Lesotho Sesotho Forms of Greeting
This page has forms of greeting using Lesotho Sesotho (SASe), click here for more on how it is done using the orthography of South African Sesotho (SASe).
SINGULAR
| ENGLISH | SESOTHO |
| Good day / Greetings | Lumela |
| Peace | Khotso |
| Hello/Good day
... father mother boy girl Mr ... Mrs ... Miss ... |
Lumela ... ntate 'me moshemane ngoanana Monghadi ... Mofumahadi ... Mofumahatsana ... |
| 1) How are you? (Literally: Where are you?) |
1) U kae? |
| 1) I'm fine, and you ? (Literally: I'm here, where are you?) |
1) Ke teng, wena o kae ? |
| 2) How are you? (Literally: How are you living?) |
2) U phela joang? |
| 2) I'm fine, and you? (Literally: I'm living fine, how are you living?) |
2) Ke phela hantle, Uena u phela joang? |
| Goodbye (to person staying) | Sala hantle. |
| Goodbye (to person leaving) | Tsamaea hantle. |
| Have a safe journey. (Literally: White road) |
Tsela tsoeu. |
Take note that it is
more polite to call an older male person ntate (father) and an older
female person 'me (mother). For a person of a similar age as the speaker aubuti
(older brother) is used for males and ausi (older sister) for
females. For very old people ntatemoholo (grandfather) and nkgono
(grandmother) is used.
This is a way in which respect is shown. Furthermore it is important to these
words do not necessarily indicate a family relation.
PLURAL
| ENGLISH | SESOTHO |
| Good day | Lumelang |
| Peace | Khotsong |
| Hello/good day ... boys girls everyone men women people ladies and gentlemen |
Dumelang ... bashemane banana ba moreneng banna basali batho bo-'me le bo-ntate |
| How are you ? | Le kae ? |
| I'm fine, and you ? | Re teng, le kae ? |
| Goodbye (to people staying) | Salang hantle. |
| Goodbye (to people leaving) | Tsamaeang hantle. |
The plural form of greeting is also sometimes used in order to show respect towards a person. For example, one would say lumelang ntate (good day father) instead of what would be perceived to be more grammatically correct lumela ntate (good day father) in order to show respect.
Sesotho.web.za
© J. Olivier
(2009)