Setswana Idioms (Maele)
Explore common Setswana idioms and their meanings.
Go akga loleme
To lie
Go anetswa dipodi
To be gotten the better of
Go apeela thukgwi/noko le mala
To leave nothing behind
Go bapalela ditloo mo kgetsing e e letshoba
To work hard without gaining anything
Go bapalela mo kgetsing e e letshoba
To save one's earnings in a bottomless purse
Go bapolela dimapo tlapeng
To waiste time on something that won't yeald
Go batla gotswana lwa phiri
To seek a niddle in a hay stack
Go baya pelo
Be patient or to cool down
Go beeletsa motlhatswa ka tshega
To show ownership with property
Go bega pitsa o tshotse molelo
To take a big risk
Go betsana ka noga e utlwa
To be in conflict with one another
Go bipa mpa ka mabele
To hide a secret
Go bogola poo e tsweletse ka go bopa
To keep retrying unsuccessfully
Go bokalatsa dintshi
To sleep with eyes half closed
Go bona ka letshotsha
To find something by accident
Go bona nta di fuduga
To get in big trouble
Go bonela letsatsi pele
To be born or more experienced first
Go botsa katloko
To cross question someone
Go bowa ka nngoba e sa fotlhwa
To return empty handed
Go bua diphirimisi
To talk nonsense
Go bua ga se go dira
To speak is not to act
Go bua gabedi o se mo gama leshole
To be two-faced
Go di emela
To face the music
Go di ga o di tlatsa kobo di sena morwadi
Don't run away with more than you can carry.
Go di gama o sa di tlhapela
To be in trouble
Go di gama o sa di tlhapela
To get in trouble
Go di gamela mo thotaneng
To have problems
Go di kapa
To be drunk
Go di tlhaolela di bekerwe
Locking the stable door when the steed is stolen. To react too late
Go direlwa fela o se naga
To have things easy
Go e nametsa thaba e tlhotsa
To increase someones problems
Go ema motho nokeng
To support or help someone
Go epela selepe
To make peace
Go epela selepe
To bury the hatchet
Go eta ka loleme
To enjoy a foreign language
Go fa wa bo o ipeela
To give away is to put away for yourself
Go fatlha magotlo
To pee
Go fetanwa go dirwa mmogo
Competition is the soul of business
Go fetoga ga se molato
To change once mind is not a crime
Go fetoga phuti boloko
To run away
Go fisa baeng marago
To speed the parting of the guest
Go fitlha lesiela
To hide discomforts
Go fitlhela bana ba tladi ba ntse dibothwana-bothwana
To get in big trouble
Go fitlhela naga e le tshetlha
To find nobody
Go goga motho loleme ese kgaga
Silence is golden
Go gogola dikgomo ka mono-wa-thoko
To get rich with no efford
Go gopolwa ka kgamelo
To remember a person when you need something from them
Go hura-hura dipabi ka meno
To shiver with cold
Go ikodisa dibi
To fling one's handkerchief
Go ikoketsa marago ka majwe
To like you are better than others
Go ikutlwisa mathaithai
To play dirty tricks
Go inaya naga
To scatter or flee through out the area
Go inosa ka nkgo
Have first experience of something
Go ipha naga
To scatter or flee through out the area
Go ipolaya wa tloga wa re o loilwe
To put your finger in the fire and say it was your ill-fortune.
Go irela gau sa lonaka
See that you don't serve you with a scorched horn
Go isa marapo go beng
To go to sleep
Go isa nonyane Borwa
To do an unnecessary task
Go isa phuduhudu bosarwa
To repeat something that has already been completed
Go itaana ka noga e tshela
To hate each other
Go itaya ka kwano
To miss the target
Go itaya kgomo lonaka
To be correct and on point
Go itaya se folletse
To fail
Go itekanya morwalo
To make the gurden
Go itewa ke sechane
To be struck with disappointment
Go itlantla diteme
To lack truth
Go itlhaba ngololo
To sham indifference
Go itlhatlaganyetsa magala tlhogong
To exaggerate one's circumstances
Go itoma sekgono
To swear on the impossibility
Go itsala jaaka peba
Such a father, such a son
Go itshela moriti o tsididi
To act like you don't know
Go itshwara madi
To kill your relative
Go ja dijo tsa ditoro
To have wishful thinking
Go ja ga go die, go dia go dira
To eat does not delay, to work does
Go ja masepa a bankane ba gago
To be an underachiever
Go ja mokaragana wa botshelo
To enjoy life
Go ja monate
To enjoy
Go ja motho direthe
To spy or gossip about someone
Go jelwa maitlho a tshwene
To play dirty tricks
Go jesa dijo tsa ditoro
To daydream
Go kalakatlega jaka poo ya mariga
To wander about
Go kgadisa motswetsana
To kill the bird that lays the golden egg
Go kgora ka mpa tsoo pedi
To eat too much
Go kgotla semane
To provoke unwanted danger
Go khola naka lwa tholo
Do do a tough job
Go kopana le dinta di fuduga
To face a serious challenge
Go kopana lelerwa le huduga
To face a serious challenge
Go kopanela mo kobong ya kgomo
To pursue to the death
Go kopa sego sa metsi
To request a bride or had in marriage
Go laolwa ke lonao
To hardly be in one place
Go le aramela le sa go tlhabetse
To take advantage of an opportunity
Go lebotsa phokoje
Go sia ka lobelo o iphalotsa
Go leele ke ko marung
Only clouds are unreacheable
Go leka tumelo
To test someone's patience
Go lela dikeledi tsa mathe
To cry crocodile tears
Go lema lopetleke
To enter all territories
Go lemotsha tlholo mooelo
