Complete Zulu

Teach •
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Teach•
Yourself
Complete Zulu
Arnett Wilkes and Nicholias Nkosi
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first published in UK I.9.95 as Teach Yourssl{Zulu by Hodder Education,
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first published in US I.9.96 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Contents
Meet the authors iv

Only got a minute? vi
Only got five minutes? viii
Introduction xi
1 How are you? (Greetings) 1
2 Who are you? (personal identification) 10
3 Do you speak English? 23
o4 Can I help you? 37
5 Revision 51
6 Fill up, please (at a petrol station) 56
7 Ncamsile celebrates her birthday 70
8 Do you have Stoney ginger beer? 86
9 What do you do for a living, James? 99
10 Revision 115
11 Pleased to meet you, Ron 119
12 Can we have the menu please? 135
13 Can we order some wine please? 1-49
1-4 Can you direct me to the Post Office please? 16-4
15 Revision 177
16 Telephone conversation 181
17 Sibongile Vilakazi and his family are having supper 199
18 Gavin goes to the doctor 216
19 Filling in forms 232
20 Revision 2-49
21 Making a hotel reservation 252
22 In the furniture store 270
23 I want to report a burglary 288
2-4 Mr Maphumulo at the Post Office 301
25 Revision 315
Key to the exercises 319
Further Reading 335
Glossary 336
Contents II I
Meet the authors
Nicholias Nkosi is a former lecturer in Zulu in the Department of

African languages at the University of Pretoria where for many years
he presented a conversational Zulu course to non-mother-tongue
speakers of Zulu. He succeeded in developing his own unique
communicative approach focusing on aspects of Zulu grammar that
second and third language speakers of Zulu normally find difficult
to master. With his course Nicholias enabled a large number of
his students to reach such a level of fluency in Zulu that they were
able to communicate with a fair amount of confidence with Zulu
speakers in everyday situations. The enthusiastic and convincing
way in which he conducted his classes inspired many students who
otherwise would only have enrolled for his conversational course to
continue with their studies in Zulu. When asked what made them
decide to further their studies in Zulu their answer very often was
'It is Mr Nkosi's Zulu classes'.
Professor Arnett Wilkes is an emeritus professor at the University

of Pretoria where he was head of the Zulu sub-department in
the Department of African Languages. He has dedicated most
of his scholarly career to the study of Mrican languages with
particular reference to the linguistic features of Zulu and its
two sister languages, Swazi and Ndebele. As one of the leading
Zulu grammarians in the county he was appointed by various
examination bodies (provincial and national) as moderator for
Grade 12 for Zulu First, Second and Third Language as well as
for Swazi mother-tongue.
In 1992 he received the prestigious South African Journal of

African Languages award for publishing the best article on
African Languages in that year. He is also a co-compiler of the
latest English-Zulu, Zulu-English scholar's dictionary. In 1986
he was appointed chairman of the committee entrusted with the
compilation of a new national school syllabus for Zulu grammar.
IV
At university he was for many years involved in the development
and presentation of practical Zulu courses for non-mother-tongue
speakers and is also the main co-author of three practical Zulu
text-books for beginners.
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©Mohamed Saber- Fotolia.com
... Only got a minute?
Zulu is one of South Africa's 11 official languages. It is
the mother tongue of South Africa's largest ethnic group,
the amaZulu, of whom the majority reside in the province
of KwaZulu-Natal. It is the sister language of three other
Nguni languages spoken in South Africa, namely Xhosa,
Swazi and Ndebele all of which are mutually intelligible.
Historians trace the origin of the Zulu people
back to about 1670, to a chieftain, Malandela, who was
the father of Zulu, regarded as the progenitor of the Zulu
nation. It is from his name that the word amaZulu or
uZulu which means 'The Zulu People' has been derived.
The modern Zulu population is fairly evenly
distributed in both urban and rural areas. Although
KwaZulu-Natal is still their heartland, large numbers
of them have been attracted by the relative economic
prosperity of the province of Gauteng where, in fact,
they constitute the biggest language group. Indeed,
of all the indigenous languages spoken in South Africa,

Zulu is the most widely spoken and understood. It is
often used as a sort of a lingua franca in urban areas
where mixed population groups reside.
One of the most outstanding features of the
Zulu language is the grouping together of nouns into
noun classes according to the form of their prefix.
Fifteen such noun classes are distinguished in Zulu.
Its phonemic inventory includes 12 click sounds,
all of which are of Khoi-San origin. It has a distinctive
range of word classes that consists of categories such as
'ideophone', 'enumerative' and 'copulative'
Another striking feature is its con cordial
agreement system whereby all words that are
grammatically related to a noun such as verbs, pronouns
and adjectives, show agreement with that noun by means
of a concord that is formally related to the class prefix of
the noun.
l 5 o.! got five minutes?
~~that because KwaZulu-Natal is the lreartland
le it is the only province where Zulu is spoken.
This is, however, not the case. Zulu is more widely spoken in
South Africa than any of the other eight official African languages
of this country. It is not only spoken in KwaZulu-Natal where
about 76% of its estimated 10 million speakers reside, but also in
other provinces such as Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Freestate.
In fact, Zulu is the biggest single language group in Gauteng while
in Mpumalanga it is, next to Swazi, the language with the highest
number of speakers. It is also the sister language of three other
official languages, namely Xhosa, Swazi and Ndebele with which
it is also mutually intelligible, which means that Zulu can also
be spoken and understood in the Eastern Cape, in neigbouring
Swaziland and also in parts of Mpumalanga and the Northern
Province. In addition to this it is widely used as a sort of lingua
franca in most metropolitan areas in South Africa where mixed
population groups reside such as in Soweto, the large 'Black' city
near Johannesburg.
What does all this mean? It means that you can travel in most parts
of South Africa and communicate in Zulu with the local indigenous
people knowing that you'll be fairly well understood. In fact, in many
rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal the local population only speaks Zulu.
They have very little knowledge of English. In many of these areas
African people often show their delight when hearing a person of
non-African origin speaking one of their languages. Speaking Zulu
with these people will not only create a lot of goodwill towards the
speaker but will also ensure that his or her visit to the region will be
so much more pleasurable.
An advantage that Zulu has over most of the other African

languages spoken in South Africa is that it has hardly any dialects
apart from a few minor ones spoken by only a very small number
VIII
of people, most of whom reside along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline.
None of these dialects is officially recognized and they therefore
play no role in the language policy of that province.
Zulu was the third African language in South Africa to be

conveyed in writing. Its writing history dates back to 1846, when
the translation of a number of extracts from the Book of Genesis
appeared in print. This was followed a few years later by the
publication in 1855 of the first elementary Zulu grammar book
which paved the way for other Zulu language pioneers to make
Zulu one of the most important literary mediums in the whole of
Southern Africa. It has excellent dictionaries, both bilingual and
monolingual, that rank amongst the best in the African languages.
It has a well developed literature that started in 1935 with the
publication of the first novel in Zulu and today consists of more
than 400 literary works of all genres.
A characteristic feature of Zulu is that it is written conjunctively,

which means that words which are often the equivalents of
complete words in other languages are joined together to form a
single word. What is therefore expressed by means of a single word
in Zulu is often expressed by two, three or even more words in
other languages, such as English, for example:
Usalele =one word

She is still asleep =four words
This conjunctive way of writing is one of the main reasons why
Zulu dictionaries are not word-based like the dictionaries of
most other languages are, but stem-based. This means that when
a word has a stem as part of its grammatical structure, and the
vast majority of Zulu words have a stem, it is only t~~
such a word that is entered in the dictionary and If. ..,.,41
word itself. Therefore, if one wants to look up ~rd such as
ngiyasebenza I am working in a Zulu dictionariSne won't find it
'4
:ii!!!J
lemmatized under its first letter as is normally. case with words
in languages such as English. One will have tC:Ok for it under the
first letter of its stem, i.e. sebenza work. ~ ~
~. "'-:!
>"7 ~
~
'~A.t.U.~\~
Onlygottweini~~JP IX
It is important thaflleople who want to learn to speak or
study Zulu have a5,st a basic knowledge of its grammatical
structure. This is ngssary especially as Zulu is a language with
a very comprehe~ morphology, i.e. it makes extensive use of
refixes and suf in the formation of its words as well as in the
erbs. Without a basic knowledge of how the
stem of Zulu fits together, a learner wouldn't, for
instance, know how to differentiate between singular and plural in
Zulu, how the Zulu system of concordia! agreement works, how
to construct the many word categories found in this language,
the different forms the verb exhibits in its many conjugations, the
order of words which in many instances differs from that found
in English, and so on. The firm and solid understanding of these
things will not only help the learner to progress more steadily
in the learning of the language but will also enable him or her
to reach the goal of communicating with confidence in Zulu in
ordinary everyday situations much sooner.
Introduction
African languages spoken in South Africa
South Africa's population comprises many distinctive peoples or

population groups, each with its own language. There are also a
great many dialects especially in the various indigenous or African
languages. Four main African language groups are found in
South Africa. Within these language groups nine languages are
officially recognized. They are Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi and Southern
Ndebele (belonging to what is known as the Nguni language
group), Northern Sotho, Tswana and Southern Sotho- also
known as seSotho -forming the Sotho language group, and finally
Venda and Tsonga (see page xviii).
Although some salient phonetic and grammatical differences exist

between the various members of the Nguni and Sotho language
groups respectively, they are not so comprehensive as to constitute
any great barrier to mutual intelligibility. Thus one finds that
speakers of, for instance, the Nguni group have little difficulty in
understanding one another- a Swazi speaker, for example, has no
difficulty in understanding a Zulu speaker and vice versa. This is,
however, not so for speakers belonging to different language groups.
In general, a Zulu-speaking person cannot understand a speaker
belonging to any of the other language groups and vice versa.
The Nguni languages

The Nguni languages are spoken by more than 20 million people,
who reside -with few exceptions -in the south-eastern part of
the country, in an area stretching for about I,ooo km in a broad
coastal belt from Swaziland in the north, right through KwaZulu-
Nata~ far down into the Eastern Cape in the south.
In the northern part of this territory (consisting of KwaZulu-

Natal), Zulu predominates, while Xhosa is the predominating
IntroducUon XI
language in the Eastern Cape. Zulu is also the dominating language
in the south-eastern part of Mpumalanga as well as on the
Witwatersrand (i.e. Johannesburg and adjacent areas). Zulu and
Xhosa are numerically the strongest of the Nguni languages. Swazi,
which is the main language of neighbouring Swaziland, is mainly
spoken in Mpumalanga in an area that is more or less adjacent
to the Kruger National Park. Ndebele is the Nguni language with
the smallest number of speakers, and is mainly spoken in the
Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces.
The Sotho languages

The Sotho-speaking people occupy the interior lands to the west
and north-west of the main Nguni area. Northern Sotho is mainly
spoken in the Umpopo province, and Tswana in the North-West
province as well as in neighbouring Botswana. Southern Sotho is
by and large restricted to the Free State. It is, of course, also the
national language of nearby Lesotho.
Venda and Tsonga

Venda is the language with the fewest speakers of the four
principal Bantu language groups in the Republic of South Africa
and is spoken mainly in the northern districts of the Umpopo
province.
Tsonga is spoken in the Umpopo province as well as inMpumalanga.

It is also the official language of neighbouring Mozambique.
Pronunciation guide
.0 CD1, TR 1, 00:20
To acquire the correct pronunciation of Zulu, it is recommended

that, whenever possible, the help of a native speaker is enlisted.
However, it is good to remember that the main objective is not to
acquire a perfect accent of Zulu but to be understood; here are a
number of techniques for studying pronunciation:
XII
.. Listen carefully to the recording provided and whenever
possible try to repeat aloud the sounds and words pronounced
by the mother-tongue speaker on the recording.
.. Record yourself and compare your pronunciation with that of
the mother-tongue speaker on the recording.
.. Make a list of words that give you pronunciation trouble and
practise them.
The first important rule to remember regarding pronunciation

in Zulu is that the penultimate syllable of most Zulu words is
lengthened. The lengthening of this syllable is clearly audible in words
that occur as the final word in the sentence. Compare the following
examples on your CD. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of
the penultimate syllable of the final word in the sentence:
Ngisafunda isiZulu I am still learning (to speak) Zulu

Sihamba manje We are going now
Amabhasi asuka kuphi? Where do the buses depart from?
A wide variety of vowel elisions occur in Zulu, too many to treat

in detail here. However, one kind of elision that should perhaps
be mentioned is the elision of the second i in the noun prefix isi- in
nouns with bi- or tri-syllabic stems. For example:
isikole > iskole school

isi.Skotlandi > isKotlandi Scotland
~ CD1, TR 1, O.t.:10
Vowels
a is pronounced somewhat as in bark; e.g. ubaba (father)

e has two pronunciations. When followed by the vowel i or u
it is pronounced somewhat as in bed; e.g. -thengile (bought).
When followed by the vowel a its pronunciation sounds much
like that of the a in cat; e.g. -letha (bring)
1 is pronounced approximately as in see; e.g. -thi (say)
IntroducUon XI II
o has two pronunciations. It is pronounced somewhat as
in saw when it is followed by an a; e.g. -bona (see).
When followed by an i or u it is pronounced much as in
the northern English no.
u resembles the northern English sound in food; e.g. ufudu
(tortoise)
Semi-vowels
y is pronounced as in yes; e.g. yebo (yes)

w is pronounced as in want; e.g. wena (you)
Consonants
Only those consonants that may cause pronunciation problems

are given below.
f is pronounced as in fall; e.g. ifu (cloud)

v is pronounced as in van; e.g. vala (dose)
sh is pronounced as in shal4 e.g. shaya (hit)
tsh is pronounced somewhat as the initial ch in church
th is aspirated and pronounced much like the tin tea; e.g.
thatha (take)
t is pronounced somewhat like the t in steam; e.g. intombi (girl)
ph is aspirated and pronounced much like the p in pen;
e.g. pheka (cook)
p is pronounced somewhat like the p in spoon but without any
aspiration; e.g. impisi (hyena)
kh is pronounced much like the c in can; e.g. ikhanda (head)
k has two pronunciations. The 'soft-k' is something between
English k and g; e.g. ukuvuka (to wake up). The so-called
'sharp-k' has no equivalent in English. It sounds somewhat
like the c in cat but without any aspiration and normally
occurs after n, as in e.g. inkunzi (bull)
g is pronounced more or less as in gain; e.g. ugogo (grandmother)
n is pronounced as in English. However, when it precedes
a k or a g it is pronounced more or less like the ng in sing;
e.g. inkomo (beast)
XIV
ng is pronounced as in finger; e.g. ingane (child)
ny is pronounced as in Vignette; e.g. inyoni (bird)
d is pronounced much like the din duck; e.g. amadoda (men)
b has two pronunciations. In combination with m it sounds
like the bin English; e.g. hamba (go, walk), imbuzi (goat).
On its own it is pronounced with implosion, i.e. with a slightly
ingressive airstream; e.g. ubaba (father), ubani? (who?)
bh sounds like something between b (as for instance in ball) and
p (as in pot). Although it is written bh there is no aspiration in
this sound; e.g. ibhola (ball), ibhokisi (box)
h is pronounced as in hand; e.g. hamba (go)
hh is the voiced equivalent of h and occurs in words such as
ihhashi (horse), hhayi (no/)
hl is pronounced very much as 11 in the Welsh Llanelli. This
sound is pronounced by pressing the tongue just behind the
upper teeth as if to articulate 1then, while holding it there,
blow the air over both sides of the tongue; e.g. -hlala (sit)
dl is the voiced form of hl. It sounds much like d + hl
pronounced simultaneously; e.g. -dlala (play)
is pronounced as in just; e.g. ukujabula (to be glad)
Click sounds
c To pronounce this sound:

1 Place the tip of the tongue against the upper front teeth
and gum.
n Depress the centre of the tongue.
m Release the tip of the tongue drawing it slightly backward.
This click resembles the English click of annoyance written as

tnt-tnt; e.g. -cela (request)
q To pronounce this sound:

i Press the upper part of the tongue-tip against the part
between the teeth ridge and the hard palate.
ii Raise the back of the tongue so that it touches the
soft palate.
IntroducUon XV
m Depress the centre of the tongue.
tv Release the tip of the tongue sharply downwards.
This click resembles the sound of drawing a cork from a

bottle: e.g. qala (begin, start)
x To pronounce this click:

i Place the upper part of the tongue-tip against the part
between the teeth ridge and the hard palate.
n Raise the back of the tongue towards the soft palate.
m Withdraw one side of the tongue from the upper teeth.
This sound is generally used in urging on a horse; e.g. xoxa

(chat, converse)
All three of these click sounds may be aspirated. When a sound is

aspirated its articulation is accompanied by an audible air stream,
for instance the p in the English word pot or the t in the English
word ten. Aspiration may be felt by holding the back of the hand
close to the mouth while pronouncing the sound.
When aspirated these clicks are written as:
ch e.g. chitha waste

qh e.g. qhela move aside
xh e.g. isiXhosa the Xhosa language
They may also be nasalized in which case they are written as:
nc e.g. ncela suck milk

nq e.g nquma decide
nx e.g. nxese sorry
When a sound is nasalized there is a complete closure in the mouth

and all the air consequently escapes through the nose. A practical
hint to pronounce the nasalized clicks is to pronounce the nasal n
and while holding its articulation and without any interruption of
XVI
the air stream, simultaneously pronounce the click c. Do the same
with the pronunciation of the other two clicks.
When voiced these clicks are written as:
gc e.g. gcwalisa fill up

gq e.g. gqoka wear (clothes)
gx e.g. gxuma jump
Voiced sounds are sounds produced while the vocal cords are
vibrating.
To exercise the pronunciation of these voiced clicks, first pronounce

the sound g as in the English word game and as quickly as possible
thereafter the click c. Then try to pronounce these two sounds
simultaneously.
IntroducUon XVII
NORTHERN CAPE
0
PIETERMARITZBURG
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WESTERN CAPE EAST LONDON
Map showing lhe distrlbutlon of languages in Soulh Afr1<:4

1
Unjani?
How are you? (Greetings)
In this unit you will learn how to:
• exchange greetings and address people
• ask someone how he or she is and how to respond
when you are asked such a question
say goodbye to people
use some pronouns in Zulu
ldayologi (Dialogue)
Greetings form an important part of Zulu people's social life.

It is highly unusual for people to engage in conversation, no matter
how brief it may be, without first greeting each other and enquiring
about each other's health.
In the following dialogue, Stephen (a tourist) and Albert (a waiter in

the hotel where Stephen is staying) exchange greetings. Stephen is
about to leave.
: Albert Sawubona Mnumzane.

: Stephen Yebo.
: Albert Unjani?
....
c
v
Stephen Ngikhona, wena unjani? 9
(Contd)
Unit 1 How are you? (Greetings) I

.
: Albert Nami ngikhona. Ulale kamnandi na?
: Stephen Yebo.
: Albert Uyahamba manje?
: Stephen Yebo.
: Albert Hamba kahle.
: Stephen Sala kahle.
Sawubona Good day

mnumzane sir
Ngikhona I'm fine
• Ulale kamnandi na? Did you sleep well?
•.1·· Uyahamba manje? Are you leaving/going now?
.1111 Hamba kahle Go well
'I Sala kahle Stay well
• yeboyes
Unjani? How are you?
Wena unjani? (and) How are you? ('you' emphasized)
nam i I a/soli too
Insight
Zulu has a conjunctive writing system which means it laces
words together. What is written as two or more words in
English, for instance, is often written as a single word in
Zulu. For example:
Unjani? one word

Howareyou? three words
Ulimi nezohlelo (Language usage and grammar)
1 Forms of greeting
The most important greeting word in Zulu when addressing a single

person is sawubona which may also be expressed as sakubona.
2
When we greet more than one person we say sanibona or
sanibonani (pronounced sanbonaan). These forms of greeting
can be used at any time of day and night as they can mean good
morning, good afternoon, good evening, or simply hello.
In reply to a greeting it is customary to say yebo yes (pronounced

with a long e, that is, yeebo)
2 Forms of address
It is important to use the correct form of address when greeting

people in Zulu. Here are a few common forms of address which
you as a student of Zulu should learn:
mnumzana/e sir
nkosikazi madam (a married woman)
nkosazana miss
baba sir- used as a term of respect when addressing an older man
(mid-twenties and upwards) is less formal than mnumzana above
marne lady/madam term of respect for a (married/older) woman
rna (abbreviation of mame) lady/madam- used when addressing
an older woman, is less formal than nkosikazi above
mfowethu my brother
dadewethu my sister
madoda men/guys
mfana boy
mntanami my child
When we greet friends we may, of course, use their personal names.

