I’ve been learning new Setswana words and phrases from my new pals, the builders. We’ve spent 2 weeks working on Ditshego’s house and have 1 more to go. I’ll write a separate entry on that after we’ve completed the repairs, but so far it is going slowly but well.

Here is a list of what I can remember right now. Mostly, I’m learning insults and naughty things to say, which of course I should never actually use (unless joking with a close friend who actually understands that I’m joking … sarcasm is not understood here, so it’s a select few I can joke with.) I’ll update this list when I can.

“O makgakga” (oh mah-kah-kah) = “You are very rude” or “You have no manners,” which is a BIG insult in this culture.

“O maka” (oh mah-kah) = “You lie!” or “You liar!”

“O bua masepa!” (oh boo-ah mah-seh-puh) = “You are talking shit!”

“O letagwa” (oh leh-tah-wah) = “You are a drunkard”

“O legodu” (oh leh-hoh-doo) = “You are a thief”

“O maswe” (oh mas-way) = “You are ugly/evil/bad”

“O mompe” (oh mom-pee) = “You are ugly”

"O setswakga" (oh sets-wok-ha) = "You are lazy"

“O maphoretsa” (oh mah-poh-ret-sah) = “You are clumsy” -- the literal translation is ‘clumsy to touch’

“Ga o na dinala” (ha oh nah dee-nah-luh) = “You are clumsy” -- the literal translation is ‘You have cut your fingernails’

“Marete!” (mah-ray-tay) = “Testicles!” -- an extreme insult not to be used!

“Ke tla go betsa” (kay claw ho bet-sah) = “I will beat you” -- not technically an insult since people say it to kids every day, but I like the phrase.

"Rachel otsile go rebolaya" (Rachel oat-seal-lay hoh reh-bow-lie-uh) = "Rachel is going to kill us" -- also not an insult, but fun to say.

“Ke sula ke nopa” (kay soo-lah kay noh-pah) = “I am dying of horniness” -- ‘nopa’ actually translates to ‘erection,’ and while this too is not an insult, it makes my support group laugh hysterically.