Peace Corps Setswana language lessons

Table of contents :
Peace Corps/ Botswana
An Introduction to the Setswana Language
Dumela mma
(Informal)- Dialogue
Dumêla rra
leina lame ke Itumeleng
I
I want
You want
We want
You want
ke na le buka
Eng? Ke eng?
Commanding expressions
Ke tlhôtse kwa sekolong
Ntlo
lapa

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Peace Corps

Setswana language lessons

Peace Corps/ Botswana An Introduction to the Setswana Language

Setswana is one of the Bantu language groups, mostly spoken in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia (Southern Africa). The following lessons have been designed to suit any new learner in Setswana who has had little or no exposure to Setswana language. Remember, Setswana will be a useful tool in your work, and aid you in integrating well in your community making accessible to you a substantial segment of the population with little or no English skills. 0 amogetswe mo puong ya Setswana!! Pula!

Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

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Table of Contents Lesson 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Topic A Guide to Pronunciation Greetings (Formal & Informal)dialogue Introducing Self / Someone Leave- Taking Expressions Vocabulary 1 (Verbs)

Audio Guide Bw_Setswana_Lesson_1.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_2.mp3

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Bw_Setswana_Lesson_3.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_4.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_5.mp3

Some Useful Expressions Vocabulary 2 (Nouns) Pronouns

Bw_Setswana_Lesson_6.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_7.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_8.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_9.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_10.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_11.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_12.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_13.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_14.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_15.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_16.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_17.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_18.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_19.mp3

4 5 5,6,7 7,8 8,9 9 9 9,10 10 10,11 11 12 12 13 13 13,14 14

Bw_Setswana_Lesson_20.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_21.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_22.mp3 Bw_Setswana_Lesson_23.mp3

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Connecting words Negation Verbs “to be” and “to have” Question Words and Commands Expressing Needs Food Items Family Adverbs of Time Days Activities Vocabulary 3 (Names of Places) Some of words with similar spelling but differing in meaning Asking for Prices Weather Health Expressions Safety Expressions

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Lesson 1: A Guide to Pronunciation Alphabet Like a a in father b b in baby ch ch in church d Debt e ey in “they” or “a” in came (represents e in begin two sounds)

ê f g h i j k l m n o (represents two sounds)

ô p ph q r s t th tl tlh tsh u v w x y z

Example batho, people baba, enemies chenchi, change ditau, lions pele, first bina, dance

“e” in there far The sound made when you hawk a lougie house ee in deep j in jug k in kind l in line m in me n in name o in boat A sound somewhat like u in put

êma, stand fêla, only gana, refuse

ou in ought p in pain p (with aspiration) as in peach

bôna, see pitse, horse phutha, fold

huma, be rich bina, dance jwala, sow kima, thick lela, cry/ weep mena, fold nama, meat Motse, village Pelo, heart

non existent

You just roll the “r” s in sit t in steak t (with aspiration) as in take as in cluck (with aspiration) as in sclerosis (with aspiration) like ts in mats u in rude

rêra, preach simolola, start setoto, carcass thusa, help tla, come tlhapa, wash/ bathe tshaba, run away

pula, rain

nonexistent

w in water an palatal click that is laterally released as in nxe, expressing sympathy

y in yet

wêna, you Nxau-xau, name of place in Botswana tsamaya, go

nonexistent Adapted from: Setswana- English- Setswana Dictionary( Z.I. Matumo, 1993) Back to Top

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Lesson 2: Greetings (Formal)- Dialogue Good morning/ day/ evening sir Good morning/ day/ evening madam How are you? o tsogile jang? ke tsogile sentle, wêna o tsogile I am fine and how are you? jang? (tsogile- Lit. means how have you risen?) I am well Ke tsogile sentle Greeting a group Dumêlang borra le bomma Good day ladies and gentlemen Good day madam Dumela mma How are you (pl)? Le tsogile jang? Re tsogile sentle, wêna o tsogile We are well and how are you? jang? I am well Ke tsogile sentle Thank you Re a leboga (Informal)- Dialogue Good day sir Dumêla rra Dumêla mma Good day madam How are you? Le kae? I am fine and how are you? re teng a lona le teng? I am fine Re teng “Dumêla” is not specific to any time of the day. Men are expected to take off their hats/ caps when greeting elders. dumêla rra dumêla mma

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Lesson 3: Introducing Self/ Someone leina lame ke Itumeleng sefane same ke Moeng leina la gago ke mang? ke tswa kwa Botswana o tswa kae? leina la gagwe ke Thabo sefane sa gagwe ke Thuto a o tswa kwa Amerika? ke moithaopi

