Greetings
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This lesson teaches you to greet and understand greetings. If the audio button's don't work try the Audio Help page.
Formal Greeting (singular)
A | Dumela rra | Hello Sir | File:Dumela Rra.ogg |
B | Dumela mma, o tsogile jang ? | Hello madam, how are you ? [literally "how did you wake up"] | |
A | Ke tsogile sentle, wena o tsogile jang ? | I am fine, how are you ? | |
B | Ke tsogile sentle | I am fine |
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 mma | Hello Madam | File:Dumela Mma.ogg |
B | Dumela rra, o kae? | Hello sir, how are you ? [literally "where are you"] | |
A | Ke teng, wena o kae ? | I am fine, how are you ? | |
B | Ke teng | I am fine | File:Keteng.ogg |
Less Formal Greeting (plural)
A | Dumelang, le kae? / lo kae? | Hello, how are you ? (plural) |
B | Re teng | We are fine |
Informal Greeting (singular)
A | Go jwang ? | How is it ? |
B | Go sharpu | OK |
-
A | Wa reng ? | What's up ? [literally "what do you say"] | File:Wa reng2.ogg |
B | Ga ke re sepe (or Go sharpu) | OK [literally "I don't say anything"] | File:Ga ke re sepe.ogg |
Entering a House
A | Ko ko! | Knock knock! |
B | Tsena | Come in |
Goodbye
A | Go siame rra, sala sentle | Goodbye/OK sir, "stay well" | File:Salasentle.ogg |
B | Go siame mma, tsamaya sentle | Goodbye/OK madam, "leave well" | File:Tsamayasentle.ogg |
Informal Goodbye
A | Boroko mma | Goodnight madam | File:Boroko mma.ogg |
B | Robala sentle rra | Sleep well sir | File:Robala sentle.ogg |
- | Re tlaa bonana | We will see each other | File:Re tla bonana.ogg |
Vocabulary
dumela | dumelang | Hello/Good Morning/Afternoon |
tsoga | tsogile | wake/woke up |
tlhola | tlhotse | spend/spent the day |
robala | robetse | sleep/slept |
sala | - | stay |
tsamaya | - | leave/go |
bonana | - | see each other |
botoka | - | better |
go siame | - | OK/fine/goodbye |
sharpu | - | OK (slang) |
jang ? | - | how |
kae ? | - | where |
boroko | - | good night |
ko-ko | - | knock-knock |
teng | - | there/around/available |
sentle | - | well/good |