Sesotho is the main language of Lesotho and is one of the official languages of South Africa.
; a : as in sp__a__ ; e : as in p__i__t, caf__e__, or b__e__d ; i : as in b__ee__t ; o : as in p__u__t, French "ois__eau__", or b__oa__rd ; u : as in b__oo__t
; b : same as English, only fully voiced ; bj : pronounced as above, followed by either the s as in vi__s__ion or the j as in __y__arn ; d : same as English as an allophone of l that only occurs before i and u ; f : same as English ; fj : pronounced as above, followed by sh as in __sh__e ; h : same as English, voiced or unvoiced; it's an allophone, either way ; j : as in vi__s__ion or j__am ; k : as in s__k__ill, only unaspirated ; kh : fully aspirated k, which occurs mostly in old loanwords and ideophones ; l : same in English ; m : same in English ; n : same in English ; ng : as in si__ng ; ny : as in o__ni__on or Spanish "el ni__ñ__o" ; p : as in s__p__it, only unaspirated ; ph : fully aspirated p ; pj : pronounced as p, followed by sh as in sh__e ; pjh : aspirated pj ; s : same as English ; sh : as in sh__oe ; t : as in s__t__alk, only unaspirated ; th : aspirated t ; tj : as in whi__ch, only unaspirated ; tjh : aspirated tj ; ts : as in ca__ts, only unaspirated ; tsh : aspirated ts ; w : same in English ; y : as in __y__arn
; Tricky Consonants
; hl : ; kg : as in the way the Scottish say lo__ch__ ; r : as in French, only soft; originally pronounced as an alveolar rolled lingual ; tl : ; tlh : aspirated tl ; q : ; qh : aspirated q ; nq :
Common signs
; OPEN :bula ; CLOSED :kwala ; ENTRANCE : ; EXIT : ; PUSH : ; PULL :hula ; TOILET :ntlwaneng ; MEN :monna ; WOMEN :mosadi ; FORBIDDEN :
; Hello. : dumela. (doomellah) ; Hello. (informal) : Khotso. (hotsow) ; How are you? : U phela joang? (oo-pee-la-jwang) ; Fine, thank you. : Kea phela (key-ah-pee-la) ; What is your name? : Lebitso la hau ke mang? (leh-beet-saw la-how key-mung) ; My name is ______ . : Lebitso la ka ke ______ . (_ _____ .) ; Nice to meet you. : Ke thabela ho u tseba . (key-ta-bell-a-who-oo-t-see-ba) ; Please. : . (Ke kopa hore o...) ; Thank you. : Kea leboha. () ; You're welcome. : . () ; Yes. : . (Eea) ; No. : . (Che) ; Excuse me. (getting attention) : . (A k'u ntšoarele hanyane) ; Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . () ; I'm sorry. : Ntšoarele. () ; Goodbye : Sala hantle. () ; Goodbye (informal) : . () ; I can't speak Sesotho [well]. : [ ]. ([]) ; Do you speak English? : U bua sekhooa ? (?) ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : ? (Hona le motho ea tsebang ho bua Sekhooa?) ; Help! : Ke kopa thuso! (!_) ; Look out! : ! (Hlokomela !) ; Good morning. : . (Lumaka/Khotso) ; Good evening. : . (dumela/Khotso) ; Good night. : . (Dumela/Khotso) ; Good night (to sleep) : Robala hantle. () ; I don't understand. : Ha ke utloisise. () ; Where is the toilet? : ? (Ntloaneng ke kae?) I'm OK or fine (Ke hantle )
; Leave me alone. : ("kgaohana le nna") ; Don't touch me! : ("se ntshware") ; I'll call the police. : ("ketla founela mapolesa") ; Police! : ("mapolesa plr..leponesa sing") ; Stop! Thief! : ("Ema!leshodu") ; I need your help. : ke hloka thuso ya hao("...") ; It's an emergency. : ("ke tshwanyetso") ; I'm lost. : ke lahlehile ("...") ; I lost my bag. : ("ke lahlehetswe ke mokotla waka") ; I lost my wallet. : ("ke lahlehetswe ke sepatjhe saka") ; I'm sick. : ("ke ya kula") ; I've been injured. : ("ke lemetse") ; I need a doctor. : ("ke hloka ngaka") ; Can I use your phone? : ("Nka sebedisa mohala wa hao wa thekeng")
; 1 : Ngoe ; 2 : Peli ; 3 : Tharo ; 4 : 'Ne ; 5 : Hlano ; 6 : Ts'elela ; 7 : Supa ; 8 : Robeli ; 9 : Robong ; 10 : Leshome ; 11 : Leshome le motso o mong ; 12 : Leshome le metso e 'meli ; 13 : Leshome le metso e meraro ; 14 : Leshome le metso e mene ; 15 : Leshome le metso e mehlano ; 16 : Leshome le metso e ts'eletseng ; 17 : Leshome le metso e supileng ; 18 : Leshome le metso e robeli ; 19 : Leshome le metso e robong ; 20 : Mashome a mabeli ; 30 : Mashome a mararo ; 40 : Mashome a mane ; 50 : Mashome a mahlano ; 60 : Mashome a ts'eletseng ; 70 : Mashome a supileng ; 80 : Mashome a robeli ; 90 : Mashome a robong ; 100 : Lekholo ; 200 : Makholo a mabeli ; 300 : Makholo a mararo ; 400 : Makholo a mane ; 600 : Makholo a mahlano ; 600 : Makholo a ts'eletseng ; 700 : Makholo a supileng ; 800 : Makholo a robeli ; 900 : Makholo a robong ; 1000 : Sekete
; Hour : Hora ; Hours : Dihora ; Minute : Motsotso ; Minutes : Metsotso ; Second : Motsotswana ; Seconds : Metsotswana
; Monday : Mantaha ; Tuesday : Labobedi ; Wednesday : Laboraro ; Thursday : Labone ; Friday : Labohlano ; Saturday : Moqebelo ; Sunday : Sontaha ; Weekend : Mafelo a beke
; January : ("pherekgong ") ; February : ("hlakola") ; March : ("hlakubele") ; April : ("mmesa") ; May : ("motsheanong") ; June : ("phupu") ; July : ("phupjane") ; August : ("phato") ; September : ("lwetse") ; October : ("motsheanong") ; November : ("pudungwane") ; December : ("tshitswe")
; Red : ("kgubedu") ; Yellow : ("tshehla") ; Green : ("tala") ; Blue : ("bolou") ; Black : ("ntsho") ; White : ("sweu") ; Purple : ("perese") ; Orange : ("...") ; Brown : ("...") ; Grey : ("putswa") ; Pink : ("...")
; How much is a ticket to _____? : ("...")ke bokaye ticket ; One ticket to _____, please. : ("...") ; Where does this train/bus go? : ("...") ; Where is the train/bus to _____? : ("...") ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : ("...") ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : ("...") ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : ("...")
Che le te
; Eat the food : ("eja dijo")