Southern Sotho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern Sotho |
|
|---|---|
| Sesotho | |
| Native to | Lesotho South Africa |
| Region | Southern Africa |
| Native speakers | 6 024 000 (date missing) |
| Language family |
Niger–Congo
|
| Writing system | Latin |
| Official status | |
| Official language in |  South Africa |
| Regulated by | Pan South African Language Board |
Southern Sotho (called Sesotho by its speakers) is an interesting African language. It is mainly spoken by people living in the country of Lesotho and the Free State Province of South Africa.
Southern Sotho is one of the eleven official languages in South Africa. This means it is recognized and used by the government and in schools. It is spoken by almost 6,024,000 people at home. This makes up about 7% of all South Africans, according to the 2011 census.
Contents
About Southern Sotho Language
Southern Sotho is part of a larger group of languages called the Sotho language family. This family includes other languages like Setswana and Northern Sotho. These languages are similar in many ways.
Where is Sesotho Spoken?
The main place where Southern Sotho is spoken is Lesotho. Lesotho is a country completely surrounded by South Africa. It is also widely spoken in the Free State province of South Africa. You can also find speakers in other parts of South Africa.
How Many People Speak Sesotho?
Around 6 million people speak Southern Sotho. Most of these speakers live in South Africa and Lesotho. It is an important language for communication and culture in these regions.
What is the Sesotho Alphabet Like?
Southern Sotho uses the Latin alphabet. This is the same alphabet used for English. However, some letters and sounds might be different. Learning Sesotho can be a fun way to understand new sounds.
Images for kids
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A Mosotho woman holding up a sign protesting violence against women, written in her native Sesotho language, at a National Women's Day protest at the National University of Lesotho. The sign translates: "If you do not listen to women, we will lose patience with you." (2008)
See also
In Spanish: Sesoto para niños