My name is Itumeleng My Last name is Moeng What is your name? I am from Botswana Where are you from? His name is Thabo His last name is Thuto Are you from America? I am a volunteer Back to Top

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Lesson 4: Leave- Taking Expression go siame ke tla go bona tlhôla sentle robala sentle / borôkô ke tla go bôna kamoso ke tla go bôna kgantele

Good-bye See you Have a good day Good night See you tomorrow See you later Back to Top

Lesson 5: Vocabulary 1 (Verbs) Go-

To-

(word after slash represents the verb in its past tense form)

kgôna / kgônnê gakolola / gakolotsê tshaba / tshabile araba / arabile gôrôga / gôrôgile botsa / boditse kopa / kopile tsamaya / tsamaile nna, ntse simolola / simolotse dumêla / dumetse bedisa / bedisitse adima / adimile tlisa / tlisitse) tshuba / tshubile fitlha / fitlhile rêka / rêkile bitsa / biditse kuka / kukile (lit. lift, when in its past form it means to help

Able, be Advise;remind Afraid of, be Answer Arrive Ask Ask for (polite way) Away, go ; travel Be, become Begin Believe, agree Boil Borrow Bring Burn Bury Buy Call another person Carry

sb. carry)

palama / palame tswala / tswetse tla / tlile, tsêna/ tsenye tswa / dule, apaya / apeile lela / ledile bina / binnê

Climb Close Come Come in Come out (emerge) Cook Cry Dance

diêga / diêgile senya / sentse

Delay Destroy

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dira / dirile nwa /nolê phakêla / phaketse ja / jele tsêna / tsene tlhalosa / tlhalositse utlwa / utlwile fetsa / feditse fitlhêla / fitlhetse baakanya / baakantsê itshwarêla / itshwarêtse bôna / bonye tsoga / tsogile fa / file ya / ile itumêla / itumêtse thusa / thusitse tshwara / tshwere bolaya / bolaile boloka / bolokile siama / siame itse / itsile tshêga / tshegile ithuta / ithutile reetsa / reeditse rata / ratile nna /ntse tlhôka / tlhôkile bula / butsê feta / fetile duêla/ duetse sêla / setse baya / beile gana / gannê boa / boile raya / reile rekisa / rekisitse lwala / lwetse nna-fatshe / ntse-fatshe robala / robetse gôga / gogile bua / buile lala / letse sala / setse tsaya / tsere Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

Do Drink Early, to be Eat Enter Explain Feel; Hear; Taste Finish Find Fix, prepare Forgive To see Get up/ wake up Give Go Happy, be Help Hold Injure Keep Kind, be Know Laugh Learn ; study Listen Like/ love Live Need Open Pass Pay Pick up Place; put Refuse Return Say Sell Sick, to be Sit down Sleep Smoke ; pull Speak Spend the night Stay behind Take

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Teach Tell Tired, become Try Understand Use Visit Want Wash (clothes) bathe Watch Work Write

ruta / rutile bolêla / boletse lapa / lapile leka / lekile tlhaloganya / tlhalogantse dirisa / dirisitse êta / êtela batla / batlile Tlhatswa ; tlhatswitse Tlhapa ; tlhapile leba / lebile bêrêka / berekile kwala / kwadile

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Lesson 6: Some Useful Expressions ke lapile ke a otsêla ke tshwerwe ke tlala ga ke a tshwarwa ke tlala o ya kae? ke ya lapeng o tla leng? o nna kae? Andrew o kae? Edward o ya posong ga ke ye shopong ke ithuta Setswana ga ke rate kofi ke batla go ikhutsa ke a ja ga a je ga a ithute ke tlhapa phakela ke tsoga makuku go nna bosigo nako e tsamaile; …e tshaile (inf.) Ke tshwere ke lenyora ga ke tlhaloganye Bua ka bonya gape intshwarele Bua ka bonako A o na le mathata? Ee ke na le mathata

I am tired I am sleepy I am hungry I am not hungry Where are you going? I am going home When are you coming? Where is your home? Where is Andrew? Edward is going to the post office I don’t go to the shop I am learning Setswana ; I study I don’t take coffee I need some rest I eat ; I am eating He doesn’t eat She doesn’t study I bathe in the morning I wake up very early It’s becoming late (night fall) It’s time up I am thirsty I don’t understand Speak slowly Again Excuse me Speak quickly Do you have a problem (s)? Yes, I have a problem

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No, I don’t have a problem Do you have any questions? Listen Ask Greet Please Thank you

