Setswana
Tswana
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana)
Tswana (Setswana) is a Bantu language of the Sotho-Tswana group, the national language of Botswana and one of South Africa's 11 official languages, with ~14M speakers. Closely related to Northern Sotho (Pedi) and Southern Sotho (Sesotho), sharing the Sotho-Tswana clade with characteristic lateral fricatives /ɬ ɮ/ (written tlh, dlh). Has 17–18 noun classes, with concord prefixes throughout the noun phrase, verb conjugations, and pronouns — typical Bantu noun-class system. Major literature includes the missionary translation of the Bible (Robert Moffat, 1857) and works of Sol Plaatje, founder of the African National Congress.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tswana
Water
metsi
/metsi/
Fire
molelo
/moleːlo/
Sun
letsatsi
/letsatsi/
Moon
ngwedi
/ŋwedi/
Star
naledi
/naledi/
Mother
mmê
/mːɛ/
Father
rrê
/rːɛ/
I
nna
/nːa/
You
wena
/wena/
Name
leina
/leina/
Eye
leitlho
/leitɬʰo/
Hand
seatla
/seatɬa/
Heart
pelo
/peːlo/
Love
lerato
/leɾato/
Tree
setlhare
/setɬʰaɾe/
House
ntlo
/ntɬo/
Dog
ntša
/ntʃa/
Cat
katse
/katse/
Eat
ja
/dʒa/
Drink
nwa
/nwa/
One
nngwe
/ŋːwe/
Two
pedi
/pedi/
Hello
dumela
/dumeːla/
Thank you
ke a leboga
/ke a leboɣa/
Good
siame
/siaːme/
Computer
khomphuta
/kʰompʰuta/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana) languages
| Meaning | Tswana | Northern Sotho | Sesotho | Lozi | Venda | Tsonga | Xhosa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | metsi /metsi/ | meetse /meːtse/ | metsi /metsi/ | mezi /mezi/ | maḓi /maɖi/ | mati /mati/ | amanzi /amaːnzi/ |
| Fire | molelo /moleːlo/ | mollo /molːo/ | mollo /molːo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ |
| Sun | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | lizazi /lizazi/ | ḓuvha /ɖuvʱa/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ | ilanga /ilaːŋɡa/ |
| Moon | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | khoeli /kʰwɛːli/ | kweli /kweli/ | ṅwedzi /ŋwedzi/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ | inyanga /iɲaːŋɡa/ |
| Star | naledi /naledi/ | naledi /naledi/ | naledi /naledi/ | naleli /naleli/ | ṋaledzi /n̪aledzi/ | nyeleti /ɲeleti/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ |
| Mother | mmê /mːɛ/ | mma /mːa/ | mmè /mːɛ/ | ma /ma/ | mme /mːe/ | manana /manana/ | umama /umaːma/ |
| Father | rrê /rːɛ/ | tate /tate/ | ntate /ntate/ | ndate /ndate/ | khotsi /kʰotsi/ | tatana /tatana/ | utata /utaːta/ |
| I | nna /nːa/ | nna /nna/ | nna /nːa/ | na /na/ | nṋe /n̪ːe/ | mina /mina/ | mna /mna/ |
| You | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | iwe /iwe/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ |
| Name | leina /leina/ | leina /leina/ | lebitso /lebitso/ | libizo /libizo/ | dzina /dzina/ | vito /vito/ | igama /iɡaːma/ |
| Eye | leitlho /leitɬʰo/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | liito /liːto/ | iṱo /it̪o/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ | iliso /iliso/ |
| Hand | seatla /seatɬa/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | letsoho /letsoho/ | lizoho /lizoho/ | tshanḓa /tʃʰaɳɖa/ | voko /voko/ | isandla /isandɮa/ |
| Heart | pelo /peːlo/ | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /pelo/ | pilu /pilu/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | intliziyo /intɬizijo/ |
| Love | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lilato /lilato/ | lufuno /lufuno/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | uthando /utʰando/ |
| Tree | setlhare /setɬʰaɾe/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | sefate /sefate/ | kota /kota/ | muri /muɾi/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | umthi /umtʰi/ |
| House | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ndu /ndu/ | nnḓu /nɖu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ |
| Dog | ntša /ntʃa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | ntja /ntʃa/ | nja /ndʒa/ | mmbwa /mːbwa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ | inja /indʒa/ |
| Cat | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | kaze /kaze/ | katse /katse/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | ikati /ikati/ |
| Eat | ja /dʒa/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | ho ja /ho dʒa/ | kuca /kutsa/ | u ḽa /u ɭa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | ukutya /ukutʲa/ |
| Drink | nwa /nwa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | ho noa /ho noa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | u ṅwa /u ŋwa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | ukusela /ukusɛla/ |
| One | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | tee /teː/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | nthihi /ntʰihi/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ | inye /iɲɛ/ |
| Two | pedi /pedi/ | pedi /pedi/ | pedi /pedi/ | peli /peli/ | mbili /mbili/ | mbirhi /mbiri/ | mbini /mbiːni/ |
| Hello | dumela /dumeːla/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | ndaa /ndaː/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | molo /molo/ |
| Thank you | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | kea leboha /kea leboha/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | ndo livhuwa /ndo livʱuwa/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | enkosi /ɛnkosi/ |
| Good | siame /siaːme/ | botse /botse/ | monate /monate/ | nde /nde/ | zwavhuḓi /zwavʱuɖi/ | kahle /kaɬe/ | lungile /luŋɡilɛ/ |
| Computer | khomphuta /kʰompʰuta/ | khomphutha /kʰompʰutʰa/ | khomputa /kʰomputa/ | — | — | — | ikhompyutha /ikʰompjutʰa/ |
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