In addition to their traditional name (igama lesiNtu), most Blacks in
South Africa also have a so-called Christian (i.e. Western or white
person's) name (igama lesiLungu). Like most other loan-words, such
names are normally adapted to the Zulu sound system. So, Joseph
is often pronounced as Josefa, David as Davidi, Lisbeth as Lisbethe,
etc. The original pronounciation may, however, be retained.
In informal situations where a person's name is not known, Blacks

often address each other with mfowethu (in the case of a male person),
Unit 1 Howareyou7(Greetlngs) 3
and dadewethu or simply dade (in the case of a female person).
Ma is another favourite greeting form for married female persons.
In most metropolitan areas the slang forms buti (short for
Afrikaans boetie brother) and sisi (sister) (some say sesi) are also
frequently used.
Finally, it is always more respectful to address an adult male

person in Zulu with ba ba or with baba plus his surname, as
for instance:
Sawubona baba (Ntull) Good day baba (Ntuli)
In recent times many white people who speak Zulu use the same
forms of address when addressing black people in Zulu.
3 How are you? I'm fine, and you?
After having greeted a person it is customary to ask how he or

she is doing (or they are doing). The following are a few popular
expressions that you can use for this purpose as well as a number
of useful responses should someone else ask you how you feeL
4
Singular
o Unjani? Howareyou?
Ngikhona. I'm fine.
or:
Ngisekhona. I'm still fine.
or:
Ngiyaphila. I'm all righUI'm fine (Lit. I'm in good health).
b Uphila njani? How are you? (Lit. How is your health?)
Ngiyaphila. I'm fin eli' m OK.
If you wish to make your question impersonal you can ask:
c Kunjani? How's it?

Kulungile (It's) OK!(It's) good.
If you want to know in your response how the other person is

doing you can add the question: Wena-ke? And you? (pronounced
with a reasonably long a, that is wenaa-ke) or Wena unjani? And
how are you? ('you' emphasized) or by asking Ngicela kini? How
are things at your place? For example if someone asks you:
Unjani mnumzane? How are you, sir?
You can respond by saying:
Ngiyaphila (or Ngikhona). Wena-ke? I'm fine. And you?

or:
Ngiyaphila (or Ngikhona). I'm fine. And how are you?
Wena unjani?
or:
Ngiyaphila. Ngicela kini. I'm fine. How are things at
your place?
To which the addressee may answer:
Nami ngikhona/Nami ngiyaphila I'm also OK. (nami =I also)

or:
Siyaphila We are fine (in response to
Ngicela kini.)
Unit 1 How are you? (Greetings) 5

Plural
Ninjani? How are you doing (pl.)?
Response:
Sikhona (or Siyaphila). We are fine.
4 Saying goodbye
When saying goodbye to someone who is leaving, you say Ham.ba

kahle (Lit. Go well).
When saying goodbye to someone who is staying behind, you say

Sala kahle (Lit. Stay well).
To say goodbye to more than one person you simply add -ni to the
verb stems ham.ba or sala:
Hambani kahle (when they are leaving).

Salani kahle (when you are leaving).
5 Pronouns
The equivalents of the English pronouns I, you, we, it, he/she and
they are not complete words in Zulu. They are formatives or, to
use their grammatical name, concords, i.e. they are constituent
parts of words. Here are some concordia! pronouns that you have
already encountered as well as one or two new ones which you will
be using soon.
ngi- I u- he/she
u- you ba- they
ni- you (pl.) ku- it
si- we
In Zulu there is no grammatical distinction between masculine

and feminine. Note also that the pronouns he/she and you
(singular) are all u- in Zulu except that in the case of the latter the
u- is pronounced with a low tone while in case of the former it is
pronounced with a slightly higher tone.
6
Umsebenzi (Exercises)
.0 CD1, TR 2, OO:l!2
1 Let's practise the material you have studied thus far by

exercising the following dialogues. In the first one, Thandi and
her friend Fikile (two girls), greet each other. Let's imagine
you are Thandi. How would you respond to what Fikile says?
Fikile: Thandi:
o Sawubona Thandi
b Unjani? _.w_. ___ ?
c Nami ngikhona,
sala kahle
2 In the second dialogue, Sibusiso greets a couple of his (male)

friends (amadoda men). You are Sibusiso. Try to enact his role
in this dialogue by bearing in mind how his friends respond.
Sibusiso: Amadoda:
0 --· Yebo.
b ? Sikhona, wena unjani?
c
3 How would you say hello to the following people?

o your boss at the office
b your friend Mandla
c a married woman (in a formal way)
d an unfamiliar male person
e an unmarried young woman in an informal way (my sister)
f an elderly gentleman.
l! How would you say goodbye (you are leaving) to the

following people?
o your friend Bheki
b people you have just met.

5 Provide the missing concordial pronoun in the following dialogue
and then enact the complete dialogue aloud as best you can.
(Consult the pronunciation guide if you feel uncertain about the
pronunciation of some of the sounds in these sentences.)
You: Sawubona Miriam. Good day Miriam . ..(gl njanl

nam hlanje? How are you today?
Mlram: .thlyaphlla nkoslkazl. I'm fine, madam.
Miriam: .{flyahamba namhlanje? Are you (pl.) leaving today?
You: Yebo,..@. yah am ba nam hlanJ e. Yes, we are leaving today.
Miriam: .{!1 ham be kahle You (pl.) must go well.
You: ill yabonga (We) thank you.
6 Correct, rewrite and then translate the following:
o Sanibonani dadewethu.
b Sala kahle bafana (boys).
c Siphila.
7 Complete the missing parts:.
) ~
~
Ten things to remember
1 How to distinguish between singular and plural when saying

hello to people.
2 The verbs hamba and sala when saying hello and goodbye
to people.
3 How to say goodbye to someone who is leaving.
4 How to say goodbye to more than one person when you are
leaving.
5 The formative that is used to indicate the plural when saying
goodbye to more than one person.
6 The meaning of the words baba, rna, marne, mfowethu and
dade as forms of address.
7 How to say: How are you?, I am fine, and how are you?
8 The Zulu equivalents of the first-, second- and third-person
pronouns.
9 Which syllable in Zulu words is pronounced with length.
10 As much as possible of the Zulu vocabulary used in this unit.

2
Wena ungubani?
Who are you? (personal
identification)
In this unit you will learn:
• how to ask someone's name and surname
• how to ask someone's identity and where he or she comes from
• Zulu names of certain countries and towns
• certain Zulu praise names
• how to form singular and plural nouns in Zulu
ldayalogi
Asking someone's name and where he or she comes from is
something that crops up regularly in many a conversation, as for
instance in the following dialogue between Michael Cohen from
England and Sam Ndlovu from Ladysmith, South Africa. They
have met briefly before and now use the opportunity to become
more closely acquainted. Having first greeted each other as is
customary, they continue by asking each other's name, surname
and the place where each of them comes from.
10
....••......•....•....•....•....•..•....•....•....•....•..•....•
: Michael Ngubani igama lakho baba?
: Sam Igama lami nguSam, mnumzana.
: Michael Sam bani?
....
c
v
:
:
:
Sam
Michael
Sam
NginguSam Ndlovu mnumzana. Wena ungubani?
NginguMichael.
Michael bani?
•
: Michael Michael Cohen.
: Sam Uphumaphi?
: Michael Ngiphuma phesheya.
: Sam (somewhat surprised) OJ Uphuma phesheyal Kuphi
: phesheyo?
: Michael Ngiphuma eNgilandi. Wena uphumaphi Sam?
: Sam Mina ngiphuma eMnambithi.
Ngubani igama lakho? What is your name?

Igama lami nguSam My name is Sam
Sam bani? Sam who?
NginguSam Ndlovu I'm Sam Ndlovu
Wena ungubani? Who are you?
Wena You (emphasized)
Uphumaphi? Where do you come from?
-phuma come from
phesheya overseas
Kuphi? Where?
eNgilandi England
MinaI (emphasized)
eMnambithi Ladysmith (a town in KwaZulu-Natal)
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Asking someone's name
a What is your name?
To ask someone's name (igama) you say:
Unit 2 Who are you? (personal ldentl(lcatlon) I I

Ngubani igama lakho? (Lit. It is who the name of you?)
or:
Lithini igama lakho? (Lit. It says what your name?)
b Mynameis ...
If someone asks you your name you can reply by simply attaching
ngingu- to the beginning of your name, for example:
NginguPeter I am Peter
Ngingulilian I am Lilian
NginguMandla I am Mandla
NginguThandi I am Thandi
Or you may wish to reply more fully by saying: lgama lami ngu •••
(My name is ••• ).
Igama lami nguStephen. My name is Stephen.
Or you can put ngingu- before your name and igama lami after it.
NginguStephen igama lami (Lit. I'm Stephen my name)
Or you can simply put ngu- it is, in front of the name,

e.g. NguZenzele It is Zenzele.
Strictly speaking, it is a ng- that is prefixed to the names of the

persons in the examples above and not ngu- as the vowel u- is,
in fact, the class prefix of nouns belonging to Class ra. See 9 below.
2 Asking someone's surname
To ask someone's surname (isibongo) you can say:
Ngubani isibongo sakho? What's your surname? (Lit. It is

who the surname of you?)
12
or:
Sithini isibongo sakho? What's your surname? (Lit. It says
what the surname ofyou?)
To this you may reply:
lsibongo sami ngu-lones. My surname is Jones.

or:
Singulones. It is Jones.
or:
Ngingulones (isibongo sami) I'm Jones (my surname that is).
(Now use your own name to answer this question. Also say your
answer loudly a few times.)
Asking a third person's name or surname is similar, except that

instead of the possessive pronoun -kho (you sing.) and -mi (my)
you use the third-person possessive pronoun -khe (his/her). (See
Unit 17 for the possessive pronouns.)
Ngubani igama lakhe? What's his name?

Igama lakhe ngu-Samuel. His name is Samuel.
UnguSamuel igama lakhe. He is Samuel his name.
Ngubani isibongo sakhe? What's his surname?
Isibongo sakhe nguKhathi. His surname is Khathi.
UnguKhathi isibongo sakhe. He is Khathi his surname.
3 Asking someone who he/she is
To ask someone's identity you can simply say Ungubani? (Who

are you? Lit. You are who?) as in the following cartoon where
Meshack Masondo and Themba Nkosi are introducing themselves
to one another.
Unit 2 Who are you? (personal ldentl(fcatlon) I 3

··..i ii5i9.1ii" •••• •••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •
Note that mlna and wena are so-called absolute pronouns.
Mlna emphasizes the first person singular (e.g. Mlna
nglnguMeshacki am Meshack) and wena the second person
singular (e.g. Wena ungubanl? Who are you? (lit. You are
....................................................................................................
who?) See Unit I2 for these pronouns.
.t. Sam who?
When a person tells you his or her name and you would also like to
know his or her surname, you simply put the interrogative bani? after
the person's name as in the dialogue at the beginning of this unit.
5 Asking someone where he/she comes from
o Where do you come from?
To ask someone where he, she or they come from, you say:
Uvelaphi? You (sing.) come from where? or Nivelaphi? You (pl.)
come from where?
In addition to the more regularly used verbal stem -vela, some

speakers also use the verbal stem -phuma for this purpose,
14
e.g. Uphumaphi? Where do you come from? (Instead of the
interrogative verbal suffix -phi? where? you can also use the
interrogative adverb kuphi? where?)
Many black adults living in townships grew up in rural areas. To

find out where a person's parental home is, that is where he or she
originally comes from, you say Nakhephi? (Lit. where have you
[pl.], that is your parents, built [their home?})
Insight
-vela, -ph urn a and -akha are verbal stems. A verbal stem
is the lexical base of the verb, i.e. the part of the verb that
expresses its lexical meaning and to which a variety of other
verbal constituents can be attached to form complete verbs.
Also see Unit 3 in this regard.
b I come from ...
For this you say: Ngi.vela ... I come from ... followed by the name
of the place where you come from or Sakhe ... We have built
followed by the place name, for example:
Uvelaphi Simon? Where do you come from Simon?

Ngivela eDandi. I come from Dundee.
Nakhephi Mduduzi? Where do you (originally)
come from Mduduzi?
Sakhe eMtshezi I come from Estcourt (a town in Northern

KwaZulu-Natal). Lit. We (my parents) have built (our home) in
Estcourt.
Insight
The verbs sakhe and nakhe consist of the concordia!
pronouns s(i)- we and n(i)- you (pl.) respectively plus the
(vowel) verb stem -akha build (see Unit 4). The concord
drops its vowel as vowel sequences (in this case i +a) are
disallowed in Zulu grammar.
Unit 2 Who are you? (personal ldentl(lcatlon) I 5

See Unit I I for a list of South African place names with their Zulu
equivalents. In the meantime here are the Zulu names of a few
Western countries (in their locative form*):
eNgilandi England eMelika America eHholandi Holland

e-Australia Australia eJalimane Germany eFulansi France
. . .i"~t~~!~~:~·:~:·:~~~-=~::·;~~~~·:·~::~·i:·~·,::~:·~~:~·~:. · · · · · ·
[....................................................................................................
Johannesburg, at the airport, etc.
To say you come from any of these countries you simply say
Ngivda ... I come from ... or Sivela ... We come from ... plus
the name of the country or city. If you do not want to 'Zulufy'
your country's name simply put an e- in front of it, e.g. e-India,
e-Holland, e-England, e-New Zealand, etc.
[. . .in·~~~i;~~~~·=:~:·~:~-~~:=·~=~:·~::·~:~·~=~·~::~·;::~·::~:···
names must always appear in their locative form in Zulu
....................................................................................................
although this is not reflected in their English translations .
6 The form of Zulu place names
Zulu place names have a locative and a non-locative form. Of these

two the locative form is used far more frequently than the non-locative
form. Locative place names always begin with a locative prefix. There
are three such locative prefixes. They are the prefix e- (used most
frequently) and the prefixes o- and Kwa- (used less frequently).
a Prefix e-:
The Zulu names of all metropolitan areas in South Africa begin

with the prefix e-, for example:
eThekwini Durban ePitoli Pretoria

eMgungundlovu Pietermaritzburg eGoli Johannesburg
eKapa Cape Town eSoweto Soweto (Black city
eBhayi Port Elizabeth near Johannesburg)
16
b Prefixo-:
oKhahlamba Drakensberg (mountain range)

oNdini Ulundi (town in Northern KwaZulu Natal)
c Prefix Kwa-:
KwaZulu-Natali KwaZulu Natal

KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger, town in KwaZulu Natal)
KwaNongoma Nongoma (town in northern KwaZulu-Natal)
7 Asking someone's praise name
Praise names (izithakazd.o) are a prominent feature of Zulu culture

and, in fact, of all clans belonging to the Nguni language group.
Every adult male person in Zulu society has a praise name. All
eligible male persons belonging to the same family clan (i.e. persons
sharing a common surname) have the same isithakazd.o. For instance,
the isithakazd.o of all adult male persons with the surname Khumalo
is Mntungwa; those whose surname is Ntu1i have Mphemba as
their isithakazelo, and so on. It is interesting to know that President
Mandela, being a member of the Xhosa -speaking group, is also
known by the name Madiba which is the praise name of the Mandela
clan. Isithakazelos are only used by men; women never call men by
their praise names. Zulus are without exception delighted when they
are called by their isithakazelo and are usually pleasantly surprised
if foreigners know their praise names. It is consequently strongly
recommended to find out what a clan's isithakazelo is. You can do this
by first asking any Zulu male person what his isibongo (surname/
clan name) is and then what his isithakazd.o is. Make a point of using a
person's isithaka2do as often as possible in your conversation with him.
The following are a few examples of popular Zulu surnames and

their accompanying isithakazelos:
Cele -Ndosi
Dlomo - Mkhabela
Buthelezi - Shenge
Nkosi- Dlamini
Ndlovu - Gatsheni
Unit 2 Who are you? (personal ldentl(fcatlon) I 7

To find out what someone's praise name is, you ask: sithini
isithakazelo sakho? as in the following dialogue:
:You Ngubani isibongo sakho, Sam?

; Sam NginguKubheka, mnumzana.
; You Sithini isithakazelo sakho?
...
:Sam SinguKhathide (or NginguKhathide) I am Khathide or
NguKhathide It is Khathide .
8 Definite and indefinite articles
It is important to note at this stage that Zulu differs from

languages such as English in that it doesn't distinguish between
definite and indefinite nouns by means of articles such as the and a.
In other words, a noun like inja, for instance, can either mean the
dog or a dog depending on the context.
9 The noun class system of Zulu
A striking feature of Zulu and all other Bantu languages is the fact
that their nouns are classified into various categories. There are
15 such noun classes in Zulu, of which some are singular and others
plural. There are also two neutral classes which are neither singular
nor plural. Each noun class has what is known as a dass prefix which
is a formative that is attached to the beginning of the noun, in fact,
to the noun stem. The class prefix indicates to which class a noun
belongs and also whether it is a singular, plural or a neutral noun.
The following system of noun class prefixes is found in Zulu:
Class 1 um(u)- Class 2 aba-/abe-

Class 1a u- Class 2a 0·
Class 3 um(u)- Class lj imi-
Class 5 i(li)- Class 6 am a-
Class 7 isi- Class 8 izi-
Class 9 in-/im-/i- Class 10 izi n-/izi m-/izi-
Class 11 u(lu)-
Class 1lj ubu-/utshw-
Class 15 uku-
18
As was mentioned above, 'singular' and 'plural' in Zulu are
indicated by means of noun class prefixes. In most instances these
prefixes operate in pairs, one being the singular prefix and the
other the plural one. Let's look at a few examples to see how these
prefixes distinguish between singular and plural.
Class 1/2 umuntu person a bantu persons/people

umfana boy abafana boys
Class 1a/2a ubaba father ababa fathers
uMosesi Moses oMosesi Moses and friends
Class 3/4 umuzi village/home imizi villages/homes
umfula river imifula rivers
Class 5/6 itafula table amatafula tables
Class 7/8 isikole school izikole schools
Class 9/10 indlu house izindlu houses
imali money izimali moneys
Class 11 unwabu chameleon izinwabu chameleons
Class 14 ubuthongo sleep
Class 15 ukudla food
a Only nouns signifying human beings belong to Classes I and 2.

b Many relationship terms occur in Classes I aha, e.g. ubaba
father, nmama mother, udadewethu my sister, etc.
c Nouns in Class 11 take their plural in Class Io.
d When the stem of nouns belonging to Classes I and 3 consists
of only one syllable, the class prefix of these nouns is umu-,
e.g. umu-ntu and when the stem consists of more than one
syllable (which is normally the case) the class prefix is urn-,
e.g. um-lungu.
e A limited number of nouns in Class 9 have irregular plural
forms in Class 6:
indoda man but amadoda men
inkosi chief but amakhosi chiefs
intombazane girl but amantombazana girls
f The Class I noun umlungu white person has an irregular
plural form, abelungu white people.
Unit 2 Who are you? (personal ldentl(lcatlon) I 9

g The form given in the table above of the class prefixes of
Classes 5 and I I is their full or basic form and is not exactly
the same as the form they have as prefixes of the nouns that
belong to these two classes. The reason why the basic form of
these prefixes is given here is because it explains the form of
the subject and object concords of these two classes. (See
Unit 6 to find out more about these concords.)
h Nouns in Classes 9 and IO that have stems commencing with an
m take the abbreviated prefix i- in Class 9 and izi- in Class Io, e.g.
i-mali money izi.-mali moneys
i-moto car izi.-moto cars
Noun Classes I2 and I3 do not occur in Zulu.
j The noun utshwala beer is a noun in Class I4.
k Class I 5 is known as the infinitive class. Words in this class
manifest both nominal and verb features. For example, ukudla
can mean both food (noun) and to eat (verb).
Finally, it is important to know that most loan-words (from,
for instance, English and Afrikaans) occur in the ill-class. If one
does not know the Zulu name of something one may (as a
last resort) 'Zulufy' an English noun by simply putting ani- in
front of it, e.g. i-radio, i-phone, i-supermarket, etc.
10 Initial vowel of nouns
As you will have noticed above, all nouns in Zulu normally begin with
a vowel. However, when we address a person or persons, the noun
referring to such a person or persons discards its initial vowe~ e.g.
sawubona (u)mfana Good day/Hello, son/boy

sanibonani (a)madoda Good day/Hello, men/guys
sawubona (u)baba Good day/Hello, father!baba
.····in5i~ilir· ······ ······ ······ ······ ······················································· ···

[ You will notice that in dialogues the names of the characters
.......................................................................................................
are usually given without an initial vowel.
20
Umsebenzi
1 How would you respond in Zulu if someone asks/says to you:

a Sawubona mnumzane/nkosazana.
b Unjani?
c Uyaphila na? (in the positive)
d Ngubani igama lakho?
e Ngubani isibongo sakho?
f Hamba kahle.
g Ungubani wena?
2 Imagine you are joseph Gumede and you meet someone you
don't know. How would you:
a tell him who you are
b ask him his name
c ask him where he comes from
d tell him where you come from
e bid him goodbye?
3 Give the plural form of the following:

a umlungu white person umuzi village
b ibhasikidi basket iwashi watch
c isitolo shop indoda man
d umntwana child umkhonto spear
e imoto (Cl. 9) car ubaba father
4 Rewrite the following nouns in the singular:

a abantu people izinkwa breads
b amarandi Rands (money) izinkomo cattle
c imimese knives abeSuthu Sotho people
d amakamelo rooms amantombazana girls
5 Give the meaning of the following expressions:

a Uvelaphi?
b Ngivela KwaZulu-Natali
c Ngubani igama lakho?
d Ngiyabonga
Unit 2 Who are you? (personal ldentl(fcatlon) 2I

6 Correct (where necessary) and rewrite each of the following
sentences:
a Hambani kahle Simon.
b Ngubani igama lakho? Igama lami Sally.
c Isibongo lami ngu-Peters.
d Sawubona ubaba.
e Uphila njani? Ngiphila.
f Ubani wena?
7 How will you ask Desmond Khumalo what his surname is

and what his praise name is? Do you remember what the
Khumalo's praise name is?
8 If you were asked where you are from, how would you say
that you are from:
a America
b Australia
c Germany
d England
e Europe?
1 The form of the different noun class prefixes in Zulu.

