ke a leboga
/kɪalɪˈboχa/
In Tswana, 'thank you' is expressed as ke a leboga.
ke a leboga is a common expression used to convey gratitude. You may also use Keitumetse to say 'I am grateful', or the phrase Kealeboga Modimo to say 'I thank God', which emphasizes gratitude towards a higher power.
Meaning: an expression of gratitude (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ke a leboga literally translates to 'I am thanking' or 'I thank'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that 'we thank' or 'we are thanking', replace the subject concord ke (I) with re (we) to get re a leboga. To use the past tense, such as 'we thanked' or 'we have thanked', replace the suffix -a with -ile to form re a lebogile.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɪalɪˈboχa/
Did you know?
- In very formal traditional settings, instead of just saying the phrase, one might use rhythmic clapping to emphasize the sincerity of the gratitude.
- In many Setswana-speaking communities, it is considered more polite to use the plural form re a leboga even if only one person is speaking, to show humility.
- In Tswana culture, expressing gratitude is often accompanied by a slight bow or a respectful nod of the head to show sincerity.
Examples in context
- Ke a leboga mma.Thank you, ma'am.
- Ke a leboga ka thuso ya gago.I thank you for your help.
Example conversation
Tshepo gives Masego a gift.
- MasegoKe a leboga, Tshepo!Thank you, Tshepo!
- TshepoGo siame, Masego.It is okay, Masego.
- MasegoKe rata mphai e.I love this gift.
- TshepoKe itumelela thata.I am very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries ke a leboga, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
