Airport & Customs

1. Ke kopa pasa ya gago

   Your passport, please

   Usage

   Said by an officer at the border

   Grammar Note

   pasa is a loan (marked [FOR] in the dictionary, 32 times on tn.wikipedia). It is class 9, so possession is ya gago. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

2. Lebaka la leeto la gago ke eng?

   What is the purpose of your visit?

   Usage

   An officer asks at the border

   Grammar Note

   lebaka "reason" and leeto "journey" are both class 5, so they are linked with la. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

3. Ke tlile go etela Botswana

   I have come to visit Botswana

   Usage

   Answering the purpose of the visit; swap the country

   Grammar Note

   etela means "visit" (37 times in the New Testament). The dictionary has ke tlile go bena for the ke tlile go + verb pattern. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

4. O tla nna malatsi a le kae?

   How many days will you stay?

   Usage

   An officer asks the length of stay

   Grammar Note

   nna means "stay, be". tla is the future marker. Days are malatsi (class 6 plural), asked with a le kae. It asks days rather than nights. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

5. Dithoto tsa me ga di ise di goroge

   My luggage has not arrived yet

   Usage

   When luggage has not come out

   Grammar Note

   ga ... ise means "not yet" and the next verb is subjunctive (-e): goroga becomes goroge. dithoto is a class 10 plural (tsa me). Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

6. Sefofane se tloga leng?

   When does the plane leave?

   Usage

   Asking when the plane departs

   Grammar Note

   tloga means "leave, set out" (78 times in the New Testament). sefofane is class 7, hence se. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

7. Sefofane se diegile

   The plane is delayed

   Usage

   When a flight is delayed

   Grammar Note

   diega is "be delayed" (dictionary headword); the perfect diegile gives "is delayed". Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

8. Kgoro ya go palama sefofane e kae?

   Where is the boarding gate?

   Usage

   Looking for the gate

   Grammar Note

   tn.wikipedia has go palama sefofane "to board an aeroplane". No verified airport word for "gate", so kgoro "door, gate" is used. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

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