2 Which noun class prefixes signify the singular and which
prefixes signify the plural.
3 Noun classes with irregular plural forms.
4 The dual nature of words in the infinitive class (Class r 5).
5 How to ask a person's name and surname.
6 How to tell someone what your name is.
7 How to ask a male person what his praise name is.
8 How to say where you come from.
9 Zulu names of the main metropolitan areas in South Africa.
10 When to drop the initial vowel of nouns.
3
Uyakwazi Ukukhuluma
lsingisi Na?
Do you speak English?
• how to ask someone whether he or she is able (or not able)
to do something
how to ask what language a person speaks
what to say when you do not understand what someone
says to you in Zulu
about nouns denoting languages
how to ask what a person's nationality or tribal affinity is
the different prefixes of the verb in Zulu
ldayalogi
Janet Smith is about to take up a full-time job and is considering

employing a nanny-cum-housekeeper to relieve her of some of her
household chores. She talks to her friend Sophie Ngubane who
knows of someone who might be interested in the work. Among
other things, Janet is interested to learn from Sophie whether
Sophie's acquaintance is fond of children, if she's married and
knows how to cook, what her language proficiency is and her
nationality (i.e. her tribal affinity), and when she will be able to
start should Janet decide to employ her.
Unit 3 Do you speak English? 2 3

~ ............................................................... .
~ : Janet Ungubani lo mngane wakho Sophie?
: Sophie UnguGertrude igama lakhe.
c ! Janet Uthanda abantwana lo Gertrude?
~ ! Sophie Kakhulul nkosikazi.
! Janet Ushadile na?
! Sophie Yebo, ushadile.
! Janet Uyakwazi ukupheka?
! Sophie Angazi kodwa ngiqinisile ukuthi uyakwazi.
! Janet Uyakwazi ukukhuluma isiNgisi lo marne?
! Sophie Yebo, uyakwazi.
! Janet lsiBhunu-ke?
! Sophie Uyasazi kodwa hhayi kakhulu.
: Janet Ungumhlobo muni?
: Sophie UngumZulu uGertrude.
: Janet Angaqala nini?
! Sophie Angazi kodwa ngizombuza.
: Janet Ngiyabonga Sophie. Mtshele uGertrude ukuthi
: ngithanda ukumbona.
: Sophie Kulungile, ngizomtshela.
Ungubani lo mngane wakho? Who is she (i.e. What is the name of)
this friend of yours?
UnguGertrude igama lakhe Gertrude is her name (Lit. She is
Gertrude her name.)
Uthanda abantwana lo Gertrude? Is she fond of children this
• Gertrude?
~ Kakhulu! Vety much!
;: Ushadile na? Is she married?
i Uyakwazi ukupheka? Can she cook? (Lit. Does she know

how to cook?)
Angazi I don't know
kodwa but
Ngiqinisile I'm sure
ukuthi that
uyakwazi she knows/can
24
Uyakwazi ukukhuluma isiNgisi lo marne? Can this lady speak
English? (Lit. Does this lady know how to speak English?)
Urn arne mother/lady (term of respect used in addressing a married
woman)
lsiBhunu-ke? (And) Afrikaans?
Uyasazi kodwa hhayi kakhulu She knows it but not much
Ungumhlobo muni? What nationality is she?/What's her
tribal affinity?
UngumZulu She's a Zulu
Angaqala nini? When can she start?
Angazi kodwa ngizombuza I don't know but I'll ask her
Mtshele ukuthi ngithanda ukumbona Tell her (see Unit 18) that
I would like to see her
Kulungile ngizomtshela OK, I'll tell her
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Do you know how to .. ./Can you ... ?
When you want to know whether a person can do something,

i.e. is able to do something, you say Uyakwazi uku... ? (Lit. Do you
know how to... ?) followed by the name of the action the person is
to perform.
Uyakwazi ukupheka Paulina? Do you know how to cook (i.e. can

you cook [-pheka]), Paulina?
Uyakwazi ukufunda Maria? Can you read (-funda), Maria?
Uyakwazi ukugcwalisa le fomu Do you know how to complete/
Jonas? fill in (-gcwalisa) this (le) form,
Jonas?
in~~~-~~:~·~:~·~::~:·::::~:·~;~:~·:~=-~~::~~::~:~-~~~~::~:~·········1
is dropped, as in the case with the nouns uPaulina and
....................................................................................................
uMaria above. (See Unit 2.)
Unit 3 Do you speak English? 2 5

When this question concerns a third person (in Class I or Ia), the
same construction is used except that the third person singular
concord u- (he/she), i.e. the initial u- in uyakwazi, is pronounced
with a slightly higher tone. The second person singular concord
u- (you) is pronounced with a low tone while the initial vowel of
the person's name (if mentioned) is retained.
UFrank uyakwazi Does Frank know how to drive?

ukushayela na? (-shayela drive e.g. a car, truck, etc.)
UDoris uyakwazi uku-ayina? Does Doris know how to iron?
Insight
Zulu has no grammatical gender as far as its pronominal
system is concerned, i.e. it does not distinguish between
masculine (=he) and feminine (=she) pronouns. Both these
pronouns are expressed by the same concordia! pronoun, u-.
1.1 Yes, I can

To say you are able to do something, you simply replace the initial
second person singular concord u- (you) of uyakwazi with the first
person singular concord ngi- (I), i.e. ngiyakwazi.
Uyakwaziukubhukuda Do you know how to/can you swim

Mandla? (-bhukuda) Mandla?
Yebo, ngiyakwazi. Yes, I can.
Uyakwazi ukubhala isiZulu, Do you know how to write Zulu,
Zenzele? Zenzele?
Yebo, ngiyakwazi mnumzane. Yes I do, sir.
[. . .in~~~ti!:~~·::·~·~:::~·~:::·~::·~·~::::~:·:~·~::·;~::~:~~·::::. .· ·
of Class I 5 (see Unit 2) meaning to. In this case, to swim and
.....................................................................................................
to write .
1.2 No, 1/he/she can't

In the negative of the first person singular, ngi-, I, we start with the
so-called negative a- and omit the -ya-.
Uyakwazi ukushayela Solmon? Do you know how to drive a car,
Solmon?
Cha, angikwazi. No, I can't/No, I don't.
In the negative of the third person singular (in Class I or I a), you
replace the initial u- in the positive with aka- and also omit the -ya-.
Lo mlungu (Class 1) uyakwazi Can this white person speak Zulu

ukukhuluma isiZulu kahle na? very well (kahle)?
Cha, akakwazi. No, he can't.
UKhanyi (Class 1a) uyakwazi Does Khanyi know how to use
ukusebenzisa ikhompyutha na? (-sebenzisa) a computer?
Cha, akakwazi. No, she doesn't.
Insight
The -ya- in uyakwazi is the present tense morpheme (see
Unit 8) and the -kw- a variant form of the object concord
(pronoun) of Class I 5 (see Unit 7) before the vowel verb stem
-azi (see Unit 4). It refers here to the infinitive nouns (of Class I 5)
ukukhuluma and ukusebenzisa respectively.
2 Do you speak ... ?
In South Africa with its I I official languages people are often asked
whether they are able to speak or understand a certain language.
There are several ways to ask this in Zulu. Here are a few of them:
o With -khuluma speak

Ukhuluma isiNgisi na? Do you (sing.) speak English?
or:
Nikhuluma isiNgisi na? Do you (pl.) speak English?
For many Zulu people the verb stem -khuluma means to speak Zulu.
A Zulu person might therefore easily ask a non-mother-tongue speaker

of Zulu whether he or she is able to -khuluma, i.e. speak Zulu:
Uyakhuluma na? Do you speak Zulu?
Unit 3 Do J'OU speak English? 2 7

b With -zwa understand
Uyasizwa isiNgi.si na? Do you (sing.) understand English?
or:
Niyasizwa isiBhunu na? Do you (pl.) understand Afrikaans?
[. . .in~~~-~i::·~;:~:~~~:i::·:·::~·~:~~:~·:~::~::·~:~·:~·~::;:;······
of Class 7 (see Unit 7) that refers to the object nouns isiNgisi
.....................................................................................................
and isiBhunu in the two examples above .
c With -azi know
Uyasazi isiZulu/isiNgisi/ Do you know Zulu!English!

isi Bhu nu na? Afrikaans?
. . .in~!~;~~:·~==~~-:~·~::·~-~~::·:~:::~:·;~·~:~~=~·:~·~=~~-~··········
[.....................................................................................................
before vowel verb stems such as -azi (see Unit 4) •
[. . .in~~:~~~~~·~::·::~:·::~·::·:·=~~~::·:~·:~::~~:::·::·~:::············
.....................................................................................................
(see Unit 6) •
2.1 Yes, I do/No, I don't

If you are asked whether you are able to speak or understand a
certain language, for instance isiZulu Zulu, and you want to say
that you can, you may respond by either saying:
a Yebo ngi.yasikhuluma. Yes, I speak it.

or:
Yebo ngi.yakhuluma (when you are asked the question
Uyakhuluma na? Do you speak Zulu?)
or:
b Yebo, ngi.yasizwa. Yes I understand it.
or:
c Yebo, ngi.yasazi. Yes, I know it (-s[i]- refers to isiZulu)
If you do not understand or are unable to speak a language you
can say:
Angikwazi. ukukhuluma followed by the name of the language, e.g.

Angikwazi. ukukhuluma isiXhosa. I cannot/do not know how to
speak Xhosa.
or:
Angi.sa.zi. I do not know it (followed by the name of the language, e.g.
Angisazi. isiSuthu. I don't know/speak Sesotho).
or:
Angisizwa. I do not understand it (-si-) (plus the name of the
language if you want to).
2.2 Yes, a little bit. I'm still learning (to speak) it

Beginners who try to communicate in Zulu with a Zulu mother-
tongue speaker are often asked (usually in a delightful manner)
whether they know how to speak Zulu. You can respond to such
questions by saying for instance:
Yebo, ngiyasazi/ngiyakhuluma Yes, I know it, but not very well

kodwa hhayi kakhulu (kakhulu)
or:
Ngisazi kancane. Ngisasifunda. I know it a little (kancane). I'm still
(-sa-) learning it (-si-).
An interesting idiomatic way to say that you are still a beginner as

far as speaking Zulu is concerned is to use the verbal stem -cathula
(toddle, learn to walk), for example:
Angisikhulumi kahle kakhulu. I do not speak it very well, I'm still

Ngisacathula. (-sa-) a beginner [Lit. I'm still
toddling (-cathula)].
2.3 Where have you learned to speak Zulu?

Beginners are also frequently asked where they've learned to speak
Zulu: Usifundephi isiZulu? (-phi? =where?)
Unit 3 Do you speak English? 29

To this you may reply:
Ngisifunde encwadini. I've learned it from a book.

Ngisifunde esikoleni. I've learned it at school.
Ngisifunde epulazini. I've learned it on a farm.
Ngisifunde e-KZN I've learned it in KZN*
•KZN is the abbreviated form for KwaZulu-Natal
2.4 What language do you speak?

Visitors to this country are often confused by the multitude of
tongues they hear and are seldom if ever able to distinguish
between most of them. To enquire what language a person speaks,
you can ask:
Ukhulumani? What (language) do you speak?
The answer will usually be Ngikhuluma followed by the name of

the language.
Ukhulumani? What (language) do you speak?

Ngikhuluma isiNdebele. I speak Ndebele.
To find out what a person's mother tongue is you can ask:
Nikhulumani ekhaya? What (language) do you (people)

speak at home?
2.5 Sorry, I do not understand what you are saying

When someone speaks to you in Zulu and you do not understand
what the person is saying, you may reply:
Ngiyaxolisa kodwa angiqondi Sorry, but I do not understand

kahle usho ukuthini. (-qonda) what you are saying
(usho ukuthini).
If you want someone to repeat what he or she has said because you
did not understand it so well, you can ask:
Awuphinde. Angiqondi kahle. Please repeat (-phinda). I do not
understand so well.
or:
Awukhulume kancane. Angizwa Please speak (more) slowly. I do not
kahle. understand (hear -zwa) so well.
Ngisafunda ukukhuluma isiZulu. I am still/earning to speak Zulu.
in~~~-~!:·~~:~~~:~-~~~·:·:~-~~~-~~-:~:·~:~:·~·.······································1
.....................................................................................................
Instead of Angizwa kahle you can say Angizwisisi kahle I do not
follow/understand very well (-zwisisa understand/hear very well).
Try to pronounce the concord ngi- in verbs such as angiqondi and

angizwisisi above as ngh, that is, without its vowel i- and much like
the ng in English sing. Thus: anghzwisisi kahle, anghqondi kahle.
Also, try to memorize some of the expressions above as they can be

of good practical value in situations where you as a beginner find
the conversation a bit tough.
3 Nouns denoting languages
All nouns denoting languages belong to Class 7 in Zulu, i.e. they

begin with the prefix isi-. Here are the Zulu names of South Africa's
official languages:
isiNgisi English isiTswana Tswana

isiBhunu Afrikaans isiTsonga/isiShangane Tsonga
isiZulu Zulu isiNdebele Ndebele
isiXhosa Xhosa isiPedi Pedi (Northern) Sotho
isiSwati Swazi isiVenda Venda
isiSuthu Sesotho (Southern Sotho)
4 What nationality are you?
To ask someone's nationality or tribal affinity, you can say

Ungumhlobo muni? or Uyisizwe sini?
Unit 3 Do J'OU speak English? 3I

The answer to such a question usually begins with Ngingu- (I am)
if the noun denoting the nationality begins with au- or with Ngiyi-
(I am) when the noun begins with ani-, for example:
NgingumZulu. I'm a Zulu. (umZulu Zulu-speaking person)

NgingumSuthu. I'm a Sotho (Southern So tho-speaking person).
NgiyiNgisi. I'm English. (iNgisi Englishman)
Ngiyilali mane I'm a German. (ilalimane)
Insight
According to the lastest Zulu orthography the first letter of
the stem of the noun (i.e. the part following the noun prefix)
is capitalized unless the noun is the first word in a sentence in
which case the first letter of the prefix is also capitalized.
In the plural most nouns signifying nationalities take the noun

prefix ama- of Class 6, e.g. amaNgisi Englishmen, amaBhunu
Afrikaaners, amaZulu The Zulu people, etc.
If you want to say: We are (+ nationality) you prefix sing- to the

noun; if you want to say They are(+ nationality) you prefix bang-
to the noun; and for You are you prefix ning-. For example:
SingamaNgisi. We are English(men).

BangamaBhunu. They are Afrikaners.
NingamaZulu. You are Zulus.
5 The verbal stem
All verbs in Zulu contain a stem. The verbal stem is that part of
the verb that carries the basic or core meaning of the verb and is
also the part under which verbs are entered in Zulu dictionaries.
A variety of formatives may be added to the front of the verbal
stem, such as a subject concord that refers to the subject of the
verb (see Unit 6), the object concord which refers to the object of
the sentence (see Unit 7), a negative morpheme that puts the verb
32
in the negative (see Unit 9) and a tense marker which expresses
a particular tense (see Unit 8). These formatives do not occur in
random order in verbs. Each of them has a fixed position in the
verb. For instance, the subject concord always occurs in the initial
position in positive verbs, the object concord immediately before
the verbal stem, the future tense morpheme immediately after the
subject concord and so on. It stands to reason that verbs do not
always include all of these formatives. For instance, verbs in the
positive will not include a negative morpheme, neither will a verb
that does not have an object include an object concord, nor will
a verb in the past tense include a future tense morpheme.
In order to make it a little easier for the learner to identify the stem
in verbs, a list of all the verbal prefixes, i.e. constituents that occur
before the verbal stem, is given below. By knowing the form of these
prefixes the learner will be able to distinguish them from the stem
and as a result be able to identify the stem of the verb more securely.
6 Inventory of verbal prefixes
The following are some of the formatives that may appear as

verbal prefixes, i.e. occuring before the verbal stem in verbs:
o Negative morpheme a-. The first constituent in negative verbs.

b The subject concord (Unit 6). The first constituent in all verbs
in the positive.
c Progressive morpheme -sa- still.
d The formative -ka- not yet.
e The future tense morphemes -zo-/-zoku-/-yo-1-yoku-.
f The negative morpheme -nga- and the potential marker -nga-
canlmay (Unit 12).
g The object concord (see Unit 7). Occurs immediately before
the verbal stem.
h Reflexive morpheme -zi- self. Occurs immediately before the
verbal stem. (The reflexive morpheme and object concord
never occur in the same verb.)

As an example, consider the verbal prefixes in the verb: Ngi-zo-ba-
siza I will help them. Once the prefixes are removed the remainder
of the verb automatically constitutes the stem.
Ngi-zo-ba-siza I will help them.

Ngi- Subject concord of the first person singular.
-zo- Marker of future tense
-ba- Object concord of Class 2
-siza Verbal stem
There are also a variety of formatives that may be suffixed to the

verbal stem, some of which we will note as we go along.
Umsebenzi
1 Complete the following dialogue between Linda and

Thandiwe by providing the missing words or parts of words:
...: Linda (a)umhlobo muni Thandiwe? Of what tribal affinity

are you, Thandiwe?
: Thandiwe (b)ngumZulu. I'm a Zulu person.
: Linda (c) kuphi? Where do you come from?
: Thandiwe (d) e-Edeni I come from Edendale (a place near
Pietermaritzburg).
...: Linda Ni(e) ekhaya (at home)? What language do you
spreak at home?
: Thandiwe Si(f) isiZulu. We speak Zulu. Nikhulumani ekhaya
nina? What language do you speak at home?
Linda (g) nesiBhunu. We speak English and Afrikaans.
Uyasazi isiBhunu Thandiwe? Do you know
Afrikaans, Thandiwe?
...: Thandiwe Yebo ngiya (h) kodwa hhayi kakhulu. Yes I do
(know it) but not very well.
...............................................................
34
Now practise this dialogue out loud by enacting the parts of both
Linda and Thandiwe.
2 How would you ask someone whether he or she can speak the
following languages:
a Afrikaans
b Xhosa
c Pedi?
3 How would you say to someone that you know the following
languages:
a English
b Zulu
c Sotho?
But that you don't know the following languages:
d German
e Venda
f Afrikaans?
4 When someone addresses you in Zulu and you do not

understand what he or she is saying, how will you say that to
the speaker?
5 You have arived at King Shaka airport in Durban and

have taken a taxi to your hotel. On the way you engage in
conversation with the driver. You ask him a what his name is
and he tells you b he is Mzilikazi. You ask c Mzilikazi who?
He says Mzilikazi Bhengu. He asks you d where you come
from and you answer that e you are from Johannesburg.
You ask fwhere he is from and he replies g he is from eMlazi
(a main township near Durban). He asks you h where have
you learned to speak Zulu and you say that i you are still
learning (to speak) it and that j you only know a little Zulu.
Write a suitable dialogue based on the information given

above and then practise it by enacting loudly the parts of the
different speakers.

1 How to ask questions with uyakwazi uku ...

2 How to ask someone whether he or she is able to do something.
3 Ways to ask a person whether he or she is able to speak or
understand a certain language.
4 How to answer this question in the affirmative and in the
negative.
5 How to ask a person what language he or she speaks.
6 How to tell someone that you do not understand what he or
she is saying.
7 The Zulu names of the African languages spoken in South
Africa.
8 How to ask a person's nationality (or tribal affinity) and how
to say what nationality you are.
9 The name and form of the different verbal prefixes found
in Zulu.
10 How to identify verbal stems in Zulu.
Ngingakusiza na?
Can I help you?
• what to say when you want to help someone
• how to say Thank you, Yes please, No thank you, and
That's all thank you
how to ask what the price of something is
how to say something is too expensive
how to ask whether a person has any small change
the Zulu names of certain vegetables
another way to say goodbye
how to say and in Zulu
about vowel verb stems in Zulu
ldayalogi
Fruit and vegetable stalls are a familiar sight along many of South
Africa's tourist routes and are often frequented by travellers. In the
following dialogue, a traveller (Mrs Webb) wants to buy some fruit
and vegetables from an adult female vendor.
: Vendor Ngingakusiza ngani nkosikazi?