Nnyaa, ga ke na mathata A o na le dipotso? reetsa botsa dumêdisa Tswêê-tswêê Ke itumetse

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Lesson 7: Vocabulary 2 (Nouns) tafole setilô sejana kopi leswana thipa lefeêlô bolao kobô diaparô borokgwe ditlhako pensele buka bêkê pênê fensetere lebati

Kitchen Table Chair Plate Cup Spoon Knife Broom Bedroom Bed Blanket Clothes Pants Shoes General items Pencil Book Bag Pen Window Door Back to Top

Lesson 8: Pronouns nna wêna ênê rona lona bônê

I You She/ he We/ us You (pl) Them Back to Top

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Lesson 9: Connecting words le mme Kgotsa/kana ke jaaka Ka jalo Ka gore

and But Or Is As/like therefore because Back to Top

Lesson 10: Negation I

She/ he

We

You (pl)

They

Ke a batla I want

You (sing) O a batla

O a batla

You want

Le a batla You want

Negative present

Ga ke batle I do not want

Ga o batle You do not want

She/he wants Ga a batle She/he not want

Re a batla We want Ga re batle We do not want

Ga le batle You do not want

Ba a batla They want Ga ba batle They do not want

Past

Ke ne ke O ne o batla batla I did want You did want Ke ne ke O ne o sa batle sa battle I did not You did want not want

Re ne re batla We did want Re ne re sa batle We did not want

Le ne le batla You did want Le ne le sa batle You did not want

Ba ne ba batla They did want Ba ne ba sa batle They did not want

Ga re kake ra batla We will not want Re tlaa batla We will want

Ga le kake la batla You will not want Le tlaa batla You will want

Ga ba kake ba batla They will not want Ba tlaa batla They will want

Present

Negative past

Negative future

Future

Ga ke kake ka batla I will not want Ke tlaa batla I will want

Ga o kake wa batla You will not want O tlaa batla You will want

O ne a batla She/he did want O ne a sa battle She/he did not want Ga a kake a batla She/he will not O tlaa batla She/he will want

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? When you add the negative ga in the present statement the last letter in the verb changes to e (applicable in negative present tense). ? When you change the subject marker present “ke” to subject marker past the negative ga changes to sa i.e. negative past tense. ? In the negative future, the stem ga + pronoun+ kake is used to signify the negation. Back to Top

Lesson 11: Verb “to be” and “to have” Verb to be (-nna) I am a reading ke a bala You are (sing) reading o a bala You are (pl) reading Lo a bala She/ he is reading o a bala They are reading Ba a bala We are reading Re a bala the ‘a’ is applicable in all pronouns to mean am,is are e.t.c. Verb to have (-na le) I have a book ke na le buka You have (sing) a book O na le buka You have (pl) a book Lo na le buka She/ he has a book O na le buka They have a book Ba na le buka We have a book Re na le buka Back to Top

Lesson 12: Questions and Commands Eng? Ke eng? Leng? O tsile leng? Kae? O tswa kae? Jang? O tsogile jang? Mang? O mang? Efe? O batla efe? dife ? O batla dife? reng ? go reng/ ka go reng?

What is it? When did you come? Where are you from? How are you? Who are you? Which one? Which ones? Why?

Commanding expressions bula lebati

Open the door

tswala lebati

Close the door

êma o buê êma ka dinao

Stand and talk Stand

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tsêna mo teng

Get inside

tlaa kwano

Come here

didimala/reetsa

Keep quiet/Listen

boela kwa morago

Go back

tlaa kwa pele

Come to the front

nna fatshe

Sit down Back to Top

Lesson 13: Expressing Needs o batla eng? ke batla kêrêsê o tlhôka eng? ke tlhoka madi o batla go ya kae? ke batla go ya kwa lapeng o batla go dira eng jaanong? ga ke itse o ikutlwa jang? tlhogo yame e santse e opa ke eng a tlhoka madi a mantsi? o tlhôka go reka dijo le diaparo o rata kofi? nnyaa, ga ke rate kofi o ya kae kamoso; kamoso o ya kae? ke batla go ya shopong phakela

What do you want? I want a candle What do you need? I need money Where do you want to go? I want to go home What do you want to do now? I do not know How do you feel? My head still aches Why does she need a lot of money? She needs to buy food and clothes Do you like coffee? No. I don’t like coffee Where are you going tomorrow? I want to go to the shops in the morning Back to Top

Lesson 14: Food Items dijô mabêlê phaletshê sukiri letswai metsi mashi ditamati ditapole mae

