Food & Drinks

1. Ke kopa lenane la dijo

   May I see the menu

   Usage

   To ask for the menu in a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   lenane means "list"; "list of food" stands for the menu. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

2. Ke batla seswaa

   I would like seswaa (pounded meat)

   Usage

   To order the classic Botswana meat dish

   Grammar Note

   No a before an object noun. Seswaa is in the dictionary; it can be made from beef, mutton, goat or chicken. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

3. Ke batla bogobe le nama

   I would like porridge (bogobe) and meat

   Usage

   To order the common porridge-and-meat pairing

   Grammar Note

   le joins nouns ("and"). Bogobe is porridge, often of sorghum. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

4. Ga ke je nama, ke ja merogo le dinawa

   I do not eat meat; I eat vegetables and beans

   Usage

   To say you do not eat meat

   Grammar Note

   Negative: ga + subject concord + stem (ja becomes je). The affirmative is ke ja with no a, because an object noun follows. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

5. Dijo di monate thata, ke a leboga

   The food is very tasty, thank you

   Usage

   To praise the meal and thank your host

   Grammar Note

   dijo is class 10, so the subject concord is di. monate means "tasty". Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

6. Ke kopa metsi

   Please give me water

   Usage

   To ask for drinking water

   Grammar Note

   Put the thing wanted right after ke kopa. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

7. Ke kopa go duela

   May I pay, please

   Usage

   To ask to pay at the end of a meal

   Grammar Note

   duela means "pay". No verified word for "bill" was found, so this says "I ask to pay". Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

8. Ke batla borotho le mageu

   I would like bread and mageu (fermented maize drink)

   Usage

   To order bread and a traditional fermented drink

   Grammar Note

   On tn.wikipedia borotho means "bread" (the dictionary lists a different sense for the same form). Mageu has its own article. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

9. A re je mmogo

   Let us eat together

   Usage

   To invite people to eat together

   Grammar Note

   a re + subjunctive (-e) means "let us ...". The subjunctive of ja is je. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

10. Nama

    Meat

    Usage

    To ask about or order meat

    Grammar Note

    38 occurrences in the Bible text, 717 on tn.wikipedia.

11. Nama ya kolobe

    Pork

    Usage

    To check whether it is pork

    Grammar Note

    nama ya + animal name means "meat of ...". Listed in the dictionary as pork.

12. Nama ya kgomo

    Beef

    Usage

    To order beef

    Grammar Note

    Listed in the dictionary as beef; the most popular meat in Botswana.

13. Nama ya koko

    Chicken

    Usage

    To order chicken

    Grammar Note

    Listed in the dictionary; koko is the fowl, and tn.wikipedia uses nama ya koko.

14. Nama ya nku

    Mutton

    Usage

    To order mutton

    Grammar Note

    Listed in the dictionary as mutton; nku is the sheep.

15. Tlhapi

    Fish

    Usage

    To ask for fish

    Grammar Note

    In the dictionary; the plural is ditlhapi. Mind the tlh.

16. Lee

    Egg

    Usage

    To ask for an egg; lee is the singular

    Grammar Note

    Singular lee. The plural form shares its spelling with an offensive word, so avoid it and order one egg at a time. Native review recommended. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

17. Lebese

    Milk

    Usage

    To ask for milk

    Grammar Note

    In the dictionary; tn.wikipedia also uses mashi for milk. Soured milk is madila.

18. Korong

    Wheat

    Usage

    About wheat

    Grammar Note

    Listed in the dictionary as korong [loan].

19. Borotho

    Bread

    Usage

    To ask for bread

    Grammar Note

    tn.wikipedia uses it for bread; the dictionary lists a different sense (a spinach-like vegetable). Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

20. Raese

    Rice

    Usage

    To ask for rice

    Grammar Note

    93 occurrences on tn.wikipedia; a loan from English rice.

21. Mmidi

    Maize

    Usage

    About maize

    Grammar Note

    In the dictionary and 315 occurrences on tn.wikipedia. The mm- is a long nasal.

22. Ditapole

    Potatoes

    Usage

    To ask for potatoes

    Grammar Note

    34 occurrences on tn.wikipedia (plural form). The dictionary also gives lekwele. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

23. Dinawa

    Beans

    Usage

    To ask for beans

    Grammar Note

    Plural of nawa. In the dictionary and 243 occurrences on tn.wikipedia.

24. Morogo

    Leafy greens

    Usage

    To ask for cooked greens

    Grammar Note

    Has its own article on tn.wikipedia. The plural merogo means vegetables in general. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

25. Maungo

    Fruit

    Usage

    To ask for fruit

    Grammar Note

    15 occurrences in the Bible text, 229 on tn.wikipedia.

26. Letswai

    Salt

    Usage

    To ask for salt

    Grammar Note

    In the dictionary. Mind the ts cluster.

27. Sukiri

    Sugar

    Usage

    To ask for sugar

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English sugar; 255 occurrences on tn.wikipedia. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

28. Lookwane

    Cooking oil

    Usage

    About oil

    Grammar Note

    In the dictionary and 15 times in the Bible text; tn.wikipedia also uses the loan oli.

29. Eie

    Onion

    Usage

    About onions

    Grammar Note

    Listed in the dictionary as eie, a loan. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

30. Kase

    Cheese

    Usage

    About cheese

    Grammar Note

    Listed in the dictionary as kase [loan]. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

31. Botoro

    Butter

    Usage

    To ask for butter

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English butter; 24 occurrences on tn.wikipedia. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

32. Sopo

    Soup

    Usage

    To ask for soup

    Grammar Note

    A loan listed in the dictionary.

33. Ke nyorilwe

    I am thirsty

    Usage

    When you want something to drink

    Grammar Note

    The Bible has the form Ke nyorilwe. nyorilwe is a perfect form meaning "am thirsty".

34. Ke na le tlala

    I am hungry

    Usage

    When you want to eat

    Grammar Note

    na le means "have". The dictionary glosses tlala as "hunger"; 70 occurrences in the Bible text. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar; native review recommended.

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