: MrsWebb
: Vendor
Ngifuna uhlaza nezithelo.
Ufunani?
...c
u
Mrs Webb Ngifuna utamatisi nokwatapheya. Yimalini utamatisi? 9
(Contd)
Unit t. Can I help you? 37

Vendor Yi-R3 iphakethe.
Mrs Webb Kulungile. Ngizothatha iphakethe. Yimalini
ukwatapheya ngamunye?
Vendor Yi-R1 ngamunye.
Mrs Webb Ngizothatha munye.
Vendor Ufuna nani futhi?
• MrsWebb Lutho. Ngiyabonga.
: Vendor Awufuni uphayinaphu?
: MrsWebb Cha, ngiyabonga.
: Vendor Kukhona okunye na?
: MrsWebb Cha, yilokho kuphela.
: Vendor Ngiyabonga.
Ngingakusiza ngani? With what may I help you?/What can I do for you?
ngani? with what?
Ngifuna I want/need
uhlaza vegetables
nezithelo and fruit
Ufunani? What do you want?
utamatisi tomatoes
nokwatapheya and avocados
Yimalini? How much does it cost? (Lit. How much money is it?)
a Yi-R3 It is R3
~ iphakethe a packet
~ Kulungile OK
2 Ngizothatha iphakethe I'll take a packet
Yimalini ukwatapheya ngamunye? How much for one avocado pear?
Vi-R 1 ngam unye It's R1 for one
Ngizothatha munye I will take one (avocado)
Ufuna nani futhi? What else do you want?
Lutho. Ngiyabonga Nothing. (I say) thank you
Awufuni uphayinaphu? Don't you want some pineapples?
Cha, ngiyabonga No, thank you
Kukhona okunye na? Is there anything else?
Yilokho kuphela That is all
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Can I help you?
To ask whether you can or may help someone you say:
Ngingakusiza na? Can I help you?
Or you can ask With what can I help you? in which case you have
to add ngani? (with what?): Ngingakusiza ngani na?
Note that the na may be omitted. (See also Unit 6.)
in~~~~~:~·::·~:~·:~~:~-:~~:~·:~·::~::·:~~=~·:::~:~·::·············1
the potential formative and is used to express concepts such
....................................................................................................
as can and may. (See also Unit 12.)
2 'Yes' and 'No' in Zulu
For yes you say yebo and for no you say cha.
2.1 Yes, please/No, thank you

Zulu has no separate word for yes please. For this purpose it makes
use of, for instance, the verbal stem -jabula (be happy) to which the
potential verbal formative -nga- can is added. For example:
Ngingakusiza na Simon? Can I help you Simon?

Ngingajabula mnumzana. Yes, please, sir. (Lit. I can be happy, sir.)
For No, thank you, you say Cha, ngi.yabonga:
Ufuna itiye? Do you want some tea?

Cha, ngiyabonga. No, thank you.

3 Saying thank you
To thank someone for services rendered you say:
Ngiyabonga. (I) thank you.

or:
Siyabonga. (We) thank you.
When you want to emphasize your gratitude you add kakhulu and
(preferably) omit -ya-, as in:
Ngibonga kakhulu. Thank you very much.
If you are the person who is thanked you can reply by saying:
Nami ngiyabonga. Itoo (• nami) say thank you.
The formative -ya- in the above verbs is the so-called present tense
marker and must appear in all verbs in the present tense that are
not followed by other words in the sentence except adverbs of
manner such as kakhulu and kahle very nice, very well in which
case its use is optional (see Unit 8).
It is important to note that in Zulu one does not normally say

thank you for something as is often done in English, e.g. Thank
you for the food, thank you for the soft drink. To thank someone
in Zulu you say N giyabonga. When you want to mention the thing
you are thankful for, you simply say it after -bonga and also leave
out the -ya-:
Ngibonga usizo lwakho. (I) Thank you for your assistance/help.

Sibonga usizo lwenu. (We) Thank you for your (pl.) assistance
(for helping us).
Ngibonga itiye. Thank you for the tea.
4 That is all, thank you
When shopping you are often asked by the people who attend to
you whether there is anything else you need. You will be asked:
Ku khona oku nye na? Is there anything else?
If there is nothing else you want you can reply:
Cha, yilokho kuphela. (No), that is all, (thank you).
5 Asking prices
To ask what something costs, you can say Yimalini? It is how

much money? followed by the name of the particular object that
you are interested in buying:
Yimalini amapentshisi? How much (money) for the peaches?

(i.e. What's the price of the peaches?)
Yimalini ubhanana? How much are the bananas?
Another way to say this is to use the verbal stem -biza call and
prefix to it a subject concord (Unit 6) that refers to the noun
denoting the thing that you want to know the price of. Subject
concords are formatives that partially resemble the form of the
class prefix (Unit 2) of the nouns they refer to, for example:
Ubiza malini ubhanana? How much are the bananas? Lit it calls
(for) how much money the bananas?
Abiza malini amazambane? How much are the potatoes?
Ibiza malini le (i)ndwangu? What is the price of this cloth/material?
If you do not want to mention the name of the thing you want to
buy you can simply say Kubiza malini? How much is it?
5.1 It costs ...

When you are asked Yimalini? you can answer by putting a yi-
before the amount in English, for example:
Yimalini u-anyanisi? How much are the onions?

Yi-R15 It's R15.
Unit t. Can I help you? 4I

5.2 How much is one?
When you go shopping you sometimes want to find out what
the price of one of many of the same thing is. On such occasions you
would probably ask How much for ane? To ask this in Zulu you
say Yimalini followed by:
a ngamunye if the name of the item you want to buy is a noun

with a class prefix um(u)- (Class 1,3) or with a class prefix u-
(Class 1a) (Unit 2.9). This question is especially useful when
you want to buy fruit or vegetables at a roadside stall (of
which there are many in South Africa). For example:
Yimalini uphayinaphu/ How much are the pineapples!
uphopho/umango ngamunye? paw-paws/mangos each?
The name of the fruit may be omitted if it is clear to what fruit you
are referring, e.g.
Yimalini ngamunye (uphopho)? How much for one (paw-paw)?
b ngalinye if the name of the article is a noun with an i(li)-

prefix, e.g.
Yimalini ngalinye (ikhabe) How much for one (water-melon)?
With nouns in the isi-dass (Class 7) you say ngasinye, and with
nouns in the in-class (Class 9) you say ngayinye. Note also that the
stem -nye ane operates in the singular classes only.
5.3 How much is it altogether?

To ask this you say Yimalini konke?
5.4 It is (too/very) expensive

If you want to say that something is expensive you can use the verb
stem -biza (be expensive) preceded by the present tense formative
-ya- (Unit 8.7) and the subject concord (Unit 6.1) that refers to the
name of the thing you want to buy, e.g.
Utamatisi uyabiza namhlanje. (The) tomatoes are expensive today.
If the thing you want to buy is too expensive to your liking you can
add the adverb kaldmlu very and optionally omit the -ya-, for example:
42
Angifuni utamatisi namhlanje, I don't want tomatoes today; they
ubiza kakhulu. are too expensive.
You can also use the indefinite subject concord ku- it here, e.g.
Kuyabiza. It is expensive.
Kubiza kakhulu. It is very expensive.
6 Do you have change for ... ?
South Africa has an abundance of roadside traders, especially in the

rural areas, where you can buy anything from fruit and vegetables
to pottery, grass-woven baskets and headwork. Something travellers
often ask when they want to buy from these traders is Do you
have change for .•. ? To ask this you say: Unoshintshi ka- or
Unotshintshi we- followed by the amount said in English, e.g.
Unotshintshi ka-R100? Have you got change for R100?

(a hundred Rand)
If you do not want to mention the amount you simply say:
Unotshintshi na? or Uphethe Do you have any (small) change

ushintshi na? on you?
This often elicits the counter question For how much? which in
Zulu is:
Wamalini? Lit. of how much money? (Malini? How much money?)
To this you can reply by placing ka- or we- before the amount you
would like to change, e.g. ka-Rso, ka-R1o, we-R15, etc.
in~~~:~:·:~::~·=~·i·~·~:~·:::::·::~~~-:~:~~~-~-~~~~~·~:::··········1
....................................................................................................
concords that refer to the noun ushintshi change. (See Unit 17.)

Consider the following brief conversation in this regard between a
traveller and a roadside trader:
1111 ..................................................................................................................................................... .
• Traveller: Kubiza malini lokhu? How much is this7 (lokhu?) •

Trader: Yi-RSO. It's RSO.
Traveller: Unotshintshi no? Do you have any change7
Trader: Wamalini? For how much7
Traveller: Ka-R 100. For R100.
Trader: Yebo. Yes.
Lokhu is an indefinite demonstrative pronoun (see Unit I6), i.e. it

doesn' t refer to any particular thing and means this.
Kubiza rmlini lokhu? How m!Ch iS thiS?

Photo collfesy of Zui!Jand Joint Setviees Beard.
7 Names of some vegetables and fruits
uhlaza Vegetables
Ill amazambane potatoes
;3 utamatisi tomatoes
~
:..: ubhontshisi beans
~ u-anyanisi onions
~
0' ukholifulawa cauliflower
amakherothi carrots
44
uletisi lettuce
ikhukhamba cucumber
amantongomane peanuts
isithelo Fruit
amapentshisi peaches
amawolintshi oranges
amahabhula apples
ubhanana bananas
umango mangoes
amapulamu plums
ukwatapheya avocado pear
uphayinaphu pineapple
uphopho paw-paw
Note that some vegetable and fruit names are given in the singular.
This is because these words have a collective meaning.
8 Another way to say goodbye
In Unit r you learned how to say goodbye. Here's another way to

do so:
When you are leaving you say:
Usale kahle. You must stay well. (sing.)

Nisale kahle. You must stay well. (pl.)
When he/she or they are leaving you say:
Uhambe kahle. You must go well. (sing.)

Nihambe kahle. You must go well. (pl.)
When saying goodbye to someone we often express the wish that

we will see each other again soon. To do so in Zulu you say:
Sobonana futhi. We'll see each other again (soon).

Hamba kahle baba Velaphi. Go well baba Velaphi.

9 And/Too/Aiso
The concepts and, too and also are expressed by the formative na-.
When na- combines with the class prefix of a noun the following
sound rules apply:
a + u > o, a + i > e, a + a > a
In the following examples these rules are illustrated:
o na- +noun
i a +u>o:
ubaba noma rna ( < na + umama) my father and my mother
isithelo nohlaza (< na + uhlaza) fruit and vegetables
ii a+i>e:
uhlaza nesithelo (< na + isithelo) vegetables and fruit
(isithelo fruit)
isiZulu nesiSuthu (< na + Zulu and Suthu (isiSuthu =
isiSuthu) southern Sotho)
iii a+a>a
Abafana namantombazane boys and girls
(< na + amantombazane)
Amadoda nabafazi ( < na + men and women
abafazi)
Insight
Although the sound change rules outlined above are here
applied to the associative formative na-, they in fact apply to all
instances where the vowel a- is juxtaposed to another vowel.
These changes will often be referred to in the rest of this course.
b na + pronoun
To say and I, and you, and we or I too, you too, he/she too,
we too, etc. you prefix the na-to the absolute pronouns mina
I, wena you (sing.), yena he/she and thina we (see Unit 12)
respectively and drop the final syllable -na of the pronoun,
for example:
wena nami you and I, mina naye she and I (Ut: I and she)
nawe you too, naye he/she too, nathi we too.
10 Vowel verb stems
Vowel verb stems are verb stems that begin with a vowel. A fair
percentage of verbal stems in Zulu are vowels. The reason why
these stems are singled out is because of the change they cause in
the form of the preceding formatives that are added on to them. The
following two rules of thumb apply to the form of, for instance, the
subject and object concords (see Unit 7) and the present tense -ya-
(Unit 8) when they occur in juxtaposition to vowel verb stems:
o Subject concords with the form u- or i- change to w- and

y- respectively before vowel verb stems, while the subject
concord a- of Class 6 falls away completely. For example:
Umama (u-alile >) walile. Mother refused.

Ubaba (w-esule>) wesule emsebenzini wakhe. My father
resigned (-esule) from his job.
Ingane (i-omile >) yomile. The child is thirsty.
Amadoda (a-elula >) elula amadolo. The men are stretching
(-elula) their legs (i.e. going out for a walk).
b Subject and object concords that consist of a consonant and a

vowel normally discard their vowel. The same applies to the
present tense -ya-. The following are a few examples:
1> The subject concord:

(Si-omile >) Somile. We are thirsty.
(Ngi-omile >) Ngomile. I am thirsty.
Ibhayisikili lami (li-ephukile >) lephukile. My bicycle is
broken.
1> The object concord

(Ngi-ya-si-azi >) Ngiyasazi (isiZulu). I know it (Zulu).
(Si-ya-yi-esaba>) Siyayesaba (inja). We are scared of it
(the dog).
(Ba-ya-ngi-azi >) Bayangazi. They know me.

(U-zo-wu-enza>) Uzowenza kusasa (umsebenzi). He
will do it (the work) tomorrow.
Note that the vowel u of the subject and object concord -ku- of
Class I 5 is omitted when these concords appear before vowel verb
stems beginning with an o-. The same applies to the vowel u of the
object concord -ku- of the second person singular. Before all other
vowels the vowel u- changes tow-, for example:
Ukudla (ku-omile >) komile. The food is dry.

(Ngi-ya-ku-azi >) Ngiyakwazi. I know you.
1> The present tense -ya-

ULindiwe (u-ya-esaba>) uyesaba. Lindiwe is afraid.
Umama (u-ya-azi>) uyazi. My mother knows.
Umsebenzi
1 You're doing your weekly shopping and need some fruit
and vegetables which you decide to buy at your nearby
greengrocer. o You are greeted by the shop assistant whom
you know by name. b She asks what she can do for you.
c You tell her that you need (some) vegetables and (some)
fruit. d She asks you what you want. e You say what you
want (potatoes, beans and bananas). fYou ask the price of
the oranges and she replies g Rro a packet (usakazana). h She
asks whether there is anything else you want and you reply
by saying, i 'That is all, thank you.'
With the above information create a suitable dialogue between

yourself and the greengrocer.
2 Combine each of the following pairs of nouns by means of na-

and. Don't forget the sound changes that may occur.
Isinkwa (a)bhotela Bread and butter (ibhotela)
UJames (b)Fikile james and Fikile
AmaZulu (c)maXhosa Zulus and Xhosas
ltiye (d)khofi Tea and coffee
Usawoti (e)pelepele Salt and pepper (upelepele)
3 Someone asks you: Ngingakusiza na mnumzane?

How would you answer him politely in the positive; and how
in the negative?
4 How would you thank someone for:

o assisting you
b bringing you some toast (isinkwa esithosiwe)
c the good treatment you have received (impatho
efudumele)?
5 Give the plural.

o umlungu white person c i(li)rande (one) Rand
b i(li)thikithi ticket d umfundisi minister of religion

e isitolo shop/store g inta ba mountain
f ink.omo beast
6 Give the singular.

a abantu people f amaqanda eggs
b izinja dogs g imifula rivers
c izikole schools h amabhodlela bottles
d abantwana children izindawo places
e amadoda men j amantombazana girls
1 How to say yes please and no thank you in Zulu.

2 How to ask the price of something.
3 How to say That is all when doing shopping.
4 How to say thank you for something.
5 How to say something is too expensive.
6 How to ask someone if he/she has any small change.
7 A further way to say hello and goodbye in Zulu.
8 How to express and and too/also in Zulu and the sound
change rules that this evokes.
9 The formal change in subject concords before vowel
verb stems.
5
Ukubukeza
Revision
1 You and an old acquaintance, Ray Mfeka, meet at the station.
o He greets you by your name.
b He asks you how you are.
c You answer that you are fine.
d You ask him how he is.
e He replies that he too is fine.
f You ask him where (-phi?) he is going (-ya).
g He says that he is going home (ekhaya).
h You conclude by bidding him goodbye (go well).
With this information, create a suitable dialogue between

yourself and Ray Mfeka and then read this dialogue aloud
several times.
2 You have met a new colleague at work whom you would like
to know better. How would you:
o tell her who you are?
b ask what her name is?
c ask her where she comes from?
d tell her that you are from Durban?
3 You are shopping for groceries. Complete the following

dialogue between yourself and the shop assistant by using the
guidelines given in brackets.
Unit 5 Revision 5I
: Assistant Ngingo no? (Can I help you?)
: You _ _ _ _ Jobulo (Yes, please). Ngifuno (a)
(cheese) ill (and butter)
; Assistant Kulungile.
! You l9. ush izi? (How much is the cheese?)
: Assistant _(_QlR1 5 ngekh ilog ram u (per kilogram).
: You Ku lung i le ng izothotho (I' II take) u hofu
wekhilogramu (half a kilogram).
; Assistant ill no? (Is there anything else7)
: You Cho, ill __ (that' s all)
..... .......... ._(_gl.. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ....

; Assistant (Thank you)
4 Give the plural.
a umntwana child e itafula table
b indlovu elephant f isi.memo invitation
c umalume uncle g umuzi village
d isitimela train h iyembe shirt
5 Give the singular.

a abelungu white people e amarande (Rands) (money)
b izilwane wild animals f izingane small children
c amadoda men g imifula rivers
d amaNgisi Englishmen h ophopho paw-paws
6 Briefly say what the following Zulu phrases mean:

a Angisazi isiZulu
b Uyakwazi ukuk.huluma isiNgisi na?
c Ngubani igama lakho?
d Yilokho kuphela?
e Ngingakusiza na?
f Usaphila na?
g Ungubani wena?
h Ngingutisha (teacher)
Ngingajabula
-o CD1, TR 6
7 How would you greet each of the following people?
a your friend Denise
b a married woman
c an adult (married) man
d an unknown male person (informally)
e more than one adult male person
f a respected gentleman
g a young boy
8 Say which one of each of the following pairs of sentences is the

correct one:
a Sala kahle bafowethu/Salani kahle bafowethu. Stay well,
my brothers.
Unit 5 Revision 53
b Hamba kahle baba/Hamba kahle ubaba. Go well,
my father.
c lgama lami nguNormanllgama sami nguNorman.
My name is Norman.
d Ngiyazi isiZulu/Ngiyasazi isiZulu. I know/understand
Zulu.
e Angisazi isiBhunu kakhulu/Angisazi iBhunu kakhulu.
I do not know/understand Afrikaans very well.
f Ngibonga/Ngiyabonga. (I) thank you.
g KuMalini?/Yimalini ubhanana? How much are the
bananas?
h Ngivela KwaZulu-Natali/Ngivela kuKwaZulu-Natali.
I come from KwaZulu-Natal.
~ CD1, TR 6, 02:30
9 How do you say in Zulu:

a Thankyou d What's the price?
b No, thank you e How are you?
c Yes, please f What's your name?
~ CD1, TR 6, Ol!:10
10 A Zulu mother-tongue speaker speaks to you in Zulu. As a

beginner you do not follow everything that he or she says to
you. How will you ask the speaker:
a to repeat please, as you do not understand what he or she
is saying;
b to speak slowly please as you do not understand very
well?
11 Provide the missing subject concord in each of the following

sentences:
a Ubaba _hambisa inja yethu. My father is taking our dog
for a walk (-hambisa).
b Abantwana _lambile kakhulu. The children are very
hungry (-lambile).
c _yahamba manje. We are leaving now (manje).
d lbhasi _suka ngo-8. The bus leaves (-suka) at 8 (o'clock).
e lnyama _yabiza. Meat is expensive.
f Amanzi _yabila. The water is boiling (-hila).
g Izitolo _vula ngo-9. The shops open (-vula) at
9 (o'clock).
h Indlu _yadayisa. The house (indlu) is for sale.
U(lu)cingo _yakhala. The phone (ucingo) is ringing
(-khala).
Insight
To say something is for sale (e.g. a house) or is being sold
(e.g. in shops) you can use the stem -dayisa. To say
something is sold by someone, you use the passive form of
this stem, -dayiswa. The stem -dayisa can also mean (to)
sell (something).
12 How many of the following fruit and vegetable names do you

know in Zulu? Write them down.
a pineapple d oranges g apples
b potatoes e cucumber h lettuce
c bananas f tomatoes onions
Unit 5 Revision 55
6
Awugcwalise
Fill up, please (at a petrol station)
• what to say when buying petrol at a garage
• how to ask politely for something
• how to ask yes/no questions
• ask questions with what?
• what to say when tipping
• how the Zulu agreement system works
• the position of subjects in sentences
ldayalogi
Most garages in South Africa employ petrol pump attendants.
Their main task is to attend to the motorist's petrol needs but they
also perform other duties such as checking your car's water, oil,
battery and tyre pressure, and cleaning the windscreen.
Stephen Hall is on his way to work but notices that his car is low
on petrol. He decides to fill up at one of the garages on his way and
also to have his car's water and oil checked- something he hasn't
done for quite some time. At the garage he's greeted by Kepisi, one
of the petrol pump attendants.
.................................................................
Kepisi Good morning, sir*.
Stephen Yebo, sawubona ndoda.
Kepisi Hawul Ukhuluma isiZuluJ
....
c
v
Stephen Yebo, kancane. 9
Kepisi Ngingakusiza ngani?
Stephen Ngifuna uphetroli.
Kepisi Wamalini?
Stephen Awugcwalise bese uhlola amanzi nowoyela.
Kepisi Kulungile.
(After the water and oil have been checked)
Kepisi Ngiqedile mnumzane.
Stephen Ugcwalisile na?
Kepisi Yebo.
Stephen (noticing that the windscreen is dirty)
Awusule ifasitele, ngibona lingcolile.
Kepisi Kulungile.
(after having cleaned the windscreen)
Ufu na umoya?
Stephen Cha, yilokho kuphela. Ngiyabonga. Ngikhokha kuphi?
Kepisi Ukhokha kimi mnumzane.
Stephen Malini?
Kepisi Yi-R85 mnumzane.
Stephen (giving the attendant a small tip) Nasi isipho sakho.
Kepisi Ngibonga kakhulu mnumzane.
Stephen Nisale kahle.
.................................................................
Kepisi Uhambe kahle mnumzane.
*Note: Blacks very often address white people in English or

Afrikaans, since most Whites in South Africa cannot speak or
understand a Black language. Whites who (unexpectedly) respond
in a Black language seldom fail to elicit a favourable reaction from
the person they communicate with.
Hawu! (exclamation of joyful surprise) e.g. Well I never!

