Language/Tswana/Vocabulary/Drinks
Hi Tswana learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about drinks in Tswana. After this lesson, you will be able to order drinks in Tswana and impress your friends at a bar. Don't hesitate to practice with native speakers using Polyglot Club and ask them any questions you have.
Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
To start with, let's take a look at the most common drinks in Tswana:
| Tswana | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| diphologolo | dee-poh-LOH-goh-loh | water |
| savanna[citation needed] | suh-VAH-nuh | Savannah (cider) |
| borotho | boh-raw-TOH | beer |
| moru | moh-rue | sour milk |
| mukuru | moo-KOO-ru | tea |
| kofi | KOH-fee | coffee |
| maswe | MAH-sweh | juice |
| lejwe | LEH-jweh | milk |
Drinks in context[edit | edit source]
Let's now see those drinks in context through a dialogue:
- Person 1: Ke batla borotho. (I want beer.)
- Person 2: Le ena e leng borotho. (And you, what beer do you want?)
- Person 1: Koo. (Castle Lite.)
- Person 2 to the bartender: Skelem e kae? (Where is the bottle opener?)
- The bartender hands a bottle opener to Person 2.
- Person 2: Ke a leboga. (Thank you.)
- Person 3: Ke batla maswe. (I want juice.)
- Person 4: Leng teng? (What kind?)
- Person 3: Ene e leng maswe a dithupeng. (This one with mixed fruit.)
- Person 5: Moru o a tlwaelegile. (The sour milk is sour enough.)
- Person 6: Ke tla tswelela ka diphologolo. (I'll stick to water.)
Interesting facts[edit | edit source]
Did you know that Tswana people sometimes pour a little bit of milk into their tea instead of creamer or milk? They call it "phedhe" which means "preparation", or "tshate".
Another cultural aspect of Tswana drinking habits is the use of hand signals to communicate with bartenders or waitstaff. To order a drink, Tswana people lift their hand with the palm facing downwards, and move it slightly towards them. To order another round, they lift their hand higher and move it left to right. Don't be shy to try it out next time you're in a bar!
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
That's it for this lesson on drinks in Tswana. I hope you learned something new and interesting about Tswana culture. Don't forget to review the vocabulary and practice with native speakers using Polyglot Club.
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Translations from DRINK to DRIVE-IN in Tswana - bab.la
- Peace Corps/ Botswana - An Introduction to the Setswana Language
Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Animals, Food, Health & Colors.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Useful phrases
- Animals
- Days of the Week
- Count to 10
- Education
- Clothes
- Express Surprise
- Food
- How to say Good Bye?