Welcome to Setswana Saturdays!
Yup, you read that correctly! Every Saturday this month you will find a Setswana language lesson posted aqui (here in spanish)!
Today’s lesson: Greetings
Greetings are one of the most important tidbits of this culture you need to know before visiting Botswana.
If you need help with directions or have a complaint, your voice will NOT be heard until you say hello!
Now I’m going to list some key words and their translation. Then we will start with a very simple dialogue.
In Setswana:
Hello = Dumela ( talking to a group of men)
Women = Bomma ( talking to a group of women)
Men = Borra
and = le (sounds like “lay”)
How are you = O tsogile jang? ( tsogile sounds like ” So He Lay”)
I am well = Ke tsogile sentle (sentle sounds like “Sen clay”)
I = Ke (sounds like “KAY”)
Wena = You ( or And you?) ( Sounds like “Way Nah”)
Ms/Mrs. = Mme ( sounds like “mmmmMay”)
Sir/Mr. = Rra ( sounds like “Rah”)
Good bye = Gosiame (sounds like “Ho See Ah may)
Very simple dialogue below…next week we shall build!
Male : Dumela Mma!
Female: Dumela Rra!
Male: O tsogile jang?
Female: Ke tsogile sentle. Wena, O tsogile jang?
Male: Ke tsogile sentle. Gosiame Mme.
Female: Gosiame Rra!
Did you follow that? It’s really simple right? Good job!
Now…how would you have the same conversation but with a group of men or women?
Leave the answer in the comments down below!
🙂
See you tomorrow. Gosiame!