Ukhuluma isiZulu! You speak Zulu! ~
Yebo, kancane Yes, a little
Unit 6 Fltf up, please (at a petrol station) 57

Ngingakusiza ngani? With what can I help you?
Ngifuna uphetroli I want (some) petrol
Wamalini? (Of=) For how much money?
Awugcwalise Please (Lit. make full) fill up (the tank)
bese and then
uhlola you inspecUcheck
amanzi the water
nowoyela and oil(< na-uwoyela)
Kulungile OK
Ngiqedile I've finished
Ugcwalisile? Have you filled up?
Awusule ifasitele Please wipe the (window =) windscreen
-sula wipe
ngibona I notice
lingcolile it is dirty
Ufuna umoya? Do you need air (for the tyres)?
Cha, yilokho kuphela No, that's all
Ngikhokha kuphi? Where do I pay?
Ukhokha kimi You pay (here) by me
Malini? How much?
Nasi isipho sakho Here's a (gift =) tip for you (Lit. Here's your gift)
lmibuzo (Questions)
Phendula imibuzo elanddayo ngokuthi yiqiniso (it is true) noma

(or) akuyiqiniso (it is not true). Answer the following questions by
saying (it is) true or (it is) false:
o UStephen uyakwazi ukukhuluma isiZulu kancane.

b UStephen ukhokhe (paid) RB 5.
c UStephen ufuna umoya.
d UStephen akakwazi ukushayela imoto.
e UKepisi uwasulile (wiped off) amathaya (tyres).
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Friendly requests
1.1 To ask someone politely (please) to do something for you,

you can either:
o attach awu- to the beginning of the verbal stem and let the
verb end on -e, as for instance in:
Awugcwallse ( < -gcwallsa). Please fill up (e.g. your car
with fuel).
Awuvale (<-vola dose) Please close the door.
umnyango.
Awu hlo le ( < -h lola inspect) Please check the tyres.
amathaya.
b use the verbal stem -cela request politely and let the following
verb end with an -e, as for example in:
Ngicela ugcwalise. Please fill it up. Lit. I request
politely that you fill up the car
with petrol (uphetroli)ldiesel
(udizili).
Unit 6 Fillup,please(atapetrolstation) 59
Sicela nikhulume isiNgisi, Please speak English, we do
asazi isiZulu kakhulu. not understand Zulu. Lit. We
requesVask politely that you
(pl.) speak English, we do not
know/understand Zulu. So well
(kakhulu).
Ngicela ufike ekuseni Will you please come very
kakhulu kusasa. early tomorrow morning. Lit.
I requesVask politely that you
(sing.) come in the very early
morning (ekuseni kakhulu)
tomorrow.
Alternatively, you can state your request first and then add
afterwards: ngi.yakucela I request you (sing.) when you direct your
request to a single person, or ngi.yanicela I request you (pl.) when you
direct your request to more than one person. Or you can simply say
ngi.yacela I request or siyacela we request. All these words with -cela
are in this instance the equivalents of please in English. For example:
Khuluma isiNgisi ngiyakucela. Speak English please.

Gcwalisa ngiyakucela. Fill it up, please.
Kufanele nisheshe ngiyanicela. You (pl.) must hurry up please.
Letha imenyu siyacela. Bring us the menu please
(we request) .
.....................................................................................................
Insight
Kufanele nisheshe literally means It is necessary that you (pl.)
hurry up. In English kufanele + verb is usually translated with
pronoun + must. The pronoun in this case is signified by the
subject concord ni- of the following verb. The verb following
-fanele always ends in -e.
1.2 To ask for something politely

For this you use the verb stem -cela followed by the name of the
thing you want, for example:
Sicela imeniyu. Can we have the menu, pleaseJPiease bring us

the menu. (Lit. We politely request the menu.)
6o
Ngicela amanzi. Can I have some water, please.
(Lit. I politely request water.)
If you want someone to please pass you or please hand you

something, for instance, at the dinner table, you say:
Ngicela unginikeze Please pass me (= ngi I) plus the name of the

thing you want passed on, for example:
Ngicela unginikeze usawoti. Please pass me the salt (usawoti).

Ngicela unginikeze ubisi. Please hand me the milk (ubisi).
in~~:~·~-i~·~:·::~·::::~~·::~::·:~·~:~·::j·~=·~:::~:·:~·::~············)
.....................................................................................................
first person singular (see Unit 7) and means me •
2 Asking 'yes/no' questions
Plain statements in Zulu can be turned into yes or no questions,

i.e. questions requiring a yes/no answer, without any change in
the word order. Such questions normally have a falling intonation
in Zulu and may, in addition, take the interrogative na? which
normally appears at the end of the sentence. Beginners are advised
to use this na as much as possible when asking questions of this
kind as it tends to pull the intonation downwards.
Unguweta na? Are you a/the waiter?

Ufuna ukungena na? Do you want to come in (-ngena)?
Uvela phesheya na? Do you come from (-vela) abroad (phesheya)?
3 Asking questions with 'what?'
What?questions are formed by adding the interrogative suffix -ni?

what? to the end of a verb (the verbal stem):
Bafunani? What do they want? (-funa)

Wenzani manje? What are you doing (-enza) now?
Unit 6 Fltf up, please (at a petrol station) 6I

[ ····~"~~~!!:·;·:::::·;·~:~·~:~:·:~·~:~·~~:~~:~·~·~~:~~~:~. . . . ..
the second person singular changes before vowel verb stems.
....................................................................................................
(See Unit 4.)
Ufuna ukwenzani? What do you want (-funa) to do?
·····inSi9"ht···················································································
[ ukwenzani = uku- + -enzani. Uku- is the infinitive class prefix
of Class r 5. It undergoes the same formal changes as the
....................................................................................................
subject concord of this class before vowel verb stems .
The suffix -ni (what?) may also combine with the associative
formative na- be with as in Unani? rendering the meaning of What
is the matter (with you)?
[. . .in~~:~~~·~:·:::·~~~~:::·::::·~:::~·:·~:~:·~~:~·:::~·~==~·i·~······
interrogative verbs, i.e. verbs that contain an interrogative
....................................................................................................
constituent .
4 Tipping
Tipping is by no means obligatory in South Africa. However,

if service has been good you may want to leave a tip. Most
restaurants, for instance, allow customers who prefer to pay by
credit card to add a tip to the price of their meal. Many motorists
prefer to give the petrol attendant a small tip, especially when
'extra' service has been rendered, like wiping the windscreen.
To tip for example a petrol attendant or a waiter in a hotel or a
restaurant you may say:
Ngibonga (or Sibonga) kakhulu. Thank you very much. Here's a

Nasi isipho sakho. present (i.e. tip) for you.
Instead of nasi isipho sakho you can also say:
Nanku umbhanselo wakho. Here's a small something(= tip)

{or you.
in~~~·!::·::~·~:·~·~~·:~·::=~~~~~:~·=~::~:~·~~·:~·~~:~~·~••••oo••••oo••••]
....................................................................................................
and 3 respectively and mean here (it) is. See Unit 8 .
5 A few useful expressions you can use at filling stations
Usugcwalisile na? Have you filled (it) up?

Faka amarandi angu-200 Put in R200 (worth of petrol).
Hlola amanzi asebhetrini. Check the water in the battery.
Awufuthe leli sondo lidinga Please inflate this wheel (tyre);
umoya. it needs some air.
Uhlole amanzi na? Have you checked the water (in the
radiator)?
Udizili udayiswa lapha na? Do you have/sell diesel here?
(Lit. Is diesel sold here?)
Ngicela ukuthi usule ifasitela Please clean the windscreen; it
elingaphambili lingcolile. is very dirty. (Lit. I request you
politely to wipe off(-sula) the
front window (of the car); it is very
dirty (-ngcolile).
Ngingakhokha ngekhadi na? Can I pay with a (credit) card?
Ngi bong a usizo lwakho. I thank you for your help/service.
6 The agreement system in Zulu
6.1 The subject concord

Closely related to the noun class system that you were introduced to
in Unit 2 is the agreement system in Zulu. According to this system
certain words such as verbs are formally linked to the nouns with
which they co-occur in a sentence by means of concords. In the case
of verbs there are two kinds of concords: subject concords and object
concords. Subject concords are concords that link the verb to the
noun that acts as the subject in the sentence while object concords
act as a link between the verb and the object noun in a sentence.
Both the subject and object concords are derived from the noun
class prefix with which they partially agree in form. Each noun class
has its own subject and object concord. This means that all nouns
belonging to the same noun class employ the same subject and object
concord. The fact that these concords are derived from the noun

class prefix explains why their form differs from class to class. An
important difference between subject and object concords is that the
subject concord is an essential part of the verb and must therefore
appear in all verbs that have a subject. It mostly occupies the initial
position in a verb. The object concord, on the other hand, is not an
obligatory part of the verb and consequently need not appear in all
verbs that have an object. (See Unit 7 for more detail on the usage
of these concords.) Let's look at a few examples of how the subject
concord acts as a link between the subject noun and the verb:
Class 1: Um-fowethu usebenza (My brother he-works in town.)

edolobheni My brother works in town.
Class 1a: U-baba uyagula. (My father he-is sick.) My father is
sick (-gula).
Class 2: Aba-ntu bayakhala. (The people they-complain.) The
people are complaining.(-khala).
Class 5: I(li)bhasi li-hambile na? (The bus it-has left?) Has the bus
left? (-hambile)
Class 7: lsi-timela sifike (The train it -arrived at 10 o'clock.)
ngo-10. The train arrived (-fike) at
10 o'clock.
Class 10: lzinja ziyaluma. (The dogs they-bite.) The dogs
bite. (-luma), i.e. they are
dangerous.
A practical hint for beginners: A quick way to get accustomed to

the use of the subject concord in Zulu is to remember that where
in English one says for instance the child is ill; the people have left;
the bus has come, in Zulu you say 'the child he/she is ill; the people
they have left; the bus it has come', and so on.
Subject concords of the different noun classes
Noun Class Subject Example

class prefix concord
Class 1 um(u)- u- umntwana ulimele the child is injured

Class 2 ababa- a bantu bayakhala the people are
complaining (-khala)
...............................................................
Noun Class Subject Example
class prefix concord
............................................................................................
Class 1(a) u- u- ubaba ukhathele father is tired
(-khathele)
Class 2(a) o- ba- odokotela basebenza kakhulu the
doctors are working very hard
Class 3 um(u)- u- ummese ukhaliphile the knife is
sharp (-khaliphile)
Class 4 imi- i- imimese ibuthuntu the knives are
blunt (-buthuntu)
Class 5 i(li)- li- ibhasi lifikile the bus has arrived
(-fikile)
Class 6 ama- a- amanzi ayabanda the water is cold
(-banda)
Class 7 isi- si- isinkwa siphelile the bread is
finished (-phelile)
Class8 izi- zi- izitolo zivaliwe the shops are closed
(-valiwe)
Class 9 in-/im- i- inyama iyabiza meat is expensive
Class 10 izin-/ zi- izinja ziyakhonkotha the dogs are
izim- barking (-khonkotha)
Class 11 u(lu)- lu- ufudu luhamba kancane a tortoise
(ufudu) walks slowly (kancane)
Class 14 ubu- bu- ubuso bakho bungcolile your face
is dirty
Class 15 uku- ku- ukudla kuvuthiwe the food is done
(-vuthiwe)
Note that noun Classes I2 and I 3 do not occur in Zulu. They do,
however, occur in some of the other African languages.
Note also that although the class prefixes of Classes 5 and I I

do not occur as iii- and ulu- in spoken or written Zulu (but as i-
and u- respectively) the form of their respective subject concords
indicates that the true form of the noun prefixes of these two
classes is, in fact, iii- and ulu- respectively.
Unit 6 Fill up, please (at a petrol station) 65

A further important thing to remember about the subject concord
is that when two nouns in Class r or ra combine (by means of na-
and (Unit 4.9), they take the subject concord of Class 2, i.e. ba-:
Umama nobaba baye My Mum and Dad went

edolobheni. to town.
Subject concords of the first and second persons

1st p. sing. ngi- e.g. Ngilambile I am hungry.
1st p. pl. si- e.g. Sifuna iteksi We are looking fora taxi.
2nd p. sing. u- e.g. Unjani? How are you?
2nd p. pl. ni- e.g. Nivelaphi? Where do you come from?
For the third person, see the different noun classes above.
7 The position of subjects in sentences
Although the basic position of subjects in Zulu is at the start

of the sentence, they may just as well occur at the end (especially
when the subject is known to both speaker and listener), i.e. you
can say:
UMartha uyagula (or) Uyagula Martha is ill. (-gula).

uMartha.
Abantu bazohamba kusasa (or) The people will/eave tomorrow.
Bazohamba kusasa abantu.
Indlu iyadayisa (or) Iyadayisa indlu. The house is for sale. (-dayisa)
Umsebenzi
1 You arrive at a petrol station to put some petrol in your car

and also to have your car's tyres, water and oil checked. The
attendant asks you a what he can do for you and you tell him
b that you want some petrol. He asks c for how much and you
ask him (politely) d to put in(= -thela) petrol for Rr5o.
66
After he has done so you request him (again politely) to
e check the water and oil. He asks f whether he should
check the tyres (ngihlole amathaya?) and you tell him:
g 'Yes, please'. He does so and asks if h there is anything
else you need(= want) and you reply: i 'No, that's all, thank
you'. You conclude by saying:j 'Here's a tip for you'.
Use the above information to create a suitable dialogue
between yourself and the petrol pump attendant.
2 Complete the following sentences by providing the missing

subjectival concord:
a USolmon_yagula namhlanje. Solman is ill today.
b lnyama _phelile. The meat is finished.
c Isinkwa _phelile. The bread is finished.
d U(lu)bisi _phelile. The milk is finished.
e l(li)khofi _phelile. The coffee is finished.
f Imali yami _phelile. My money is finished.
g Amanzi _phelile. The water is finished.
h Ukudla _phelile. The food is finished.
IsiZulu _yakhulunywa lapha. Zulu is spoken here.
j _khathele kakhulu. I am very tired.
k _zohamba kusasa. We will be leaving tomorrow.
I Indlu yethu _yadayisa. Our house is for sale.
m l(li)zulu _shisa kakhulu namhlanje. The weather is very
hot (-shisa) today.
3 How would you say or ask/tell someone the following in Zulu:

a What do you want?
b What's the price of this (lokhu)?
c Is there anything else?
d What is your name?
e What are you doing (-enza)?
f Do you speak English at home (ekhaya)?
g Please open (-vula) the door (umnyango).
h Thank you.
Can/May I come in now?
j Do you understand English?

4 You are having dinner with family or friends at a rather large
table. Ask someone at the table politely to please pass you:
a the salt
b thewater
c the pepper (upelepele)
d the milk
e the cheese (ushizi).
5 Give the plural form of each of the following nouns:

a ipenipen
b umfana boy/son
c indoda
d imoto car
e isitolo shop.
6 Give the singular of the following nouns:

a abantu people
b izinja dogs
c imifula rivers
d amarandi Rands (S.A. currency)
e izitsha dishes.
7 Change the following sentences into interrogative sentences by

using the interrogative suffix -ni? what?
a UNomsa uyapheka. Nomsa is cooking (-pheka).
b Abantwana bayafunda. The children are studying (-funda).
c Amantombazane ayageza. The girls are washing (-geza).
d Intombazane iyabhala. The girl is writing (-bhala).
e lsalukazi siyathunga. The old woman is sewing (-thunga).
8 By using verbal stem -cela, how will you ask someone to

please do the following:
a Close (-vala) the door (umnyango).
b Sit down (-hlala phansi).
c Speak English.
d Switch on (-vula) the TV?
68
1 The different ways to ask for something politely.

2 The vowel on which verbs must end in polite requests.
3 The interrogative suffix that is used in what? questions
in Zulu.
4 What to say when giving someone a tip for good service.
5 At least five popular expressions that are often used at filling
stations.
6 The difference between Zulu and English in the word order
of yes/no questions.
7 The importance of the interrogative na? when asking yes/no
questions.
8 The form of the subject concord in the different noun classes.
9 The subject concord that is used when two separate nouns in
Class 1 or Ia form the subject of a sentence.
10 The different positions in a sentence that a subject noun can
occupy in Zulu.

7
UNcamsile ukhumbula usuku
lokuzalwa kwakhe
Ncamsile celebrates her birthday

• how to express greetings and best wishes in Zulu for
different occasions
some exclamations in Zulu and how to use them
how to express the concept for in Zulu
the form and usage of the object concords in Zulu
ldayalogi
Edith and Ken are invited to Edith's friend Ncam.sile's birthday
party. They arrive at Ncamsile's house and are met at the door.
ao ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
g:: : Ncamsile (delighted that her friend has come) Hawul Sawubona
1- •
sis'. Edith. Sawubona but' Ken. Ninjani?
E : Edith Siyaphila. Sicela kini?
~ : Ncamsile Nathi siyaphila. Awul Ngijabula kakhulu urna nifikile.
...
: Edith Nathi siyajabula. Ngikufisela irnpilontle nernpilonde
ngokukhumbula usuku lokuzalwa kwakho .
: Ncamsile Ngiyabonga sis' Edith.
: Ken Nami ngikufisela unwele oludel
: Ncamsile Ngiyabonga but' Ken.
70
Edith Sikulethele isipho esinca ne. Sethemba ukut hi
uzosit handa.
Ncamsile (pleasantly surprised) Hawu! Ngibonga kakhulu !
Sis' Edith Sis (sister) Edith (See also Unit 1)

But' Ken Brother Ken
Sicela kini? How are things with you (pl.) ?
Nathi siyaphila We too are fine
nathi we too
Awul Ngijabula ukuthi ufikile My! I am happy that you have come
Ngikufisela impilontle Lit. I wish (for) you a pleasant life
impilontle a pleasant life (Lit. a life that is beautiful)
(See Adjectives, Unit 21)
nempilonde (na-impilonde) and a long life (See Adjectives, Unit 21)
ngokukhumbula usuku lokuzalwa kwakho on your birthday
(Lit. with remembering the day of the birth of you)
-khumbula remember
usuku day
ukuzalwa kwakho the birth of you (See Possessives, Unit 17)
nami I too
unwele olude May you live long (Lit. long hair- an idiomatic
expression often used in congratulatory contexts)
Sikulethele isipho esincane We brought (for) (-lethele) you a small
present (Lit. a present that is small. (See Adjectives, Unit 21)
isipho present
esincane small (present)
Sethemba We trust
-ethemba trust
ukuthi that
uzokusithanda you will/ike it
Hawul (exclamation of pleasant surprise)
Imibuzo
1 Phendula imibuzo elandelayo:

a UNcamsile ukhumbulani?
b UEdith umfiselani uNcamsile?
Unit 7 Ncams/le celebrates her birthday 7I

c UKen umfiselani uNcamsile?
d UKen no-Edith bamletheleni uNcamsile?
e UNcamsile uthole (got) isipho esi-_?
c:
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Greetings and best wishes
There are various expessions that you can use when you want to
convey your best wishes or send greetings to someone. Here are a
few examples of expressions you can use for this purpose:
1.1 Best wls hes

To convey your best wishes to someone you can use the expression
-fi.sela izilokotho ezinhle which basically means to desire (wish)
good things for someone.
When you want to direct your wishes to a single person you say:
Nglkuflsela lzllokotho ezlnhle. I wish you (-ku-) everything of the best

or
Slkuflsela lzllokotho ezlnhle. We wish you everything of the best.
72
To direct your wishes to more than one person you use the object
concord of the second person plural-ni- in the place of the object
concord of the second person singular -ku- (see 5 below):
Nginifisela/Sinifisela izilokotho. I wish you (pl.) well/We wish you

