Tswana is another Bantu language, spoken in South African and Botswana (which is named after it and of which it is the official language). In total in southern Africa around 5 million people speak Tswana. It is part of the Niger-Congo language family, and Tswana is heavily related to the Sotho languages. Below a dictionary list with Tswana words & their meanings translated into English.

English to Tswana

Bloemfontein: 1. Mangaung
East: 1. botlhaba
European: 1. lekgowa
Friday: 1. Labotlhano
Johannesburg: 1. Gouteng
Mister: 1. morena, motlotlegi
Monday: 1. lantlha
Mr.: 1. morena, motlotlegi
Mrs.: 1. mohumagadi
North: 1. bokone




Pretoria: 1. Tshwane
Sabbath: 1. Lamatlhatso
Saturday: 1. Lamatlhatso
Sunday: 1. Lamorena, Sontaga
Thursday: 1. Labone
Tuesday: 1. Labobedi
Wednesday: 1. Laboraro
West: 1. bophirima
academic: 1. moithuti
aeroplane: 1. sefofane
affair: 1. kgang | 2. kgang
after: 1. morago ga
afternoon: 1. thapama, mathapama
afterwards: 1. morago
aid: 1. thuso | 2. thuso
aircraft: 1. sefofane
airplane: 1. sefofane
ale: 1. bojalwa
also: 1. gape
and: 1. le, mme
arm: 1. letsogo
as: 1. jang | 2. jang | 3. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
ass: 1. tonki
assigned job: 1. tiro
at home: 1. gae
at that place: 1. gone, koo, teng
away: 1. kgakale
axe: 1. selepe
baboon: 1. tshwene
back: 1. mokwatla
beard: 1. ditedu
because: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka nthla ya gore | 2. gonne, ka gonne | 3. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
beer: 1. bojalwa
behind: 1. morago | 2. morago ga
below: 1. fatshe | 2. fatshe
bird: 1. nonyane
blood: 1. madi
bloom: 1. sethunya
body: 1. mmele
book: 1. buka
boulder: 1. lefika
box: 1. pitsa
boy: 1. mosimane
bread: 1. borotho
bug: 1. khunkhwane
business: 1. kgang
business deal: 1. kgang
but: 1. fela
cabin: 1. ntlo
car: 1. sejanaga
case: 1. kgang | 2. kgang | 3. kgang
cat: 1. katse
chair: 1. setulo
chest: 1. sefuba
city: 1. toropo
cloud: 1. maru
container: 1. pitsa
crocodile: 1. kwena
doctor: 1. ngaka
dog: 1. ntswa
donkey: 1. tonki
door: 1. lebati
downstairs: 1. fatshe
ear: 1. tsebe
east: 1. botlhaba
elder brother: 1. mogolo
elder sibling: 1. mogolo
elder sister: 1. mogolo
elephant: 1. tlou
exclusively: 1. fela
eye: 1. leitlho
face: 1. sefatlhego
farmer: 1. molemi
father: 1. ntate | 2. ntate
feather: 1. pene
fellow: 1. monna
finger: 1. monwana
firewood: 1. dikgong
first: 1. pele
firstly: 1. pele
first of all: 1. pele
fish: 1. tlhapi
flower: 1. sethunya
food: 1. dijo, sejo
foot: 1. lonao | 2. lonao
for: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
force: 1. maatla
forehead: 1. phatla
for the reason that: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka nthla ya gore | 2. gonne, ka gonne
fountain: 1. sediba
friend: 1. tsala
from: 1. mo go
gangster: 1. tsotsi
gazette: 1. kuranta
gentleman: 1. morena, motlotlegi
girl: 1. mosetsana
goat: 1. podi
good day: 1. dumela
gun: 1. sethunya
hamlet: 1. motse
hand: 1. seatla
head: 1. tlhogo | 2. tlhogo | 3. tlhogo | 4. tlhogo
head of cattle: 1. kgomo
hello: 1. dumela
help: 1. thuso | 2. thuso
hog: 1. kolobe
honor: 1. tlhompha
honour: 1. tlhompha
hoodlum: 1. tsotsi
horse: 1. pitse
how: 1. jang | 2. jang | 3. jang
how many: 1. ke bokae
how much: 1. ke bokae
hunter: 1. motsomi
hut: 1. ntlo
insect: 1. khunkhwane
inside: 1. ka mo
