Koloi
Car / vehicle
Usage
The basic word for a car; Botswana drives on the left.
Grammar Note
Matumo lists koloi as a class 9 noun glossed "wagon; vehicle"; tn.wikipedia uses it (plural dikoloi) for motor cars.
Bese
Bus
Usage
Used for coaches and local buses.
Grammar Note
A loanword from English "bus"; 52 hits on tn.wikipedia (plural dibese). It is not a Matumo headword.
Thekisi
Taxi
Usage
A car you hail in town; agree the fare before getting in.
Grammar Note
A loanword from English "taxi"; a Matumo headword (class 9, plural dithekisi).
Terena
Train
Usage
Rail in general; tn.wikipedia has a sentence about reaching Francistown by plane or train.
Grammar Note
A loanword from English "train"; 192 hits on tn.wikipedia. It is not a Matumo headword.
Sethuthuthu
Motorcycle
Usage
For a motorcycle; "ride" is palama.
Grammar Note
Appears as a class 7 (se-) noun; 5 hits on tn.wikipedia (for example sethuthuthu sa gagwe "his motorcycle"). No Matumo headword was confirmed.
Baesekele
Bicycle
Usage
For hiring a bicycle.
Grammar Note
A loanword from English "bicycle"; a Matumo headword marked as foreign, with 36 hits on tn.wikipedia.
Sefofane
Aeroplane
Usage
For an aeroplane; "board" is palama.
Grammar Note
Matumo lists it as a class 7 (se-) noun with the plural difofane; 405 hits on tn.wikipedia.
Sekepe
Ship / boat
Usage
Used for ships and for boats in general.
Grammar Note
Matumo lists it as a class 7 (se-) noun with the plural dikepe; 33 hits in the Bible.
Ambulense
Ambulance
Usage
Show this word in an emergency.
Grammar Note
A loanword from English "ambulance"; Matumo has a headword marked as foreign, but tn.wikipedia has only one example.
Lori
Truck / lorry
Usage
A large vehicle for carrying goods.
Grammar Note
A loanword from English "lorry"; the English side of Matumo gives it, and tn.wikipedia has lori ya Toyota "a Toyota truck".
Kariki
Cart
Usage
A two-wheeled animal-drawn cart.
Grammar Note
A Matumo headword (class 9, plural dikariki) glossed "a two-wheeled animal-drawn vehicle; cart"; few tn.wikipedia examples.
More Setswana phrases
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