(pl.) everything of the best.
Instead of izilokotha ezinhle you can also say okuhle kodwa only the
best e.g. Sikufisela okuhle kodwa We wish you (sing.) only the best.
1.2 Birthday wishes
To wish someone a happy birthday (usuku lokuzalwa) you can

use the same verb stem -fisela followed by the word impilonde
a healthy and happy life or impilonde nempilonde a happy and
healthy life and a long life, e.g.
Sikufisela impilontle We wish you a happy, healthy

nempilonde ngosuku and a long life with your
lokuzalwa kwakho, Mavis. birthday, Mavis
Instead of impilonde nempilonde you can also use the idiomatic
expression unwele olude long hair when congratulating someone
on his/her birthday, e.g.
Halala ngosu ku lokuzalwa Congratulations on your birthday,

kwakho baba. Sikufisela father. We wish you long hair, i.e.
unwele olude a happy and long life.
iriS:iQii•t••····································· .................................................]
ngosuku • nga- + usuku on the day. Nga- is the instrumental
formative meaning on (see Unit 23). The -a of nga- combines with
....................................................................................................
the initial u- of usuku according to the sound rule of a + u > o.
1.3 Christmas greetings/Compliments of the season

You can write this on a Christmas card or say it to someone in person:
Sinifisela uKhisimuzi omuhle We wish you (pl.) a nice/happy

nonyaka omusha onenjabulo Christmas and a happy new year.
(Lit. and a year that is new and
that is with joy/happiness)
Unit 7 NcamsHe celebrates her birthday 73

······iii5i9·1ir···········································································.......
omuhle nice and omusha new are both adjectives in Zulu and
onenjabulo happy a relative. The only difference between
adjectives and relatives in Zulu lies in the concords they
use, omu- as opposed to o- in the examples given here.
(See Units 2r and 22.)
A second, more indirect way, to say this is to replace the verb stem
-fisela with its passive form -fiselwa and replace the subject concord
-si- we, with the subject concord of the second person. For example:
Nlflselwa uKhlslmuzl omuhle You (pl.) are wished a happy/nice/

nonyaka onenjabulo. beautiful Christmas and a happy
new year.
If you wish, you can replace uKhisimuzi omuhle with uKhisimuzi

onesibusiso a blessed Christmas and onenjabulo with onempumelelo
a prosperous (new year). Thus:
Nlflselwa uKhlslmuzl You are wished a blessed Christmas

oneslbuslso nonyaka omusha and a prosperous new year.
onempumelelo.
UKHISIMUZI OMUHLE
NONYAKA OMUSHA OMUHLE
A HAPPY CHRISTMAS
AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
1.4 'Have a nice day!'
To wish someone 'a nice day' usuku oluhle you can say:
Ngikufisela usuku oluhle I wish you a nice day or

Ube nosuku oluhle. You must have a nice day.
Or you can simply say to someone:
Usuku oluhlel (Have) a nice day!
1.5 'Give my regards to

If you want to ask a person to give your regards to someone
you can use the verb stem -khonzela convey someone's greetings
and say it in the following ways:
To a single person: Ungikhonzde kuye You must give my (-ngi-)

regards to him/her (See Unit 12 for kuye to him/her)
To more than one person: Ungikhonzde kubo You must give my

regards to them (See Unit 12 for kubo to them)
If you are two or more people who would like to send your regards to
you use the object concord -si- our instead of -ngi-, e.g. Usikhonzde
kuye/kubo You must give our regards to him, her/them.
2 Pronunciation of sisi and buti
The words sisi (sister) and buti (brother) which are popular forms
of address among contemporaries, especially in metropolitan areas,
are frequently pronounced without their final vowel when they are
followed by the name of a person, for instance:
Sawubona sis' Pamela Good day, sister Pamela.

Halala sis' Nomsal Congratulations (halala), sister Nomsa!
Ngiyabonga but' John Thank you, brother John.
Uphi ubut' lake? Where is brother Jake?

3 Exclamations!
Exclamations abound in Zulu speech. Here are a few popular

examples of exclamations.
a Emphatic negation
I Hhayi/Hhayibo!/Hhayikhona! No! Most definitely not!
Hhayikhona! Akunjalo. No! It's not so. You are lying!

Ukhuluma amanga! (Lit. You are talking lies.)
Hhayibo! Angifuni. Definitely not! I don't want to.
[.. ····inSi9.ht·· ··················································································

.....................................................................................................
Angifuni is in the negative of the present tense. See Unit 9·
b Drawing someone's attention
I We!Hey!
We Mike! Ngiyakufuna. Hey Mike! I'm looking for you.

We bafana! Thulani! Hey boys! Be quiet!
c Wonder/Surprise
I Hawu! Hurrah!, My word!, Good heavens!
Hawu! Bafikile! Hurrah! They have come!
I Awu!My!
Awul Uphasile Sipho! My! You have passed, Sipho!
Mehlomadala! (Lit. Old eyes) What a pleasure! Good gracious!

~ (at meeting an old acquaintance)
Mehlomadalal Sakubona What a pleasure to see you again after
Lindil Unjani? such a long time, Lindi! How are you?
d Pardon
Nxephe/Uxolo Pardon!, Sorry! Excuse (me/us)

Uxolo mfowethu, angifuni Sorry brother! I don't mean to
ukukuphazamisa. disturb you.
int~~~~-~·~::~·:~:·:·:~:~·:~·~:~·~·~:::~::·i·:~·~:~~·:·~-~~
infinitive prefix of Class r 5 and -ku- the object concord of the
........1
.....................................................................................................
second person singular .
4 Expressing the preposition 'for'
In Zulu, the preposition for, as in 'I worked for him', 'he played for
them', etc. is expressed by changing the final vowel-a of the verb
stem to -ela. This suffix is traditionally known in Zulu grammar as
the applied verbal extension. The following are a few examples of
verbal stems that include this extension.
1111- -sebenza work -sebenzela work for

1111- -biza call -bizela call for
1111- -letha bring -lethela bring for
Note the use of this extension in the following examples:
Ngisebenzela i-Golden City I work for Golden City Furnishers.

Furnishers.
Ngikufisela okuhle kodwa. I wish (for) you only the best.
Lethela umama itiye. Bring (for) mother some tea.
Note that -ela becomes -ele when used in friendly requests:
Awungilethele imeniyu. Please bring (for) me the menu.

Awusivulele isango. Please open the gate for us.

Finally it must be noted that not all verbs that end in -ela signify
the preposition for, for example the following verbs:
-tshela tell -vela come from -phela get finished

-khwela climb -cela request -thela pour
5 The object concords: their form and usage
In English when you do not want to repeat the name of a person or

thing, you use a pronoun instead, as in the following examples:
Do you know Mr Ntuli? Yes, I know him.

Have you brought the money? Yes, I've brought it.
In the first example the object noun Mr Ntuli has been replaced by its
pronoun him and in the second example the money by its pronoun it.
In Zulu you do not use pronouns to replace object nouns, you

use object concords instead. Like its counterpart, the subject
concord (see Unit 6), the object concord is not an independent
word but forms part of the verb. Like the subject concords the
object concords too are derived from the noun class prefix which
explains why many object concords have the same, or nearly the
same form, as their subject concord counterparts. Like in the case
of the subject concords every noun class has its own object concord.
The position of the object concord in the verb is immediately before
the verb stem as can be seen in the examples below.
Ufuna uSibusiso na? Are you looking for Sibusiso?

Yebo, ngiya-m- funa. Yes, (!-him-looking for=) I am looking for him.
Uhlole amasondo na? Did you check the wheels (amasondo)?
Yebo, ngi-wa-hlolile. Yes, (I- them-checked=) I checked them.
Ufunde le ncwadi Have you read this book of (by) DBZ Ntuli?
ka-DBZ Ntuli?
Yebo, ngi-yi-fundile. Yes, (I-it-read =)I have read it.
You have probably noticed in the examples above the difference in

word order between Zulu and English as far as the object pronouns
are concerned. Whereas in English the object pronoun comes after
the verb, the object concord in Zulu comes before the verb, or to
be more correct, before the verb stem.
For reference purposes all the subject and object concords in Zulu
are listed in the table below.
Table of subject and object concords in Zulu
Noun class Class prefix Subject concord Object concord
1st p. sing. ngi- -ngi-

1st p. pl. si- -si-
2nd p. sing. u- -ku-
2nd p. pl. ni- -ni-
Class 1 um(u)- u- -m-
Class 1a u- u- -m-
Class 2 ababa- -ba-
Class 2a o- ba- -ba-
Class 3 um(u)- u- -wu-
Class 4 imi- i- -yi-
Class 5 i(li)- li- -li-
Class 6 am a- a- -wa-
Class 7 isi- si- -si-
Class 8 izi- zi- -zi-
Class 9 in-lim- i- -yi-
Class 10 izin-/izim- zi- -zi-
Class 11 u(lu)- lu- -lu-
Class 14 u(bu)- bu- -bu-
Class 15 uku- ku- -ku-
Notes on the object concords
Subject concords in Zulu that consist of a vowel only take a w- or

y- before them when they are used as object concords. Also note
the exceptional form of the object concord of classes 1 and 1(a)
and of the second person singular.
Before vowel verb stems, i.e. verb stems that begin with a vowel,
such as -azi know, -enza do, etc. (see Unit 4), most object concords
Unit 7 Ncams/le celebrates her birthday 79

consisting of a consonant plus vowd discard their vowel-part, for
example:
Uyangazi na? (< u-ya-ngi-azi) Do you know me?

Wesaba (izipoki) na? (< u-ya zi- Are you afraid of ghosts?
esaba)
Yebo, ngiyazesaba (< ngi-z(i)-esaba) Yes, I am very much afraid
kakhulu. (-esaba) of them.
Ulephulile (< u-l(i)-ephulile) Have you broken (-ephulile) it
(iwindi) na? (the window iwindi)?
The exception is the object concord -ku- of the second person singular,
the object concord of Class 15 and the object concord -lu- of Class 14.
These concords change to -kw- and -lw- respectively when they appear
before vowel verb stems that begin with a ore, for example:
Yebo, Ngiyakwazi ( < ngi-ya-ku-azi). Yes, I know you.
A unique feature of the object concord in Zulu is that it may

co-occur with its object noun in a sentence, in which case the
object concord does not display its pronominal significance. An
environment where this normally happens is when the object
noun is separated from the preceding verb by an adverb or an
interrogative (adverb), as in the following examples:
Ngimbonile izolo uSibusiso. I saw Sibusiso yesterday.

Ngiyaxolisa kodwa angilikhumbuli I'm sorry but I don't remember
kahlehle igama lakho. your name very well.
Nimgcine nini u-Amos? When last (-gcine) did you (pl.)
see Amos?
(The words izolo yesterday and kahlehle very well and nini? when?
are adverbs in these three sentences.)
Insight
angilikhumbuli (= a-ngi-li-khumbul-i) is a verb in the negative
of the present tense. The initial a- is the negative morpheme and
the terminal-i- the negative ending. (See Unit 8.) The -li- is the
object concord of Class 5 referring to the object noun igama.
8o
The object concord is probably one of the more difficult aspects of
Zulu. It is therefore strongly recommended that beginners regularly
practise these concords in both their speech and writing.
Let's kick off with one such exercise by providing the missing
object concords in the following sentences:
... Ubuze umnumzane (Class r) Did you ask Mr Khumalo?

Khumalo?
Yebo, ngi_buzile. Yes, I have asked him.
... Ubize uJohn (Class ra) Mandla? Did you call]ohn, Mandla?
Yebo, ngi_bizile. Yes, I have called him.
... Ukhuluma isiNgisi (Classy)? Do you speak English?
Yebo, ngiya_khuluma. Yes, I speak it.
... Ubone i(li)bhubesi (Class 5) Did you see the lion
izolo na? yesterday?
Yebo, ngi_bonile. Yes, I saw it.
... Si_fisela usuku oluhle Maria . We wish (for) you a nice day,
Maria.
Si_fisela izilokotho ezinhle. We wish you (pl.) everything
of the best.
... Nibize uZenzele (Class ra) na? Have you called Zenzele?
Yebo si_bizile. Yes, we have called her.
Ulethe imali (Class 9) Did you bring my money
yamiZodwa? Zodwa?
Ye bo, ngi_lethile. Yes, I brought it.
Usa_khumbula Simon? Do you still remember me
Simon?
Yebo, ngiya__ khumbula. Yes, I remember you (sing.).
Babophe izigebengu na? Have they arrested the
gangsters?
Yebo, ba_bophile. Yes, they have arrested them.
Uphuze umuthi (Class 3) wakho? Did you drink your medicine?
Yebo, ngi_phuzile. Yes, I drank it.
in~~~s:·~~~::::·~:~·:~:~~-=-~~~-~:i·l::·~~::~~;~·:~~-~~:~:i·l: .····]
....................................................................................................
above is the immediate past tense suffix. (See Unit 13.)
Unit 7 NcamsHe celebrates her birthday 8I

Umsebenzi
It's your friend Mary's birthday. Write a birthday card in which

you congratulate her. Begin with:
Mary othandekayo Dearest Mary

(birthday wishes)
And end it:
Yimi It is I
Umngane wakho Your friend
(your name)
UROBERT DLOMO UFISA UKUNIMEMELA

EDILINI LOSUKU LOKUZALWA MHLA KA-24 SEPTEMBA
NGO 8 KUSIHLWA ELONG LANE STREET, ARCADIA
ROBERT DLOMO WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME TO HIS

BIRTHDAY PARTY ON 24 SEPTEMBER AT 8 P.M. LONG
LANE STREET, ARCADIA
2 Supply the appropriate exclamation word in the following
sentences:
o __ Susan! Yisikhathi eside sagcinana! (surprised) Hello
Susan. It's such a long time since we've seen each other.
b __ Weta! Wo:za lapha/ Hey waiter! Come here (please)!
c __ ! Angiyi mina. No way! I'm not going.
d ! Sicela ukwedlula. Please excuse us/Sorry! We
would like to pass.
3 Complete each of the following sentences by filling in the

appropriate object concord of the first and second person:
o Uya_ funa, Chris? Are you looking for me, Chris?
b Yebo, ngiya_funa. Yes, I am looking for you (sing.).
c Baya_biza na? Are they calling us?
d Yebo, baya_biza. Yes they are calling you (pl.).
e Uya_azi na? Do you know me?
f Yebo, ngiya_azi. Yes, I know you (pl.).
g Nginga_siza na mnumzana? Can I help you, sir?
h Usa_khumbula na? Do you still remember me?
Yebo, ngiya_khumbula. Yes, I remember you.
4 Now provide the missing object concord (referring to the noun

in brackets) of some of the other noun classes in the sentences
below:
o Ngi_thenge esitolo (i[li]phephandaba newspaper)
I bought it at the shop.
b Ngi_thenge e-CNA (incwadi book) I bought it at
the CNA.
c Ngisa_funda (isi.Zulu) I'm still learning (to speak) it.
d Si_bonile edolobheni ekuseni (abantu people) We saw
them in town this morning.
e Uthisha u_lethele amaswidi (izingane children) The
teacher brought sweets for them.
f Ubaba u_lungisile (umshini Class 3) machine) Father
has fixed it.

g Ngi_thole ekamelweni lakho (isikhwama bag) I found
it in your room.
h U_beke ekhabethini (izi.tsha dishes) She has put them in
the cupboard.
5 It is Christmas time. How will you wish a Zulu-speaking

friend of yours (say uNomusa) a happy Christmas and a
prosperous New Year?
6 Fill in the missing subject concord in the sentences below:

o _khathele kakhulu namhlanje. I feel very tired today.
b _thini isikhathi manje? What is the time now?
c _hamba nini i(li)bhasi? When does the bus leave?
7 Ask your friend Jacob in a friendly way to do the following

for you:
o bring (-letha) some tea (itiye)
b open (-vula) the gate (isango)
c call (-biza) Joseph
d switch off (-vala close) the radio (umsakazo)
e assist (-siza) you here (lapha) vala
8 Write down the plural of the following nouns:

o ibhasi bus
b isitimela train
c inkomocow
d isipho gift
e imoto car
f umlungu white person
9 Give the singular form of the following nouns:

o izinkwa breads
b amaqanda eggs
c imibhede beds
d izinto things
e izihlalo chairs
1 The wording to use when wishing someone a happy birthday,

a happy Christmas, a nice day.
2 The wording to use when conveying your best wishes to more
than one person.
3 How to ask someone to give your regards to (a) someone else
(b) more than one person.
4 How to express the preposition for in Zulu.
5 How to pronounce the words sisi and buti when followed by
a personal name.
6 The position of the object concord in the verb in Zulu.
7 Two instances where the use of the object concord is
obligatory in Zulu.
8 The form of the object concords of the different noun classes
in Zulu with special reference to the form of the object
concord of classes 14 and 15.
9 The difference in word order between Zulu and English as
far as the sentence position of object pronouns in English and
object concords in Zulu are concerned.
10 The change in the form of object concords in Zulu before
vowel verb stems.

8
lkhona na i·stoney jinjabhiya?
Do you have Stoney ginger beer?
• ask whether something/someone is present or available
• say something or someone is or is not present or available
• ask where someone/something is
• say here he/she/it is/there he/she/it is
• ask whether someone has any small change
• say something is open, closed or locked
• form and use of the present tense in Zulu
ldayalogi
It's a typical South African summer's day- hot and dry. Nomsa is
on a long-distance journey by car. She's thirsty and decides to buy
a cool drink. As many South African garages sell soft drinks she
decides to buy one at the next garage and also to get some petrol
and make use of the toilet facilities. She speaks to the attendant.
~ ................................................................ .
g:: : Nomsa Nithengisa i-cooldrinki?
1- : Attendant Yebo.
E : Nomsa ljinjabhiya ikhona?
~ : Attendant Yebo ikhona.
: Nomsa Inhloboni?
: Attendant Vi-Stoney.
86
.: Nomsa Iyabanda na?
: Attendant Yebo, ibanda kakhulu.
: Nomsa Kulungile. Ngizoyithatha.
: Attendant Ufuna (amathini) amangaki?
: Nomsa Ngifuna linye.
(receiving the soft drink from the attendant)
Ngiyabonga. Yimalini?
Attendant Yi-R2.
Nom sa Uphethe ushintshi?
Attendant Wamalini?
Nom sa We-RSO.
Attendant Yebo.
Nom sa (handing the attendant a R50 note) Nansi (imali).
Attendant Ngiyabonga dade.
Nom sa Ithoyilethe likhona na?
Attendant Yebo.
Nom sa Likuphi?
Attendant (pointing to the toilet) Nanto.
Nom sa Livuliwe?
Attendant Cha, nanku ukhiye.
• Nomsa Ngiyabonga.
Nithengisa i-cooldrinki? Do you sell soft drinks?

Ijinjabhiya ikhona na? Do you have ginger beer?
Yebo, ikhona Yes, we have
Inhloboni? What kind is it? (i.e. brand)
Vi-Stoney It is Stoney (a ginger beer brand name)
Iyabanda na? Is it cold?
Ngizoyithatha I'll take it
Ufuna (amathini) amangaki? How many (cans) do you want?
Ngifuna linye kuphela I want only one (can)
Yi-R2 It is R2
Uphethe ushintshi na? Do you have any small change on you?
Wamalini? (Of=) For how much money?
We-RSO For 50 Rands
Ithoyilethe likhona na? Is there a toilet (here)?
Unit 8 Do you have Stoney ginger beer? 87

Likuphi? Where is it?
Nanto There it is
Livuliwe na? Is it open?
lmibuzo
Kuyi.qiniso noma akusilo? Phendula ngokuthi 'Yebo' noma 'Cha'.

Answer by saying 'Yes' or 'No'. Lungisa imisho engesilo iqiniso bese
uyibhala kabusha. Correct the 'false' sentences and rewrite them.
o UNomsa ufuna ukuthenga i-cooldrinki

b UNomsa ufuna ushintshi we-R2o
c UNomsa ucela amanzi
d Ithoyilethe livaliwe
e UNomsa ukhokhe (paid) R2.50.
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Asking questions with khona
1.1 Asking whether someone/something is here/there/present

To ask whether somebody or something you are looking for is
present, nearby or available you use the pronoun khona here/there
and attached to it the subject concord of the noun that refers to
the person or thing you are asking about. In English you often
begin such questions with: Is there ••. ? or Do you have .•• ? For
example:
UNkosikazi Msimang ukhona na? Is Mrs Msimang here?

U(lu)cingo lomphakathi Is there a public telephone
lukhona na? nearby?
I(li)thoyilethe likhona na? Is there a toilet (here/nearby)?!
Do you have a toilet here?
(A question often asked by
travellers at filling stations.)
Ukhona ujusi na? Is there any {ruitjuice?!Do you
have any {ru it juice?
88
Note that the subject noun may either follow (more often) or
precede (less often) khona. Remember also that na is a marker
of yeslno questions in Zulu. (See Unit 6.)
Another frequently used way to ask Is there ... ? is by using

Kukhona followed by the name of the thing you are asking about,
for example:
Kukhona amanzi abandayo na? Is there/Do you have cold water?

