From Setswana
This lesson teaches you to greet and understand greetings
Formal Greeting (singular)
| A | Dumela rra | Hello Sir
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| B | Dumela mma, o tsogile jang ? | Hello madam, how are you ? [literally "how did you wake up"]
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| A | Ke tsogile sentle, wena o tsogile jang ? | I am fine, how are you ?
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| B | Ke tsogile sentle | I am fine
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As an alternative to "tsogile" (woke up) in the afternoon "tlhotse" (spent the day), and in the early morning "robetse" (slept) can be used.
Less Formal Greeting (singular)
| A | Dumela rra | Hello Sir
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| B | Dumela mma, o kae? | Hello madam, how are you ? [literally "where are you"]
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| A | Ke teng, wena o kae ? | I am fine, how are you ?
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| B | Ke teng | I am fine
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Less Formal Greeting (plural)
| A | Dumelang, le kae? / lo kae? | Hello, how are you ? (plural)
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| B | Re teng | We are fine
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Informal Greeting (singular)
| A | Go jwang ? | How is it ?
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| B | Go sharpu | OK
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-
| A | Wa reng ? | What's up ? [literally "what do you say"]
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| B | Ga ke re sepe (or Go sharpu) | OK [literally "I don't say anything"]
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Entering a House
| A | Ko ko! | Knock knock!
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| B | Tsena | Come in
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Goodbye
| A | (Go siame rra) sala sentle | (OK sir) Goodbye [literally "stay well"]
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| B | (Go siame mma) tsamaya sentle | (OK madam) Goodbye [literally "leave well"]
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Informal Goodbye
| A | Boroko mma | Goodnight madam
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| B | Robala sentle rra | Sleep well sir
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| - | Re tlaa bonana | We will see each other
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Vocabulary
| dumela | dumelang | Hello/Good Morning/Afternoon
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| tsoga | tsogile | wake/woke up
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| tlhola | tlhotse | spend/spent the day
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| robala | robetse | sleep/slept
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| sala | - | stay
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| tsamaya | - | leave/go
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| bonana | - | see each other
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| botoka | - | better
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| go siame | - | its OK/fine
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| sharpu | - | OK (slang)
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| jang ? | - | how
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| kae ? | - | where
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| boroko | - | good night
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| ko-ko | - | knock-knock
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| teng | - | there/around/available
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| sentle | - | well/good
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