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
20 core words in Tswana
Water
metsi
/metsi/
Fire
molelo
/moleːlo/
Sun
letsatsi
/letsatsi/
Moon
ngwedi
/ŋwedi/
Mother
mmê
/mːɛ/
Father
rrê
/rːɛ/
Eat
ja
/dʒa/
Drink
nwa
/nwa/
Love
lerato
/leɾato/
Heart
pelo
/peːlo/
Tree
setlhare
/setɬʰaɾe/
House
ntlo
/ntɬo/
Dog
ntša
/ntʃa/
Cat
katse
/katse/
Hand
seatla
/seatɬa/
Eye
leitlho
/leitɬʰo/
Hello
dumela
/dumeːla/
Thank you
ke a leboga
/ke a leboɣa/
One
nngwe
/ŋːwe/
Good
siame
/siaːme/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana) languages
| Meaning | Tswana | Sesotho | Northern Sotho | Venda | Lozi | Tsonga | Swazi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | metsi /metsi/ | metsi /metsi/ | meetse /meːtse/ | maḓi /maɖi/ | mezi /mezi/ | mati /mati/ | emanti /emanti/ |
| Fire | molelo /moleːlo/ | mollo /molːo/ | mollo /molːo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ |
| Sun | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | ḓuvha /ɖuvʱa/ | lizazi /lizazi/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ |
| Moon | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | khoeli /kʰwɛːli/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | ṅwedzi /ŋwedzi/ | kweli /kweli/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ |
| Mother | mmê /mːɛ/ | mmè /mːɛ/ | mma /mːa/ | mme /mːe/ | ma /ma/ | manana /manana/ | make /make/ |
| Father | rrê /rːɛ/ | ntate /ntate/ | tate /tate/ | khotsi /kʰotsi/ | ndate /ndate/ | tatana /tatana/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ |
| Eat | ja /dʒa/ | ho ja /ho dʒa/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | u ḽa /u ɭa/ | kuca /kut͡sa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | kudla /kuɮa/ |
| Drink | nwa /nwa/ | ho noa /ho noa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | u ṅwa /u ŋwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ |
| Love | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lufuno /lufuno/ | lilato /lilato/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | lutsandvo /luʦandwo/ |
| Heart | pelo /peːlo/ | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /pelo/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | pilu /pilu/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ |
| Tree | setlhare /setɬʰaɾe/ | sefate /sefate/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | muri /muɾi/ | kota /kota/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ |
| House | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | nnḓu /nɖu/ | ndu /ndu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ |
| Dog | ntša /ntʃa/ | ntja /ntʃa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | mmbwa /mːbwa/ | nja /ndʒa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ | inja /indʒa/ |
| Cat | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | kaze /kaze/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | likati /likati/ |
| Hand | seatla /seatɬa/ | letsoho /letsoho/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | tshanḓa /tʃʰaɳɖa/ | lizoho /lizoho/ | voko /voko/ | sandla /sandɮa/ |
| Eye | leitlho /leitɬʰo/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | ito /ito/ | liito /liːto/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hello | dumela /dumeːla/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | ndaa /ndaː/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ |
| Thank you | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | kea leboha /kea leboha/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | ndo livhuwa /ndo livʱuwa/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ |
| One | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | tee /teː/ | nthihi /ntʰihi/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ |
| Good | siame /siaːme/ | monate /monate/ | botse /botse/ | zwavhuḓi /zwavʱuɖi/ | nde /nde/ | kahle /kaɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.