instructor: 1. morutabana
in what way: 1. jang | 2. jang
iron: 1. tshipi
job: 1. tiro
jug: 1. pitsa | 2. pitsa
just: 1. fela
knife: 1. thipa
lad: 1. mosimane
laddie: 1. mosimane
lady: 1. mohumagadi
lass: 1. mosetsana
leg: 1. leoto | 2. leoto
letter: 1. lekwalo
like: 1. jang
likewise: 1. gape
lion: 1. tau
lip: 1. pouname
loaf: 1. borotho
lord: 1. morena, motlotlegi
madam: 1. mohumagadi
magazine: 1. kuranta
man: 1. monna
matter: 1. kgang | 2. kgang
meat: 1. nama
meercat: 1. mosa
midday: 1. motshegare
milk: 1. masi
money: 1. madi
mother: 1. mme
mountain: 1. thaba
mouth: 1. molomo | 2. molomo | 3. molomo
nail: 1. nala
neck: 1. molala
necktie: 1. tae
newspaper: 1. kuranta
next: 1. morago
no: 1. nnyaa
noon: 1. motshegare
north: 1. bokone
nose: 1. nko
not: 1. nnyaa
nothing: 1. sepe
okay: 1. pila, sentle
old man: 1. mokgalaje
one: 1. mongwe
only: 1. fela
on that account: 1. ka foo
or: 1. kgotsa
ostrich: 1. ntshwe
out of: 1. mo go
over there: 1. gone, koo, teng
owl: 1. morubisi
paper: 1. pampiri
pate: 1. tlhogo
paw: 1. leoto
pawn: 1. lesole
periodical: 1. kuranta
physician: 1. ngaka
pig: 1. kolobe
plan: 1. leano
plane: 1. sefofane
plume: 1. pene
pot: 1. pitsa
problem: 1. bothata
project: 1. leano
question: 1. potso
quite: 1. thata
rain: 1. pula
reality: 1. nnete, ruri
rifle: 1. sethunya
river: 1. noka
road: 1. tsela
route: 1. tsela
scheme: 1. leano
shack: 1. ntlo
sheep: 1. nku
shoe: 1. sethlako
since: 1. gonne, ka gonne, ka ntlha ya gore
sir: 1. morena, motlotlegi
soldier: 1. lesole
song: 1. pina
source: 1. sediba
south: 1. borwa
spring: 1. sediba
steel: 1. tshipi
stomach: 1. mala
stone: 1. lefika
storm: 1. ledimo
strength: 1. maatla
student: 1. moithuti
subsequently: 1. morago
such a: 1. jang
such as: 1. jang
swine: 1. kolobe
table: 1. tafole
task: 1. tiro
teacher: 1. morutabana
that: 1. gore | 2. eng | 3. mang
there: 1. gone, koo, teng | 2. gone, koo, teng
therefore: 1. ka foo
the day before yesterday: 1. maloba
thigh: 1. lerope
thou: 1. wena | 2. wena | 3. wena
tie: 1. tae
time: 1. nako
today: 1. gompieno, kajeno
tomorrow: 1. moso
tongue: 1. leleme
too: 1. gape
tooth: 1. leino
town: 1. toropo
township: 1. motse
traveller: 1. moeti
tree: 1. setlhare
trouble: 1. bothata
truth: 1. nnete, ruri | 2. nnete, ruri
uncle: 1. malome
underneath: 1. fatshe | 2. fatshe
vehicle: 1. sejanaga
very: 1. thata
very much: 1. thata
vessel: 1. pitsa
vigour: 1. maatla
village: 1. toropo
way: 1. tsela
weather: 1. ledimo
well: 1. pila, sentle
wench: 1. mosetsana
west: 1. bophirima
what: 1. eng | 2. eng
what a: 1. jang
what for: 1. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng | 2. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng
when: 1. leng | 2. leng | 3. leng | 4. leng
where: 1. kae | 2. kae
wherefore: 1. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng
which: 1. mang | 2. mang
while: 1. nako
white man: 1. lekgowa
who: 1. mang
why: 1. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng | 2. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng | 3. goreng, ka ntlha ya eng
wind: 1. phefo
window: 1. letlhabaphefo
ye: 1. wena | 2. wena
yes: 1. ee
yesterday: 1. maabane
yon: 1. gone, koo, teng
yonder: 1. gone, koo, teng
you: 1. wena | 2. wena | 3. wena | 4. wena
younger brother: 1. nnake
younger sibling: 1. nnake
younger sister: 1. nnake
youngster: 1. lesogana
youth: 1. lesogana