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