LGCSE Sesotho flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Dumela vs Dumelang

Dumela greets one person; Dumelang greets several people or shows respect to an elder. The reply mirrors the same form, so the number and register stay consistent.

Tone in Sesotho

Pitch distinguishes meaning in Sesotho. A high final tone can turn a statement into a question, and tone alone can separate words that look identical in writing.

Interrogatives in Sesotho

Eng (what), mang (who), kae (where), neng (when), hobaneng (why) and joang (how). They commonly appear late in the clause, so listen to the end before answering.

Polite request markers

Ke kopa introduces a request, hle softens it, and ntshwarele opens an apology or an interruption. Using them marks the respectful register expected in oral assessments.

Subject concord function

The subject concord (ke-, o-, re-, le-, ba-) attaches to the verb and identifies the actor. Because Sesotho can drop the noun, the concord carries the who of the sentence.

Skimming Sesotho prose

Read the opening clause of each paragraph first, since Sesotho narrative usually states the main event there and elaborates afterwards. This locates the topic before detailed reading.

Opinion markers

Mohlomong (perhaps) and ho bonahala (it appears) signal opinion or possibility rather than fact. Answers to comprehension questions must be traced to a clause, not to general knowledge.

Time connectives

Pele (before), kamora (after), hangata (often) and qetellong (finally) order events. They are the anchors for sequence questions and for summary tasks that must preserve chronology.

Summary compression rule

Keep the original person and tense, delete examples and repetition, and retain main events. A summary that changes first person to third person loses marks even if the content is right.

Noun class concord

Each noun class has its own prefix and concord: motho/batho (1/2), mofuta/mefuta (3/4), leihlo/mahlo (5/6), sebaka/libaka (7/8), ntja/ntja (9/10). The class controls agreement.

Object concord placement

The object concord sits between the subject concord and the verb stem: Ke a mo bona (I see him), Ke a ba bona (I see them). It agrees with the object noun's class.

Present tense negation

Present negation uses ha with the -e verb ending: ha ke bone (I do not see). Past negation uses ha kea bona, and future negation uses nke ke ka bona or ha ke tlo bona.

Locative suffix -ng

Adding -ng forms the locative: sekolo becomes sekoloing, hae becomes haeng. Prepositions ho or ka often accompany it, and the form answers the question kae (where).

Copulative ke

Ke identifies or equates: Ke mosuoe (I am a teacher). Possession uses na le: Ke na le buka (I have a book). Do not use na le for simple identification.

Kinship terms

Ntate (father), mme (mother), ausi (older sister), abuti (older brother), malome (maternal uncle), rakgadi (paternal aunt), nkgono (grandmother). Sesotho distinguishes maternal from paternal relatives.

Double-meaning nouns

Kgwedi means both moon and month; letsatsi means both sun and day. Context and the accompanying verb decide which sense is intended in a passage.

Bona versus sheba

Ho bona means to see, an involuntary act; ho sheba means to look at, a deliberate one. Ho utlwa (hear) and ho mamela (listen) show the same contrast.

Class 14 abstract nouns

The bo- prefix forms abstract nouns: boroko (sleep), bohlale (wisdom), bofuma (poverty), botswadi (parenthood). These nouns take the o- subject concord.

Motho ke motho ka batho

A person is a person through others. The proverb expresses interdependence and community duty, and is cited when a character acts for the group rather than for personal gain.

Ho tsamaya ke ho bona

Travelling is seeing. The proverb values experience and exposure gained by leaving home, and applies to characters whose journey brings knowledge or maturity.

Maele versus diane

Maele are short idiomatic phrases with figurative meaning, such as ho ja pelo (to be brave). Diane are full proverbs with a moral. Exams ask you to identify which type is used.

Explaining a proverb

Quote the proverb verbatim, give its literal image, then state the moral and connect it to a specific character or incident. Inventing a proverb scores zero.

Sesotho letter formulas

A formal letter opens with the address and date, uses Ntate or Mme as salutation, and closes with Wa lona ka tlhompho. Informal letters close with a warmer formula such as Wa hao.

Narrative tense consistency

Narrative compositions stay in the past using -ile or ile ka forms throughout. Argumentative compositions stay in the present. Mixing tenses is a frequent cause of lost marks.

Cohesive devices

Leha ho le jwalo (however), ka lebaka leo (therefore), ho feta moo (moreover) and qetellong (finally) link paragraphs. They signal the logic of the essay to the marker.

Composition marking criteria

Content relevance, organisation, grammar and concord accuracy, vocabulary range, and mechanics are the usual criteria. Broken concords cost marks even when the story is strong.

Direct speech punctuation

Direct speech uses a colon and quotation marks, with the concord inside the quotation: O ile a re: "Ke tla tla." The reporting verb stays outside the quoted words.

Literary terms in Sesotho

Pale (story), terama (drama), thothokiso (poem), sebapadi (character), sehlooho (theme), tikoloho (setting) and morero (plot) are the terms used in literature questions.

Character evidence rule

Name the character, state the trait, then cite a specific incident as evidence. A trait stated without textual evidence earns only partial credit in literature papers.

Theme versus moral

Sehlooho is what the text is about; thuto is the lesson drawn from it. Questions often ask for both, and answering only one leaves half the marks unclaimed.

Poetic devices

Morethetho (rhythm), ho pheta (repetition), papiso (simile) and mothofatso (personification) are the devices to identify. Each must then be linked to the poem's meaning.

Drama conventions

Drama uses dialogue, stage directions (ditaelo tsa sethala), acts and scenes. Conflict questions usually target the protagonist against society or against a rival character.