AN INTRODUCTION TO SETSWANA - Peace Corps

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

1

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

Page

3

4

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

14

15

15

15

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

Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

2

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)

¨º

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

(represents

two sounds)

?

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

¨ºma, stand

f¨ºla, only

gana, refuse

ou in ought

p in pain

p (with aspiration) as in peach

b?na, 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

r¨ºra, 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

w¨ºna, you

Nxau-xau, name of place in

Botswana

tsamaya, go

nonexistent

Adapted from: Setswana- English- Setswana Dictionary( Z.I. Matumo, 1993)

Back to Top

Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

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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, w¨ºna 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

Dum¨ºlang borra le bomma

Good day ladies and gentlemen

Good day madam

Dumela mma

How are you (pl)?

Le tsogile jang?

Re tsogile sentle, w¨ºna 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

Dum¨ºla rra

Dum¨ºla 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

¡°Dum¨ºla¡± is not specific to any time of the day. Men are expected to take off their

hats/ caps when greeting elders.

dum¨ºla rra

dum¨ºla mma

Back to Top

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

Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

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Lesson 4: Leave- Taking Expression

go siame

ke tla go bona

tlh?la sentle

robala sentle / bor?k?

ke tla go b?na kamoso

ke tla go b?na 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)

kg?na / kg?nn¨º

gakolola / gakolots¨º

tshaba / tshabile

araba / arabile

g?r?ga / g?r?gile

botsa / boditse

kopa / kopile

tsamaya / tsamaile

nna, ntse

simolola / simolotse

dum¨ºla / dumetse

bedisa / bedisitse

adima / adimile

tlisa / tlisitse)

tshuba / tshubile

fitlha / fitlhile

r¨ºka / r¨ºkile

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,

ts¨ºna/ tsenye

tswa / dule,

apaya / apeile

lela / ledile

bina / binn¨º

Climb

Close

Come

Come in

Come out (emerge)

Cook

Cry

Dance

di¨ºga / di¨ºgile

senya / sentse

Delay

Destroy

Introduction to Setswana, Peace Corps/ Botswana

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