Food Sorghum Mealie-meal Sugar Salt Water Milk Tomatoes Potatoes Eggs

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borotho kofi tee motôgô anyense; kwii namunê apole manôkô dinawa

Bread Coffee Tea Soft porridge (made from sorghum / mealie-meal) Onions Orange Apple Peanuts Beans Back to Top

Lesson 15: Family ntate mogolo nkuku ntate mmê; mma kgaitsadi (said only to pers. of opposite gender) nkgonne (to either elder sister/ brother) nnake (to either younger sister/ brother) rangwane malome rakgadi mmane; mmangwane ntsalake batsadi ngwana; bana (pl) Lelwapa ; lelapa

Grand father Grand mother Father Mother Sister ; Brother Older sibling Younger sibling Uncle (paternal) Uncle (maternal) Aunt (paternal) Aunt (maternal) cousin Parents Child/Children Family Back to Top

Lesson 16: Adverbs of Time gompieno maabane kamoso maloba a maabane maloba beke e beke e e fitileng (lit. the week that passed) beke e e tlang (lit. the week that is still to come) ngwaga e ngogola ; ngwaga e e fitileng ngwaga e e tlang kgwedi e Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

Today Yesterday Tomorrow The day before yesterday Few days ago This week Last week Next week This year Last year Next year This month 12

gone jaanong kgantele

At the moment Later on; earlier on (depending on

bosigo phakêla motshegare maitseboa

At night In the morning At noon (till sunset) Around sunset

context)

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Lesson 17: Days Activities Ke tsoga ka 6 phakela Ke a tlhapa Ke bo ke ja Ke ya sekolong Ke tlhôtse kwa sekolong Re ne re dira dilo tse dintsi Gone go na le baeng ba mapodisi Ke ne ke itumetse gompieno Fa ke tswa sekolong, ke a itapolosa

I wake up at 6am I bathe And then I eat. Then I go to school I spent the day at school we were doing a lot of things today there were visitors from the Police I was excited today When I come back from school I rest. Back to Top

Lesson 18: Vocabulary 3 (Names of Places) Places English Ntlo House Classroom Tlelase Toilet Thoelêtê kitchen Kitsi School sekolo; sekole Hospital Sepatela Clinic kokelwana shopo; lebênkêle Shop Post office Poso noka; molapô River Field Tshimo Kêrêkê Church Bank Banka Customary court Kgotla Back to Top

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Lesson 19: Some Words with similar spelling but different in meaning High tone Low tone ? Sorghum mabêlê ? Human breasts mabêlê ? To be tired lapa ? Home lapa ? To pull gôga ? To smoke gôga To feel ? utlwa To hear ? utlwa To taste ? utlwa ? Me nna ? To sit nna ? To bury go fitlha ? To hide something go fitlha ? How many are there? di kae? ? Where are they? di kae? Setswana unlike English, it is what is called a tonal language. In other words, every syllable has a high or low tone associated with it. It is this that gives Setswana its melodic sound. Back to Top

Lesson 20: Asking for Prices kgetse ya dinamunê ke bokae? ke bokae? ke P4.50 namunê e le nngwe ke bokae? e le nngwe ke 75 thebe ke bokae gotlhe?; madi otlhe ke bokae? madi otlhe ke P17.50

How much is a bag of oranges? How much is it? It’s P4.50 How much is each orange? They are 75 thebe each What’s the total price? The total price is P17. 50 Back to Top

Lesson 21: Weather Gompieno go serame; tsididi Gompieno go mogôte; molelô Go bothithô Go letsatsi Go diphefô; phefô Gompieno go botoka Selemô mariga

Today it is cold Today it is hot It is warm It is sunny It is windy Today it is better Summer Winter Back to Top

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Lesson 22: Health Expressions ke a lwala; ga ke a tsoga ke opiwa ke tlhogo mala ame a botlhoko matlho a gagwe a botlhoko Franco o ya tliliniking o ile ngakeng o rurugile leoto Seema o jêle sengwe se se sa siamang ba batla go ya tliliniking

I am not well I have a head ache My tummy hurts His eyes are sore Franco is going to the clinic She/ he went to see the doctor Her leg is swollen Seema ate something bad They want to go to the clinic Back to Top

Lesson 23: Safety Expressions nthuse ke kopa thuso ke tlhasetswe go thubilwe kwa lwapeng;ntlung Ke utswetswe ke thukuthilwe

Help me I need help I have been attacked, I am being attacked. My house has been broken into. There has been theft in my house. I have been robbed Back to Top

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