Vehicles

11 phrases · Setswana with romanization, English and audio

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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".

  11. 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.

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