Kukhona inxanxathela yezitolo Is there a shopping centre
lapha na? (inxanxathela yezitolo) nearby?
in~~t~·~::·:~::~~~·::::·:~~·:::~·::~:·::~:-~::~-~~:~·~::·········1
you do not say something like Kukhona uThembekile na? Is
.....................................................................................................
Thembekile here/present?
1.2 Saying someone/something is (not) present/available

When the answer to a khona-question is positive, you simply reply
by saying Yebo followed by the subject concord plus khona that
occurs in the question sentence, for example:
UNkosikazi Msimang ukhona Yes, she is (here).

na? Yebo, ukhona.
Akhona na amanzi abandayo? Yebo, Yes, there is.
akhona.
When the answer is in the negative you put the so-called negative
a- before the positive form of khona, i.e. before the subject
concord, and drop the final syllable na of khona, for example:
Likhona igalaji na? Is there a garage Cha, alikho. No, there isn't.
here?
Sikhona isinkwa esisha (fresh) Cha, asikho. No, there isn't any.
na? Is
there any fresh bread?
Zikhona izingane? Are there any children? Cha, azikho. No, there aren't.
In the case of Classes 3, 4 and 9 the form of the negative subject

concord is somewhat different. In the case of Class 3 the subject

concord u- becomes wu- in the negative while the subject concord
i- of Classes 4 and 9 becomes yi-. This is because when the vowel
sequence a-u or a-i is pronounced in quick succession, a semi-vowel
w or y is automatically heard between these vowels, i.e. a-u> awu-
and a-i > ayi-:
Class 3: Ukhona umsebenzi lapha na? Is there any work

available here?
Cha, awukho No, there isn't.
Class 9: Ikhona inja elumayo na? Is there a dog that bites here?
Cha, ayikho. No, there isn't.
The negative form of the subject concord of Classes I and I a before

the stem -kho is ake- (normal form aka-) whilst that of the subject
concord of Class 2 and 2a is abe- (normal form aha-) and that of
Class 6 awe- (normal form awa-) in this instance, for example:
Class I: ake- e.g. Umphathi ukhona u-> Cha, akekho.

na? Is the manager No, he isn't.
here?
Class Ia: ake- e.g. UJabulani ukhona u-> Cha, akekho.
na? Is ]abulani here? No, he isn't.
Class 2: abe- e.g. Bakhona ba-> Cha, abekho.
abahlolwayo abafeyile No, there
na? Are there any aren't.
candidates (abahlolwayo)
who failed (-feyile)?
Class 6: awe- e.g. Akhona ama bhasi a-> Cha, awekho.
ngeSonto? Are there any No, there
buses (running) on a aren't.
Sunday?
[ ·····in~~:~~~~~-~~:·~·::·:~:~·~:·:~·::~·:~~~:::~:·:~:~::·::::·::~·~::·····
.....................................................................................................
vowel e is lengthened. See the Pronunciation Guide .
2 Loan-words and noun class membership
The lack of sufficient terminology, especially words signifying

modern concepts, is in many ways still a serious problem in Zulu.
To make up for this shortcoming, nouns are often borrowed from
English and then used either unchanged or in a Zulufied form but
always provided with the necessary class prefix. Thus, you have izu
for zoo, ikompiyutha for computer, inyuziphepha for newspaper,
i-ayini for flat iron and so on. Some speakers prefer to put these
loan-words in Class 5 (in which case they take the subject concord
li-), while others prefer to put them in Class 9 (in which case they
take the subject concord i-).
3 Asking 'where is/are?' questions in Zulu.
To ask where someone or something is you use the interrogative

(question) suffix -phi? where? (or kuphi? in the case of places) and
prefix to it the subject concord of the noun referring to the thing or
person whose location you want to know:
Uphi uDavide? Angimboni. Where is David? I don't see him.

Likuphi i(li)posihhovisi lapha? Where's the Post Office here?
Iphi imoto entsha yakho?? Where is your new (entsha) car?
Sikuphi isikole esisha senu? Where is your new (esisha) school?
4 (T)here he/she/it is
If you are asked where a certain person or thing is, you may
respond by making use of special words. In English these are: here/
there he/she/it is or here/there they are. The words that perform
this function in Zulu are commonly referred to in Zulu grammar
as demonstrative copulatives. Demonstrative copulatives are used
when you want to indicate (by pointing out) a person or thing that
is near you or a person or thing that is further away from you.
(The use of these words is usually accompanied by a gesture, such
as pointing or nodding the head in the appropriate direction.) Zulu
grammarians normally distinguish between these distances by
Unit 8 Do you have Stoney ginger beer? 9I

referring to the distance nearest to the speaker as Position I and
the distance further from the speaker as Position 2. (fhere is also a
Position 3 which will not be taken into account here.) Every noun
class has its own set of demonstrative copulatives. The following are a
few examples of the usage of some of these demonstrative copulatives:
Class I: Uphi uFanyana? Where is Fanyana?

N ango elungisa There he is fixing his
ibhayisikili lakhe. bicycle.
Class 5: Likuphi ibhange lapha? Where is a bank here?
N anto ekhoneni. There it is on the corner.
Classy: Zip hi izikhiye zemoto Where are my car keys?
yami?
Nazi etafuleni. Here they are on the table.
Class 9: Iphi indlu edayisayo? Nanso. There it is.
Where is the house that
is for sale?
Note that you may also use these demonstrative copulatives

together with the nouns they refer to. In such instances you say:
Here is/are (+ noun); There is/are (+ noun), for example:
Nangu uNkosikazi Gumede. Here is Mrs Gumede.

Nanso imoto yakho baba. There is your car babalsir.
Nanku umakhalekhukhwini Here is your eel/phone, Zenzele.
wakho, Zenzele.
Demonstrative copulatives of the different noun classes
Class 1/1a nangu nango

Class 2/2a nampa nampo
92
Position 1 Position 2
Here is/are There is/are
Class 3 nanku nanko

Class it nansi nan so
Class 5 nanti nanto
Class 6 nanka nanko
Class 7 nasi naso
Class8 nazi nazo
Class 9 nansi nan so
Class 10 nazi nazo
Class 11 nantu nan to
Class 1lt nampu nampo
Class 1lt nakhu nakho
Note that:
a Position 2 differs formally from Position r only in respect of
its final vowel.
b The initial vowel of the demonstrative copulative is pronounced
with length:
naango uSimon Vilakazi there is Simon Vilakazi;

naampo abantwana there are the children, etc.
5 Uphethe ... ? Do you have on you?
The verb stem -phethe is frequently used with the significance of to

have on/with you (e.g. in your hand, your pocket, your handbag)
any small or lightweight item such as money, a wallet, a packet of
cigarettes, car keys, etc. For instance:
Uphethe malini, Doris? How much money do you have on

you, Doris?
Uphethe umentshisi Susan? Do you have any matches on you
Susan?
Uphethe ushintshi na? Do you have any small change
on you?

In the case of money you can either say the amount in English or
you may attach ani- (as pronounced in tea) to the English word,
for example:
Ngiphethe R1 0 (ten Rand) or I have got only (kuphela) R10

i-R10 (i-ten Rand) kuphela. on me.
In the negative you simply attach the so-called negative a- to the

beginning of the positive verb and drop the initial vowel of the
following noun, for example:
Angi phethe (- )gwayi. I don't have any cigarettes on me.

Asiphethe (-)mali. We have no money with us. (We
didn't bring any money with us.)
Ngeshwa angiphethe Unfortunately (ngeshwa) I haven't
(-)shintshi. got any small change (ushintshi)
on me.
6 Is ... open/closed?
To ask whether something is open or closed, like shops, Government

departments, offices, doors, and so on, you use the verb stems
-vuliwe be open and -valiwe be closed.
Izitolo zivuliwe namhlanje Are the shops open or (noma)

noma zivaliwe? closed today?
In the negative you simply put an a- in front of the verb.
Cha, izikole azivaliwe. No, the schools are not closed.
It is important to distinguish between closed and locked. If

something is locked you use the verb stem -khiyiwe.
Umnyango ukhiyiwe. The door is locked.

Imoto ikhiyiwe. The car is locked.
94
7 Expressing the present tense
The present tense in Zulu can be either marked or unmarked.

When it is marked, -ya- is inserted in the verb just after the
subjectival concord, for example:
Liyabanda. It (the weather) is cold (-banda

be cold).
Bayasebenza. They are working.
Ngiyabonga. (I) thank you.
There are important rules to note concerning the use or non-use of

this present tense -ya-. Three of the most important ones to note are:
o Instances where -ya- must be used:

Ill> When no other word or words follow the present tense verb as
in the examples above.
Ill> When a verb in the present tense includes an object concord
(written [like -ya-] in roman in the examples below)
irrespective of whether the object noun is present in the
sentence or not, for example:
UVusi uyamthanda (u-ya-m- Is Vusi fond of her (Sibongile)?

thanda) na (uSibongile)?
UThoko uyamthanda na Is Thoko fond of Sibongile?
uSibongile?
Ngiyasazi (<ngi-ya-s(i)-azi) I know Zulu.
isiZulu.
Uyayifuna (le nto) na? Do you want it (this thing)?
b Instances where -ya- is omitted:

Ill> When another word or words (e.g. object nouns) follow on the
present tense verb, for example:
Ngifuna umsebenzi I'm looking for work/employment.

Abantwana basiza abazali The children are assisting their
babo. parents.

.. In negative sentences as well as in interrogative sentences
(yes/no questions, Unit 6, excluded), that is, sentences with
interrogative adverbs or suffixes such as: -phi?, kuphi? where?,
nini? when?, -ni? what?, ubani? who? and njani? how? For
example:
Uhlala kuphi? Where are you staying?

Ubuya nini? When are you coming back?
Ufunani? What do you want?
Uphila njani? How are you? (Unit 1)
c Instances where -ya- is optional:

.. One of the few instances where the use of -ya- is optional is
when the present tense verb is followed by adverbs of manner
and of time such as kakhulu very much, kahle well, kancane
a little, namhlanje today or by locative adverbs (see Unit II).
For example:
Ngi(ya)bonga kakhulu. (We) thank you very much.

Ba(ya)sebenza edolobheni. They work in town.
Si(ya)hamba namhlanje. We are leaving today.
It is important not to confuse this -ya- with the verbal stem -ya-go
which does not indicate time but an action. Consider in this regard
the following example where the first -ya- is the present tense -ya-
and the second one the verbal stem -ya-.
Siyaya We are going (This word is often seen on taxis

in the provi nee of Gauteng.)
Umsebenzi
1 Provide the missing parts in the following dialogue. Dudu

Mkhize wants to borrow some money from her sister Agnes
to buy a magazine.
................................................................
: Dudu Uphethe imali Agnes?
: Agnes Yebo.
: Dudu Ngicela nje ungiboleke imali. Will you please lend me
• some money?
: Agnes Ufuna (a)? How much do you want?
: Dudu Ngicela i-R10. R10 please (I request R10).
: Agnes Angi(b) R10, ngi_ _ i-RS kuphela. I don't have R10 on
me, I only have R5. Kuzolunga na? Will it be all right?
: Dudu Cha, ngifuna i-R10. Ubaba (c) na? Is Father here?
: Agnes Cha, a(d). No, he is not.
: Dudu Nomama-ke? And Mother?
: Agnes Yebo, u-(e). Yes, she is.
: Dudu Ngizomcela. I'll ask her.
2 Remembering the rule about the present tense -ya- how would
you express the following in Zulu:
a I am working (-sebenza)
b I am working today (namhlanje)
c I am sick (-gula)
d I am going (-ya)
e Thank you Mr Nene?
3 How would you ask someone:

o whether there is a telephone (ucingo)/a doctor
(udokotelala hospital (isibhedlela) nearby
b for a beer (ubhiya) please (-cela)
c whether he or she has small change for R2o?
4 How would you reply in the negative to the following

questions:
o Ucingo lukhona na?
b Likhona iposihhovisi na?
c Akhona amanzi abandayo (cold) na?
d Iteksi ikhona na?
e Umabonakude (TV) (Class 3) ukhona na?

5 How would you ask where the following people and things are:
o Umnumzane Clayton
b lsikhwama semali sami (my purse)
c Inja ka-Leonard (Leonard's dog)
d lwashi lami (my watch)
e Ipolisiteshi (police station)?
6 Answer each of the questions in 5 above by saying There it is

or There he is as appropriate.
7 How will you tell someone that:

o the stores are closed today but (kodwa) that
b the supermarkets (amasupamakethe) are open?
1 How to ask whether someone or something that you are

looking for is present or available (khona).
2 How to say someone or something is or is not available or
present.
3 How to use kukhona when asking questions.
4 The form of the negative subject concord of Classes I, Ia and
6 before khona.
5 How to create loanwords (nouns) from English if you do not
know the Zulu names of the thing or things you want to talk
about.
6 The form of the copulative demonstratives of (at least)
Classes I, Ia, 5 and 9·
7 The meaning and use of the verbal stem -phethe.
8 How to say that you've got nothing of a certain thing on or
with you.
9 When to use the present tense verbal prefix -ya- and when
not to.
10 The difference between -ya as verbal stem and -ya- as verbal
prefix.
9
Usebenzani lames?
What do you do for a living, James?
ask someone's occupation

say what your occupation is
express the future tense
ask/tell the time
say that you must do something
apologize
form and use the negative of the present tense
ldayalogi
James Mazibuko and Godfrey Nene are having a drink in a local
pub. They have just been introduced by a mutual friend and are
having a chat.
: lames Ngingakuthengela isiphuzo na Godfrey? ...

0
iCIIi:
: Godfrey Ngingajabula James.
: lames Ungathanda ukuphuzani? ...c
1-
: Godfrey Uwiski onamanzi uzolunga. v

: lames (After having ordered, James continues with the 9
conversation) Usebenza kuphi Godfrey?
(Contd)
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? 99

.: Godfrey Ngisebenza e-Holiday Inn (Name of hotel).
: James Kuphi?
! Godfrey EThekwini.
! James Usebenzani lapho?
! Godfrey Ngiyi-accountant. Wena usebenzani?
! James Mina ngingumthengisi.
! Godfrey Umthengisi wani?
! James Ngingumthengisi wezimoto.
: Godfrey (Noticing that James has finished his drink, offers to
buy him another one.) Ufun'esinye isiphuzo na?
: James (Remembering he has another appointment) Cha,
angifuni mfowethu, nganelisiwe.
: Godfrey Uqinisile?
: James Yebo. Yisikhathi bani manje?
: Godfrey Ngu-2.30.
! James Ungixolele mfowethu, ngisendleleni.
! Godfrey Ujahephi?
! James Ngifanele ngiyobona ikhasimende lami.
! Godfrey Uyabuya?
! James Cha, angethembi kanjalo.
! Godfrey Uhambe kahle. Bekumnandi ukuhlangana nawe.
: James Ngibonga isiphuzo. Sobonana futhi. Usale kahle.
Ngingakuthengela isiphuzo na? Can I buy (for) you a drink?

Ngingajabula Yes, please (Lit. I can be happy)
Ungathanda ukuphuzani? What would you prefer to drink?
Uwiski onamanzi uzolunga Whisky with water will be fine
Usebenza kuphi? Where do you work?
a
~
Usebenzani? What do you do for a living?/What work do you do?/
What is your occupation?
~ Ngiyi-accountant I'm an accountant
~ Ngingumthengisi I'm a salesman
wani? of what? (See Possessives, Unit 17)
wezimoto of cars (See Possessives, Unit 17)
esinye isiphuzo another drink (See Adjectives, Unit 21)
Angifuni I don't want
Nganelisiwe I'm satisfied (i.e. I've had enough)
roo
Uqinisile? Are you sure? (See Stative verbs, Unit 17)
Yisikhathi bani manje? What's the time now?
Ungixolele Please excuse me/Pardon me
Ngisendleleni I'm on my way
Ujahephi? Where are you going in such a hurry?
Ngifanele ngiyobona ikhasimende lami I must go and see a
customer of mine
ikhasimende customer
Uyabuya? Are you coming back?
Angethembi kanjalo I don't believe so
-ethemba believe, trust, hope
Bekumnandi ukuhlangana nawe It was good meeting you
(to have met you)
Ngibonga isiphuzo Thanks (for) the drink
Sobonana futhi We'll see each other again (some other time)
lmibuzo
Shono ukuthi kuyi.qiniso noma akuyi.qiniso. Say whether true

(kuyi.qiniso) or false (akuyiqiniso). Lungisa imisho engesilo iqiniso
uyibhale kabusha. Correct the incorrect sentences (imisho engesilo
iqiniso) and rewrite them.
o UGodfrey u-ode (ordered) uwiski onosoda (soda water)

b UGodfrey usebenza eGoli
c UJames uthengisa (sells) izimoto
d U Godfrey use benza esitolo
e UJames wabonga isiphuzo
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Asking someone's occupation
To find out what someone's occupation is, you ask:
Usebenzani? What work do you do? What is your occupation?
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? I0 I

If you know where a person works and you would like to know
what kind of work he or she does, you use the adverb njengani
as what?, for example:
Usebenza njengani? What kind of work do you do (for a

living)? (Lit. You work as a what?)
[·····in~~~~::~~:·:~:·:::~:~~·i:~·~~::~::~·:~:::~·~:~~~·:·::~·········
-ni the interrogative suffix -ni? (What?) that in most instances
.....................................................................................................
is suffixed to verbal stems •
2 Saying what your occupation is
To say what your or someone else's occupation is you use the

appropriate subject concord, e.g. ngi- I or u- he/she/you followed
by the noun signifying the occupation. If this noun starts with u-
(which it often does) you add the prefix ng(u)- to it, and when
it starts with an -i you put an y(i)- before it. When a subject noun
precedes this noun you may add its subject concord although this
is not obligatory. (See Unit 19.) For example:
Ngi ngusomabhizinizi. I'm a businessman.

Lo muntu ungumshayeli wamateksi. This person is a taxi driver.
UKhanyi (u)yisisitela. Khanyi is a nursing sister.
.····inSi9.ht····················································································
[ isisitela is pronounced isis'tela with emphasis on sis and with
the omission of the vowel i. See the Pronunciation guide for
.....................................................................................................
the pronunciation of the prefix isi-•
Note: There is no word for is, am or are in Zulu.
Where no recognized Zulu name exists for a profession, speakers

often make use of the English word and then simply add the prefix
yi- or (in limited instances) ngu- to it, for example:
102
Ngiyi-Marketing Consultant. I am a Marketing Consultant.
Ngiyi-technician. I am a technician.
Uyi-Research Officer. She is a Research Officer.
When you want to say that you are employed as a ... (e.g. as
a clerk), you combine the word njenga- with the name of the
profession. Note that when the name of the profession starts with
u-, njenga- changes to njengo- (a+ u > o); and when the name
starts with i-, njenga- changes to njenge- (a+ i >e), for example:
Ngisebenza njengomabhalane I work as a clerk (umabhalane)

eMnyango Wezempilo. in the Department of Health
(uMnyango Wezempilo).
Usebenza njenge-technician. He works as a technician.
Usebenza njengomshayeli He works as a bus driver
wamabhasi eMnyango (umshayeli wamabhasi) in
Wezokuthutha. the Department of Transport
(uMnyango Wezokuthutha).
in5i9ii·r······································ ·················································]
The vowel change that occurs in the above examples is in
accordance with the sound rules involving vowels set out
....................................................................................................
earlier. (See Unit 4.)
3 Expressing time in Zulu
3.1 What's the time?

There are several ways of asking what the time is. You can say any
of the following:
Yisikhathi bani manje? Lit. It is the time who now?