To help to escape
Go lla keledi tsa mathe
To cry crocodile tears
Go loma ka tlhaa
Go tshwara bo thata
Go loma o fodisa
To be a pretender to have good intentions
Go loma tsebe
To inform
Go longwa ke nca o e otlile
Disaster of one's own doing
Go longwa ke noga maoto oo mabedi
To be too slow to walk
Go mo tla moshogotlho
To have a close shave
Go neela nca tlhong
Ignore all conscience
Go nkgisana magwafa
To compete
Go nna borethe fela jaaka tlhapi
To lie with no effort or suspicion
Go nna dikobo magetleng
To be poor
Go nna dinala
To be a snatcher or thief
Go nna disanyana
To testify
Go nna fa gare ga dinaka tsa kukama
To be between a rock and a hard place
Go nna fa gare ga dinaka tsa nare
To be between a rock and a hard place
Go nna gopane wa moikapari
To struggle
Go nna ka diatla
To be lazy
Go nna keledi tsa mathe
To show crocodile tears
Go nna kobo dikhutshwane
To be poor
Go nna loleme
To talk too much
Go nna loleme lo borethe
To lie with no effort or suspicion
Go nna makgabe a dipapetla
To be in a hurry
Go nna malao a tshwenyo
To be very troublesome
Go nna matlho mantsi
To have too many relations
Go nna modidi wa nta e e motopo
To be extreme impoverished
Go nna modiga
Let there be peace
Go nna moipolai yo o sa llelweng
To get oneself into trouble intentionally
Go nna mosima wa phika ka marago
To be in an difficult position
Go nna nta ya selomela kobong
To be untrustworthy
Go nna teme pedi o se gopane
To be two-faced
Go nna tsebe di telele
To fiddle in other peoples business
Go nna tsebe ntlha
To listen carefully
Go ntshana se inong
To have a wonderful relations
Go ntshwarisa moletse wa namane ke le nosi
To overwhelm unnecessarily
Go nya phuthi boloko
To run away
Go oketsa marago ka matlapa
To be artificial
Go opa kgomo lonaka
To be correct and on point
Go otlile kgomo lonaka
To be correct and on point
Go palama ka mekwatla ya ba bangwe
To climb up on other people's shoulders
Go patisa poo ka letshwagola
To catch one weak or unexpecting
Go pela mesetshe
To set up one's sail
Go rapamela none ese yo
To fiddle in to much business of others
Go rata batho jaaka tlala
To be found of people
Go re semene mphona
To run away
Go rekela kolojane kgetsing
To buy something without looking inside first
Go roroma dirope
To be very fearful
Go rothisa mmutla madi
To tell a secret
Go ruta betsi
To teach the in-laws bad behaviour
Go ruta tshwene mapalamo
To teach fish to swim or teach an expert
Go ruta tshwene mapalamo
To teach an expert
Go sega tsebe
To embarrass
Go setela dimapo
To set traps for another
Go sha ke ogolang
To be filled with guilt
Go shegela ngwana thari mpeng
To be too optimistic
Go shugela ngwana thari mpeng
To count your chickens before they are hatched
Go siiwa ke none e tlhotsa
To fail to take advantage
Go tanya jaaka kama
To have a clean shot
Go thuba pelo
To disappoint
Go thubela motlopo wa khudu godimo
Stop before you cause harm
Go tla kgomo di bolotse
To arrive late for action
Go tlhaba kgobe ka mmutlwa
To delay intentionally
Go tlhaba podi matseba
To report
Go tlhaba-tlhaba mpa ka mmutlwa
To spoil a good thing
Go tlhabisa ditlhong
To cause shame to
Go tlhaloganya ditlhaa le tlhogo?
To reorganise oneself
Go tlhanola direthe
To run away
Go tlhoboga khudu e rathwa
To ignore an abuse
Go tlholwa ga se go mela dinaka
Failure is the road to success
Go tsaalane molelo
To agree like cats and dogs
Go tsalwa ka meno
To be born ready
Go tsamaya ka pula, o goroge ka pula
To have plenty of luck on the road
Go tsamaya ke go bona
You learn from a venture
Go tsamaya le lorole
To have a huge entourage
Go tsena ka lenga la seloko
To disappear
Go tsena motho ganong
To interrupt someone
Go tsenya khadi monwana
To be caught while doing something dishonest (Hands in the cookie jar)
Go tsenya kwena gae
To invite your enemy into your home
Go tsenya lentswana
To add mo to what is being brought
Go tshaba e e dumang o ya go e e bobileng
From the frying pan into the fire
Go tshela noga mmu
To incite more anger on someone
Go tshosa ke meroro
To make noise but unable to act. All talk but no action
Go tshwara noga mogatla
Do not play with fire, you will burn
Go tshwara noga mogatla
Do not play with fire, you will burn
Go tshwara phage ka mangana
To take on a difficult task
Go tshwarisa logaga
To be kept holding
Go tswa ka dikgoro ha se go latlhana
To bid goodbye
Go tswa ka soba ja mogodu
To have a narrow escape
Go tswa ke Modimo
To be forsaken by God
Go tswa ko ga lowe
From the beginning of time
Go tswa lefetwa
See that you don't become single forever
Go upa maraka tau e setse e tlhasetse
To cry over split milk
Go utlwa ka tsa ga morakile
To have difficulty in hearing
Go wela dingalo
To be in trouble or stressed or difficulty
Go ya dira o se thata
To go into battle without an armour or confidence
Go ya le kgomo ngakeng
To be made to pay instantly
Go ya magaleng ga bedi
Once bitten, twice shy.
Go ya magaleng gabedi
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me
Go ya magaleng gabedi
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me