dumela
In Sesotho, "hello" can be expressed as dumela or lumela.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Sesotho |
|---|
| dumela |
| lumela |
The phrase is used as an interjection to greet others. You can expand the greeting to dumela, o kae, which means "Hello, how are you". When addressing men in formal situations, you may use the term Ntate.
Which one should you use?
lumela is generally considered more formal. Additionally, you should distinguish between the singular and plural forms when addressing others.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use dumela when greeting a single person. If you are greeting more than one person, use the plural form dumelang.
Did you know?
- A common response to dumela is ke teng, which literally means 'I am here' rather than 'I am fine'.
- In Lesotho, the greeting dumela is often accompanied by a handshake where the thumbs are hooked or the hands are lightly clasped together.
- The word lumela comes from a verb meaning 'to agree' or 'to accept', suggesting that greeting someone is an act of accepting their presence.
Examples in context
- Dumela, 'Muso. O kae?Hello, 'Muso. How are you?
- Dumela, nka go thusa ka eng?Hello, how can I help you?
- Dumela, mme.Hello, mother.
Example conversation
Thabo approaches Masego in the street to greet her.
- ThaboDumela, Masego.Hello, Masego.
- MasegoDumela, Thabo.Hello, Thabo.
- ThaboO tsogile jwang?How are you?
- MasegoKe teng, ke a leboha.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries dumela, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
