela - Good Day. Greeting. (Singular)
Dumelang - Good Day. Greeting. (Plural)
Tsoga - To Rise (Present)
Tsolgile - Rose (Past Tense)
Sentle - Well
Kae - Where
Teng - Here
Jang - How
Leng - When
Eng - What
Kagoreng - Why
Mang - Who
O tsogile jang? (Formal)
How are you? (Actually saying, how did u rise this morning)
Le tsogile jang? (Informal)
How are you? (Actually saying, how did u rise this morning)
Ke tsogile sentle.
I am well. (Actually saying, I rose well this morning)
Re tsogile sentle.
We are well. (Actually saying, I rose well this morning)
It is not customary to say "How are you" back to an elderly person after your response "I am well".
Le kae? (very informal greeting)
How are you?
Ke teng, wena o kae?
Fine, and you?
A o teng?
Are you there? (Meaning, are you listening)
Ke teng.
I am here.
Leina ke mang?
What is your name?
O mang?
Who are you?
Na ko ke mang?
What is the time?
______________________________________________________
Introducing yourself
Leina la me ke Rose.
My name is Rose.
Ke tsholetswe ko Canada.
I was born in Canada.
Mme ke tlile mo Botswana ka 1984 le batsadi ba me.
But I came to Botswana in 1984 with my parents.
Ke na le ngwana wa mosimane.
I have a child who is a boy.
Ngwanake wa mosimane o tshotswe ka 1998, mo Gaborone.
My son was born in 1998, in Gaborone.
O bidiwa Tdeep.
He is called Tdeep.
Ke nna ko G-West mo Gaborone le Tdeep.
I live in G-West in Gaborone with my son.
Intshwarele, ga ke tlhaloganye Setswana.
Sorry, I don't understand Setswana.
Ke santse ke ithuta Setswana le Morutabana Peggy.
I am still learning Setswana with Teacher Peggy.
Peggy o aruta sentle.
Peggy teaches well.
Morutabana wa me go siame.
My teacher is good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)