Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Southern Sotho Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Southern Sotho learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn how to use "have" in Southern Sotho.
If you haven't already checked out the Polyglot Club website, it's a great resource for language learners. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
To improve your Southern Sotho Grammar, be sure to also check out our grammar section.

What is "Have" in Southern Sotho?

In Southern Sotho, the verb "have" is translated as "na". This verb is used to indicate possession or ownership of something.

How to Use "Have" in Southern Sotho

To use "have" in Southern Sotho, follow this simple formula: Subject + na + Object.

For example:

• Ke na mota. (I have a car.)
• O na rona tiisetso. (He/She has our support.)

Keep in mind that in Southern Sotho, the subject can also come at the end of a sentence. For example:

• Mota eo o na e tla lahlehelwa ke mang? (Whose car will be washed?)

This sentence literally translates as "Car this that have will be washed by who?" but it is perfectly correct in Southern Sotho.

Let's practice a bit with the following dialogue:

• Person 1: Ke na rena mantsoe. (I have our keys.)
• Person 2: Kea leboha, kaofela ba na? (Thank you, does everyone have theirs?)
• Person 1: Esita haholo ba na, joale ke na lona kea fetola ho bona. (Not all of them, so I have yours and I will give them to you.)

Negation

To negate "have" in Southern Sotho, you can simply add the word "ha" before the verb "na".

For example:

• Ha ke na mosali. (I do not have a wife.)
• Ha ke na mesebetsi. (I do not have a job.)

Again, let's practice a bit with the following dialogue:

• Person 1: Ha ke na rona sekolo sa hao. (I don't have your school bag.)
• Person 2: Kea tsamaya ka eona ho qala ho laela. (I will go with it and start looking.)
• Person 1: Kea leboha, ke tla o fumana kaofela eona le tla o fumana ka nko efe kapa efe. (Thank you, I will find everything and I will let you know where.)

Emphasis

To emphasize possession or ownership in Southern Sotho, you can add the word "le" after the verb "na".

For example:

• Ke na lethabo le matsatsi a kajeno. (I have the clothes of today.)
• Re a leboga ka ntlha hle. Ke na matla. (Thank you very much. I do have power.)

Interrogation

To ask a question using "have" in Southern Sotho, you can simply switch the subject and the verb "na".

For example:

• Re na rona sekolo sa hao? (Do we have your school bag?)
• U na kae? (Where do you have...?)

Let's practice a bit with the following dialogue:

• Person 1: O na bahabo ba bohle? (Do you have all the passwords?)
• Person 2: Joale kea fumana ke nako eohle empa haeba ba tla ba itseng, kea bokella ha one. (Yes and I always have time but I can't guarantee if they will work.)

Southern Sotho "Have" Examples

Here are some examples of how to use "have" in Southern Sotho:

Southern Sotho	Pronunciation	English
Ke na mota.	ke na mo-ta	I have a car.
O na rona tiisetso.	o na ro-na tseet-so	He/She has our support.
Ha ke na mosali.	ha ke na mo-sa-li	I do not have a wife.
Ke na lethabo le matsatsi a kajeno.	ke na le-tha-bo le ma-tsa-tsi a ka-ye-no	I have the clothes of today.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you learned how to use "have" in Southern Sotho to indicate possession or ownership of something. Remember, to use "have" in Southern Sotho, you need to use the formula Subject + na + Object. Don't hesitate to practice and ask questions to native speakers to get a better understanding of this essential verb. 🤗

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