Tswana language

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{{Infobox Language |name=Tswana |nativename=Setswana |states=Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia |region=southern Africa |speakers=4,407,174 |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=Atlantic-Congo |fam3=Benue-Congo |fam4=Bantoid |fam5=Narrow Bantu |nation=Botswana and South Africa |iso1=tn|iso2=tsn|iso3=tsn}}

Tswana, also known as Setswana, is a Bantu language. Tswana is the national and majority language of Botswana, whose people are the Batswana (singular Motswana). The majority of Tswana speakers are in South Africa (where it is an official language), but there are also speakers in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Internationally there are about 4 million speakers. Before South Africa became a multi-racial democracy, the bantustan of Bophuthatswana was set up to cover the Tswana speakers of South Africa.

Setswana is a Bantu language, belonging to the Niger-Congo language family. It is most closely related to two other languages in the Sotho language group, Sesotho (Southern Sotho) and Northern Sotho (Sesotho sa Leboa). It has also been known as Beetjuans, Chuana (hence Bechuanaland), Coana, Cuana, and Sechuana.

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Some simple Tswana phrases

Dumela, rra/mma - Hello, Sir/Madam.

O tsogile jang? - Are you well?

Formal inquiry after health:

O tsogile jang? - How are you? (literally, 'how did you awake?').
Ke tsogile sentle, rra/mma. Wena o tsogile jang? - I'm well, Sir/Madam. How are you?

(Replace tsogile with tlhotse for afternoon greetings.)

Informal inquiry after health:

Le kae? - How are you?
Re teng, rra/mma - We're well, Sir/Madam. (Also used by individuals.)

Other useful phrases:

Ke a leboga, rra/mma - Thank you, Sir/Madam.
Ke bidiwa _______ - I am called _____.
Ke tshwerwe ke tlala - I'm hungry
A re tsamaye - Let's go
Ke nyorilwe/Ke tshwerwe ke lenyora - I'm thirsty
Kokelwana e ko kae? - Where is the clinic?
Ke nako mang? - What time is it?
Ke kopa thuso. - I would like some help please.
A nka go thusa? - Will you help me?
A o ya ko ____? - How do you get to _____?
____ ke eng ka Setswana? - What is _____ in Setswana?
Ga ke batle ____ - I do not want ____
Robala sentle - Sleep well
Tsamaya sentle - Go well
Sala sentle - Stay well (last two together make up a farewell)

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Pronunciation tips:

The g is pronounced as a throaty h sound similar to the ch in loch.
- This is reflected in the pronunciation of Botswana's capital, Gaborone.
The th is like a hard t sound with a little more air as in tap rather than thick.
- The same is true for all other consonants used in combination with h (e.g., ph, sh, tlh, etc.)
The combination tl is pronounced as tɬ.
Vowels are pronounced as follows: a as in 'apple' e as in let or hey, i as in fit, o as in show, and u as in dune.