Café & Drinks

1. Ke kopa jwala ba setso

   Please give me traditional beer

   Usage

   Used to ask for traditional beer

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

2. Ke batla tee kapa kofi

   I want tea or coffee

   Usage

   Used when choosing between tea and coffee

   Grammar Note

   Tee is an Afrikaans loan and kofi an English one. Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

3. Lebese le futhumetseng

   Warm milk

   Usage

   Used to ask for warm milk

   Grammar Note

   Futhumala means to become warm. Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

4. Na nka nwa mafi?

   May I drink mafi (sour milk)?

   Usage

   Used to ask for mafi, soured milk

   Grammar Note

   Nwa means to drink. Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

5. O nwa eng?

   What do you drink?

   Usage

   Used to ask what someone would like to drink

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

6. Tee ya rooibos e tjhesa

   The rooibos tea is hot

   Usage

   Used to say the rooibos tea is hot

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

7. Ke batla ntho e batang

   I want something cold

   Usage

   Used to ask for a cold drink on a hot day

   Grammar Note

   Bata means to be cold. Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

8. Ke a leboha ka seno

   Thank you for giving me a drink

   Usage

   Used to thank someone for a drink

   Grammar Note

   "Ke a leboha" is the basic form of thanks. Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

9. Metsi a botlolong

   Bottled water

   Usage

   For asking for a sealed bottle of water

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

10. Metsi a tjhesang

    Hot water

    Usage

    For hot water, for example at a hotel desk

    Grammar Note

    Metsi is a plural-class noun, so the adjective agrees: "a tjhesang".

11. Kofi

    Coffee

    Usage

    Pointing at it at breakfast is enough

    Grammar Note

    A noun; the word alone is enough on a menu or at a shop counter.

12. Tee

    Tea

    Usage

    In South Africa it often arrives with milk and sugar already in it

    Grammar Note

    A noun; the word alone is enough on a menu or at a shop counter.

13. Biri

    Beer

    Usage

    For ordering beer; traditional brew is jwala

    Grammar Note

    Jwala is the general word for beer and liquor

14. Lero

    Juice

    Usage

    For children, or when you are not drinking alcohol

    Grammar Note

    Kinds are named like "lero la apole" (apple juice)

15. Ntle le leqhwa

    Without ice

    Usage

    Show it when you would rather not risk ice made from tap water

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence built with regular Sesotho grammar (composed).

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