Language/Tswana/Vocabulary/Describing-Relationships

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Tswana → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Describing Relationships

Introduction

In Tswana culture, family and relationships hold significant importance. The Tswana people have a complex system of addressing family members and others, based on their relationships with each other.

In this lesson, you will learn Tswana vocabulary for describing relationships, such as friend, neighbor, and colleague, and practice using them in sentences. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to address and talk about your family members and other people you interact with.

Vocabulary

Family Members

Here are some common Tswana words for family members:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
mma	mm-ah	mother
ra	rah	father
ntate	n-tah-teh	father
mosadi	mm-oh-sah-dee	wife
ngwana	n-gwah-nah	child
bana	bah-nah	children
ntwanano	n-twa-na-noh	siblings

Describing Relationships

Here are some common Tswana words for describing relationships, such as friend, neighbor, and colleague:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
moruti	moh-roo-tee	teacher
nkopane	n-koh-pah-neh	neighbour
botlhale jwa ditsala	boht-lhah-leh jwah dee-tsah-lah	friends forever
kgaitsadi	kgahy-tsah-dee	colleague
batsadi	baht-sah-dee	parents

Examples in Sentences

Here are some examples of how to use the vocabulary in sentences:

• Ke kgopotse mmang?
• Do you know my mother?

• Banshee ke bana ba ga ngwana.
• The lady over there is the child's mother.

• Ke kgaitsadi ya ga Fana.
• I am Fana's colleague.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned Tswana vocabulary for describing relationships, such as friend, neighbor, and colleague, and practiced using them in sentences. Keep practicing these words and using them in context to improve your Tswana speaking and comprehension skills.

Table of Contents - Tswana Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Polite Expressions

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Sentence Structure

• Subject Pronouns
• Verb Conjugation

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Numbers

• Counting 1-10
• Ordinal Numbers

  ---

Days of the Week and Months

• Days of the Week
• Months of the Year

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plural Nouns

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Common Objects and Places

• Household Items
• Places in Town

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food and Drink

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Dining

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions of Place
• Prepositions of Time
• Conjunctions

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

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Possessives and Demonstratives

• Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives

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Tswana Traditions and Customs

• Traditional Clothing
• Tswana Cuisine

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Tswana Holidays and Celebrations

• National Holidays
• Traditional Celebrations

Other Lessons

• Colors
• Drinks
• Education
• Express Surprise
• Polite Expressions
• Family Members
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Food
• Animals

Sources

• Slaves or Workers? Relations between Bushmen, Tswana, and ...
• Peace Corps/ Botswana - An Introduction to the Setswana Language
• An Introduction to Spoken Setswana.

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