Language/Tswana/Vocabulary/Family

Tswana Vocabulary - Family

Hi Tswana learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn Tswana vocabulary related to family. Family is an essential part of the Tswana culture. A visit to Botswana is incomplete without getting a glimpse of Tswana family values, which are deeply rooted in tradition and respect for elders. Here, I will also be sharing some fascinating facts about the Tswana family system. So, let's get started! 🚀

Basic family members

First, let's learn the basic family members in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
Moruti	mo-roo-tee	Father
Mme	m-meh	Mother
Ngwana	ng-waa-na	Child
Banna	ba-nna	Boy
Mosadi	mo-saa-dee	Girl

Here are some examples of the vocabulary in use:

• Person 1: "Dumela, Modimo o moholo!" ("Hello, elderly man!")
• Person 2: "Dumela, moruti." ("Hello, father.")
• Person 1: "Dumela, mme." ("Hello, mother.")
• Person 2: "Dumela, ngwana." ("Hello, child.")

Note that in Tswana, children are referred to as "ngwana" regardless of their gender. So, to specify gender, one can use "banna" for boys and "mosadi" for girls.

Extended family members

Tswana culture places great emphasis on extended family members. Here are some vocabulary words to describe extended family members:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
Bra	brah	Older brother
Ntate	n-taa-teh	Grandfather or Older man
Rra/Mogolo	r-rah/mo-ho-lo	Grandfather
Koko/Mme-mogolo	koh-koh/m-meh-mo-ho-lo	Grandmother
Pudi	poo-dee	Sister in law
Shoeshoe	show-show	Aunt
Serankwa	seh-rank-wah	Uncle
Nkgono	n-ka-noh	Grandmother

Examples:

• Person 1: "Dumela, rra." ("Hello, Grandfather")
• Person 2: "Dumela, koko." ("Hello, Grandmother.")
• Person 1: "Ke santse kea rekisa legae la ka. Rra otla bo otswa ke tlhogo?" ("I am selling my house. Grandfather, where do you think I should move?")
• Person 2: "Ga ke itse. Le ntlhantlhe go na le go roba go ntse go tlhoka mokobeng." ("I don't know. Everything depends on where you want to settle down.")

It is important to note that in Tswana culture, people of the same age group refer to each other using nicknames. For example, two women who are close in age would call each other "ntombi" ("girl"), while men who grew up together would call each other "ndoda" ("man").

Interesting Facts

In Tswana culture, the family system is based on mutual respect and trust. Elders are regarded with great reverence and are consulted on all matters of importance within the family. The extended family system plays a vital role in caring for children, and aunts and uncles often step in as substitute parents when necessary.

Tswana culture places a special emphasis on greeting and shows of respect. In Tswana culture, it is customary for the younger person to greet first to show respect for the elders. The word "dumela" (which means "hello") is used with great frequency in greetings, and is often accompanied by an expression of gratitude or respect. E.g. "Dumela, moruti. Ke a leboga ka go bona." ("Hello, father. Thank you for seeing me.")

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue between a father and a son:

• Father: Dumela, rraetsho. (Hello, my son.)
• Son: Dumela ntate. Ke batla go ya kwa koko bana. (Hello, father. I want to go to grandmother's house.)
• Father: Ke kopa o ya kgodiso ya ngwana. (I want you to take your younger sibling with you.)
• Son: Ga ke rate ke ya kgodiso ya yone. (I don't want to take him with me.)
• Father: Ke batla o ya kgodiso ya yone. (I want you to take him with you.)
• Son: Ke bowa. Ke ya kgodiso ya yone. (Okay. I will take him with me.)

Practice Time!

Now it's time to practice the vocabulary we have learned. Complete the table below with the correct vocabulary words:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
Ke ntse ke rekisa __________ la kwa.	Ke nt-seh keh reh-kee-sah __________ lah kwa	(I am selling my __________ over there.)
Ke tla __________ fa lona.	Ke tl-ah __________ fah loh-nah	(I will see you __________.)
__________ ya mei yo!	__________ yah may yoh	(Happy __________ Day!)
Ke ya go kae, __________?	Ke yah goh kah-eh, __________?	(Where are you going, __________?)

Conclusion

That's it for this lesson, folks! I hope you have learned some useful vocabulary to describe family members in Tswana. To learn more vocabulary, please visit the [Language/Tswana/Vocabulary|Vocabulary] page. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't hesitate to speak with native speakers! Find native speakers and ask them any questions.

And as always, if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below. Don't forget to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved! 😎

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➡ 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

• Tswana Family Dictionary: Tswana-English (Paperback) | Hooked
• Tswana - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
• Peace Corps/ Botswana - An Introduction to the Setswana Language

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