Sithini isikhathi manje? Lit. The time says what now?
Ngubani isikhathi manje? Lit. It is who the time now?
Yisikhathi sini manje? What is the time now?
(Like most words with the prefix isi-, isikhathi is usually pronounced
as iskhathi.)
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? I0 3

3.2 Saying what the time is
o Using English numerals to tell the time
You may answer any of the questions in 3.1 above by putting ngu-
in front of the time given in English, e.g.
Ngu-2. It is 2 o'clock; Ngu-8.2.5 It is 8.25, etc.
If you want to say at a certain time, e.g. at 2 o'clock, at 7.30, etc.

you simply change the ngu- to ngo-, for example:
ngo-1 at r o'clock; ngo-'7.30at 7·30, etc.
To this you can add a specific part of the day such as:
kusasa ekuseni tomorrow morning

ntambama namhlanje this afternoan
emini bebade middayfnoan
kusihlwa/ebusuku namhlanje tanight
Examples:
Sizobonana ngo-9 kusasa We will see each other (-bonana)

ekuseni. tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock.
Bayohamba kusasa emini They will/eave tomorrow at noon
bebade. (at 12 o'clock).
Ikhonsathi liqala ngo-8 The concert begins (-qala) at 8 o'clock
ebusuku namhlanje. tonight.
Ingozi yenzeke ntambama The accident (ingozi) occurred
namhlanje ngo-3 (-yenzeke) at 3 o'clock this
afternoon.
(Note that there are currently no Zulu equivalents for the

abbreviations a.m. and p.m.)
[ ·····in~~~~~::::·_·:::~:·:~:~-~~~:::~~:·:~::·~:·~==~:~····
.....................................................................................................
reciprocal verbal extension -ana which signifies each other•
104
b Using Zulu numerals to tell the time
Many learners of Zulu find it interesting and exciting to tell the

time in Zulu even though it is more complicated than the way
outlined above. Telling the time in Zulu obviously requires a
knowledge of many of the numerals in this language. We won't be
dealing with all of these numerals at this stage (we will do so later
when we attend to the numeric system of Zulu in more detail) but
only with those that indicate the hours and quarter hours on the
clock, i.e. 1 o'clock> 12 o'clock. We will also learn how to say
quarter past the hour, half past the hour and quarter to the hour.
i Hours:
1 o'clock: ihora lokuqala nqo

2 o'clock: ihora lesibili nqo
3 o'clock: ihora lesithathu nqo
4 o'clock: ihora lesine nqo
5 o'clock: ihora lesihlanu nqo
6 o'clock: ihora lesithupha nqo
7 o'clock: ihora lesikhombisa nqo
8 o'clock: ihora lesishiyangalombili nqo
9 o'clock: ihora lesishiyangalolunye nqo
10 o'clock: ihora leshumi nqo
11 o'clock: ihora leshumi nanye nqo
12 o'clock: ihora leshumi nambili nqo
The word nqo in the above examples is an ideophone that signifies

the exact time: exactly one o'clock, exactly two o'clock, etc.
Insight
Ideophones are unique words that form a very important part
of Zulu vocabulary. They are defined by Zulu grammarians
as words that describe other words such as verbs, adjectives
and adverbs in respect to manner, colour, sound, smell, action
and intensity.
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? I 0 5

ii Quarter past .•. , half past, quarter to ...
To say these times it is important that you remember the following

vocabulary:
imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu 15 minutes

lishayile past (Lit. it [the clock] has struck)
ngaphambi kwe- to (Lit. before)
ligamenxe half past (Lit. it [the hour] hangs
over from middle part)
.. quarter past imizuzu eyishumi nanh1anu lishayile (plus the

name of the hour):
imizuzu eyishumi nanh1anu lishayile ihora lokuqala

quarter past one
imizuzu eyishumi nanhJanu lishayile ihora lesihlanu
quarter past five
imizuzu eyishumi nanhJanu lishayile ihora leshumi
quarter past ten
.,. half past ligamenxe (plus the name of the hour):
ligamenxe ihora lokuqala half past one

ligamenxe ihora lesithupha half past six
ligamenxe ihora lesishiyangalombili half past eight
.,. quarter to imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu ngaphambi kwe- (plus

the name of the hour minus its initial vowel):
imizuzu eyishumi nanhJanu ngaphambi kwehora lesibili

quarter to two
imizuzu eyishumi nanhJanu ngaphambi kwehora leshumi
quarter to ten
imizuzu eyishumi nanhJanu ngaphambi kwehora lesikhombisa
quarter to seven
106
c It is •.• (plus time), At •.• (plus time)
To say It is •.• (plus time) you simply prefix the copulative

prefix y- it is to the noun imizuzu, e.g.
Yimizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu lishayile ihora lesithathu

It is a quarter past three.
ii To say At ... (plus time) you prefix the instrumental formative
nga- at (Unit 24) to the noun imizuzu, as for instance in: at a
quarter to, at a quarter past, etc, for example:
Umh1angano wethu uzoqala ngemizuzu eyishumi

nanh1anu lishayile ihora lokuqala. Our meeting will start
at a quarter past (15 minutes past) one (o'clock).
In the case of half past the hour you do not use the instrumental
formative and only say ligamenxe plus the hour, for example:
N ginomcimbi (< umcimbi appointment) ligamenxe ihora

lesishiyangalolunye. I have an appointment at half past
8 (o'clock).
(Saying the time in Zulu is bound to earn you a lot of respect from
Zulu mother-tongue speakers, many of whom are used to stating
the time in English rather than in their mother-tongue.)
4 The future tense in Zulu
The future tense in Zulu is signified by a formative -zoku- (or -zo-);

sometimes also by -yoku- (or -yo-) that is inserted in the verb just
behind the subject concord, for example:
Ngizomtshela. I will tell (-tshela) him/her.

Ngiyoqala kusasa. I will begin (-qala) tomorrow.
Ngizokubuya ngeSonto. I will come back (-buya) on Sunday
(ngeSonto).
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? I 0 7

5 Saying that you must/ought to/are obliged
to do something
There are different ways to say this. One of them is to use the
auxiliary verb stem -fanele as follows:
a With the indefinite subject concord ku- it and the following

(main) verb ending in -e, for example:
Kufanele ngihambe manje. I must/ought to go now.

Kufanele utshele uGugu ukuthi You must (ought to) tell
u baba wakho akekho. (-tshela) Gugu that (ukuthi)
your father is not here.
Kufanele nisebenze You (pl.) must work very
ngokuzikhandla uma nifuna hard (ngokuzikhandla) if
ukuphumelela. (uma) you want to succeed
(-phumelela).
Insight
ngokuzikhandla (Lit. by exerting oneseln =nga- + -uku- +
-zi- + -khandla. nga- =the instrumental formative with
(see Unit 23), uku =infinitive prefix, -zi- is the reflexive
verbal prefix (see Unit 18), -khandla =verbal stem.
b Instead of ku- you can use the same subject concord as the one
that occurs in the main verb, e.g.
Ngifanele ngihambe manje. I must go now.

Bafanele balinde isikhashana. They must wait a little while
(isikhashana).
Nifanele nibabike You (pl.) must report (-bika)
emaphoyiseni. them to the police.
In the case of the third person singular (Classes 1 and 1a), the
subject concord of the verb following on -fanele is always an
a- instead of the usual u-.
108
UPaulina ufanele alungise Paulina must tidy up (-lungisa) her
ekamelweni lakhe phambi room before (phambi kokuba)
kokuba ahambe. she leaves.
in~~~!~:~·~:~~··;~·~:=·~:·::::·~~-~~·~:~·~·::~~;~·=~~~·~::·~:············1
an -e and when they contain a subject concord of Class 1 or Ia,
....................................................................................................
this subject concord must be an a- instead of its usual u-.
6 Apologizing
When you want to apologize for something, you can either use the
noun uxolo pardon/excuse (me) or the verb stem -xolisa which has
more or less the same meaning. For example:
Siyaxolisa kodwa asinamali. (We are) sorry but we do not have

any money.
Uxolo kepha anginasikhathi Sorry but I don't have the time
manje. (isikhathi) now.
Uxolo sicela ukwedlula? Sorry, can we please pass (-edlula)?
6.1 Asking someone's pardon

If you want someone to pardon you, you can either use uxolo or
say awungixolele excuse me/awusixolele excuse us, for instance:
Awungixolele nkosikazi kodwa Please excuse me madam

kufanele ngihambe manje. (unkosikazi) but I must go now.
Awusixolele kodwa asikwazi Please excuse us but we cannot
ukuza emcimbini wakho. come to your party (umcimbi).
in~~eil!:~·~:~~:·~·~::~·::;;~~-~~·:::·~:~:::·;~·~=-~~~~:
subject concord of the second person singular u-. It becomes
. · · · · · · ·1
....................................................................................................
-wu- as a result of the rapid pronunciation of a- + u-.
Unlt9 Whatdoyoudo(oratlvtng,James7 109

Other words you can use to say you are sorry:
Phephisa: Phephisa, ngenze iphutha. Sorry, I made a mistake

(iphutha)
Nxephe: Nxephe mnumzane, ngikhohlwe ukuposa incwadi.
Sorry sir, I have forgotten (·khohlwe) to post the
letter (incwadi).
7 Saying you (don't) want to do something
When you want to do something you use the auxiliary verb stem
-funa followed by the main verb with the prefix uku-:
Ngifuna ukukhala. I want to complain.

Sifuna uku-oda. We want to order.
If you want to say that you don't want to do something you add
the so-called negative a- to the positive form of the verb with -funa
and let it end on an-i. (Also see 8 below.)
Angifuni ukumosa imali yami I don't want to waste (mosa) my

ngokuthenga into yalutho money by buying a worthless
njengalena. thing (into yalutho) like this.
UCiement akafuni ukulalela Clement doesn't want to listen to
abazali bakhe. his parents.
8 Negative of the present tense in Zulu
To form the negative of the present tense in Zulu you attach an a-

to the beginning of the present tense verb while changing the verbal
ending -a to -i. Note that the present tense -ya- (Unit 8) never
occurs in the negative. For example:
Uyabhema na Sizwe? Do you smoke, Sizwe?

Cha, angibhemi mnumzane. No sir, I don't smoke.
Niyahamba na? Are you (pl.) leaving?
Cha, asihambi manje. No, we are not leaving now.
Cha, asisebenzi ngeSonto. No, we do not work on
Sundays.
110
8.1 The form of the subject concords in the negative
When the negative a- combines with the subject concords it causes the
following sound changes in the concords that consist of a vowel only:
2nd person sing. u- > -wu-, e.g. Umsebenzi awulukhuni.

and Class 3: The work is not difficult (lukhuni)
Class 4 and 9: i > -yi-, e.g. Le nja ayilumi. This dog does
not bite (-luma) (is not vicious)
Class 6: a- > -wa-, e.g. La madoda awavumi. These
men (amadoda) do not agree (-vuma).
The subject concord of Class r and ra deserves special mention as

it has an irregular form -ka- in this instance, for example:
UThemba akaphilile namhlanje Themba is not feeling well today, he has

uphethwe yikhanda. a headache (-phethwe yikhanda).
Umfazi wami akathandi My wife does not like cooking
ukupheka. (ukupheka).
~~~
1st p. sing. angi-
~~~~~~~=~~~]
1st p. pl. asi-
2nd p. sing. awu- 2nd p. pl. ani-
Class: 1/1a aka- Class: 2/2a aba-
3 awu- Class: 4 ayi-
5 ali- Class: 6 awa-
7 asi- Class: 8 azi-
9 ayi- Class: 10 azi-
11 alu-
14 abu-
15 aku-
Umsebenzi
1 Imagine that you are having a soft drink at a sidewalk

cafe. Suddenly Sally, a former colleague of yours, passes by.
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? I I I

She comes to you and you invite her to a please sit down
(= -hlala phansi) (i.e. to join you). b She says 'No thank
you' because c she is in a hurry (-jahile). She says that
d she's got an appointment (nginomcimbi) eat ro.3o
(half past ten in Zulu) and that f she does not like to be late
(-phuza ukufika). You ask her g what sort of work she is
doing and she answers that h she is a receptionist
(umamukeli) at the Protea Hotel (e-Protea Hotel). She
asks you i what work you (wena) are doing and you say
j that you are a teacher (uthishela). She looks at the time
and asks you k to please excuse her as I she has (ought)
to go.
Write a suitable dialogue based on the details given above.
2 What will you say when you:

a thank someone
b thank someone very much
c thank someone for his/her help (usizo)?
3 Rewrite the following in the correct form of the present tense:

a Ngibonga Thank you
b Sibona We see/understand
c Uyafunani? What do you want?
d Uyafuna imali? Do you want money?
4 Answer each of the following questions in the negative.

Answer in full sentences.
a UGodfrey uphuza ubhiya (beer) na?
b UJames usebenza eGoli na?
c UMartin ufuna i-Coca-Cola na?
d Nikhuluma isiZulu na?
e Bafuna ukubaleka (run away) na?
f Lishisa (hot) kakhulu na?
g Kuyabiza na?
5 How will you say that you want:

a the account (i-akhawundi), please
b to rest (-phumula) kancane (a little)
112
c to eat (-dla) manje
d tomatoes and onions
e to go to town (edolobheni)?
6 Supply the appropriate subject concord (and where

necessary also the present tense -ya-) in each of the
following sentences:
a Laba bantu _sebenza edolobheni. These people work
in town.
b Lo muntu _sebenza epulazini. This person works on a farm.
c Izitolo _vala ngo-5. The shops close at 5 o'clock ••
d Izingane _bhala uk.uhlolwa. The children are writing
exams (ukuhlolwa).
e Amaposikadi _biza. The postcards are expensive.
f Amaphephandaba _dayiswa ekhefini. Newspapers are
sold at the cafe.
g Ilanga _khipha inhlanzi emanzini. The sun takes fish out
of the water. (Zulu proverb, i.e. It is very hot).
7 Say the following times in Zulu:

a Twelve o'clock
b Six o'clock
c Quarter to eight
d Quarter past one
e Half past nine.
~ CD1, TR 10, 01:.t.2
8 How do you say you are:

a a teacher (uthisha)
b a clerk (umabhalane)
c an engineer (unjiniyela)
d an attorney (ummeli)
e a nurse (unesi)?
9 How would you say you are sorry because (ngoba):

a you have broken (-bulale) a dish (isitsha)
b you have overslept (-selwe)
c you were late (-phuze ukufika)?
Unit 9 What do you do (or a living, James? I I 3

1 How to say what your occupation is.

2 To tell the time in Zulu on the hour, half hour and quarter
hour.
3 How to ask the time in Zulu.
4 The Zulu names for the different parts of the day.
5 The form and use of the future tense in Zulu.
6 The use of the auxiliary stem -fande to say that you ought or
are obliged to do something.
7 How to say that you want or do not want to do a certain
thing.
8 The form of the subject concords of the different noun classes,
and of Classes r, ra and 6 in particular, in the present tense
negative.
9 How to apologize for something and how to ask someone's
pardon.
114
10
Ukubukeza
Revision
1 Write a card to congratulate your parents on their wedding
anniversary (ngokukhumbula usuku lokushada kwenu).
Begin your card with: Dearest Mum and Dad and end it by
saying: I am, your son (indodana)/your daughter (indodakazi)
(plus your name).
2 You want to buy a newspaper but you haven't any small

change on you. How will you ask the newspaper vendor (boy)
a whether he has any petty cash? How will he ask you
b for how much? and cHow will you say: for Rso?
3 Send a Christmas card to one of your friends (say Sifiso or

Thandeka), wishing him/her a happy Christmas and a prosperous
New Year. Begin your card with Dearest and don't forget to
say who it is from.
4 You have pulled in at a garage for petrol and to have your

car checked for water. You tell the attendant a that you
want some petrol (uphetroli). He asks you b for how much
and you say c for R2oo. Your children want to go to the toilet,
so you ask the attendant whether d there is a toilet
and he replies that e there is one. You then ask f where it is.
He says g 'There it is'. You ask him h whether it is open.
i He says 'no' and you ask himj where the key (isikhiye) is.
He replies k 'here it is'. Write an appropriate dialogue based
on the information given above.
Unit 10 Revision I I 5
5 By using khona, ask about the presence or availability of each
of the following:
o uNoNhlanhla (name of person)
b amanzi abandayo (cold water)
c inyuziphepha (newspaper)
d imali.
6 Answer the questions in 5 above, first in the positive (Yes, he/

she/it/is there/available) and then in the negative (No, he/she/it
is not there/available, e.g. Yebo ikhona, Cha, ayikho).
-o CD1, TR 11
7 Answer the following questions in the positive. However, do
not repeat the object. Refer to it by means of its appropriate
object concord (unless the concord is already present),
e.g. Uthanda i-cooldrinki? Yebo, ngiyayithanda. (Do not
forget to use the present tense -ya-):
o Ukhuluma isiSuthu?
b Uyamazi uGeorge Thwala?
c Uthanda uwiski [Class 31?
d Udla inyama yehhashi (horse-meat)?
e Ubhema (smoke) insangu (cannabis)?
f Ufuna iSoweton [Class 91? (name of newspaper)
g Uthanda uJohanna?
h Uthanda umsebenzi [Class 31 wakho? (your work)
Wesaba (u-esaba afraid) zinja na?
j Ufunda iBhayibheli na? (Bible).
8 Rewrite in the negative of the present tense:

o Ngisebenza namhlanje
b Ngiya edolobheni
c Bahlala eGoli (in johannesburg)
d UNomusa uhlala eThekwini (in Durban)
e Ugogo wami (my grandmother) ugula (sick) kabi (very)
f Abantwana baya esikoleni (to school) namhlanje
g Amadoda asebenza kakhulu
116
h lbhantshi lakhe (his jacket) liyabiza (expensive)
Ngiyezwa (I understand).
9 Rewrite in the positive of the present tense (do not forget the
rule about -ya-):
a Angikhulumi isiNgisi
b Angifuni
c U-Esther akasebenzi edolobheni
d UJohannes akalaleli (listens to) irediyo (radio)
e Inja yakhe ayilumi (does not bite)
f Angizwa (I do not understand)
g Angizwa kahle (very well)
h Abantwana abagangi (not naughty)
Asithandi ibhola (football).
~ CD1, TR 11, O.t.:SO
10 You are having lunch with a friend. Ask him to please pass you:
a the tomato sauce (usoso katamatisi)
b the mustard (umasitadi)
11 Someone asks you what do you want? How will he ask you this?
12 Tell him in Zulu that you want/are looking for the following:
a a job
b money
c a cup of tea
13 Give the meaning of these expressions:

a Yilokho kuphela
b Ngicela ubisi
c Nangu uJabulani
d Ngibonga kakhulu
e USharon usebenzani?
f Yisikhathi bani manje?
g Ngiyaxolisa
h Wenzani manje?
lmpilontle!
Unit 10 Revision I I 7
14 Say the following times in Zulu:
a Quarter to two
b Half past seven
c Quarter past nine
d 5 o'clock
e ro o'clock
15 Say what the following times in Zulu mean:

a Ligamenxe ihora lesithupha
b Imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu Jishayile ihora lesihlanu
c Imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu ngaphambi kwehora lokuqala.
16 Give the Zulu names for the following times of the day:
a noon c morning
b evening d afternoon
11
Ngijabulela ukukwazi Ron
Pleased to meet you, Ron
what to say when introducing people

some 'where?' questions
to ask how far a town or place is from another town or place
the Zulu names for a number of towns and places in
South Africa
how to form locative nouns and how to use some of them
ldayalogi
Sam Ndlovu who is from eMnambithi in KwaZulu-Natal is
introduced by his friend Neil to two of Neil's friends, Bob and
Ron. Ron is from America. In the following social chat Ron
asks Sam where he comes from and where exactly this place is
located.
................................................................. ~
: Neil Sam, mangikwethule kubangane bami. .-

ICIII:
(introducing Bob) NguBob lo. !-
(introducing Ron) NguRon lo. ....c
(to Bob and Ron) NguSam lo. u
: Sam (speaking to Ron) Ngijabulela ukukwazi, Ron.
(Contd)
•
Unit 11 Pfeased to meet you, Ron I I 9
.: Ron Nami ngijabulela ukukwazi.
: Neil URon uphuma eMelika.
..
! Sam (somewhat surprised to meet someone from abroad)
OJ Uphuma eMelika? Angikaze ngaya khona.
! Ron Uphumaphi wena?
! Sam Ngiphuma eMnambithi.
! Ron (not having heard the name before) Kuphi?
! Sam EMnambithi.
! Ron Kukuphi eMnambithi?
! Sam Kuse-Ladysmith eNatali.
! Ron Kukude ukusuka lapha?
! Sam Yebo, kodwa hayi kakhulu.
: Neil Kungamakhilomitha amangaki kusuka lapha?
:Sam Kungamakhilomitha angu-150.
: Neil Ngiyabonga.
Mangikwethule (ma-ngi-ku-ethule) kubangane bami Let me

introduce you to my friends
-ethula introduce
abangane bami my friends
NguBob lo This is Bob (Lit. It is Bob this one)
NguRon lo This is Ron
Ngijabulela ukukwazi Please to meet you (Lit. I'm glad to know you)
Nami I too
a Uphuma eMelika? You come from America?
~ Angikaze ngaya khona I have never been there
~ Uphumaphi? Where do you come from?
~ eMnambithi Ladysmith (a town in KwaZulu-Natal)
Kukuphi eMnambithi? Where is eMnambithi situated?
Kuse-Ladysmith It is in Ladysmith
eNatali in Natal
Kukude ukusuka lapha? Is it far from here?
kodwa hayi kakhulu but not very much
Kungamakhilomitha amangaki ukusuka lapha? How many
kilometres is it from here?
Kungamakhilomitha angu-1 SO It is 150 kilometres
I20
Imibuzo
1 Kuyiqiniso noma akusilo? Lungisa imisho engesilo iqiniso

uyibhale kabusha.
a URon uphuma eNgilandi.
b EMnambithi kuseGauteng.
c USam ujabulela ukumazi uRon.
d UNeil uyamazi uBob.
2 Phendula okulandelayo (Answer the following):

a Ngubani ophuma eMelika?
b USam uphuma kuphi?
c URon ujabulela ukwazi (< uku-azi) ubani?
d UNeil wethule obani kuSam?
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Introducing people
1.1 Let me introduce you to

To introduce a person in your company to someone else, you
say to the person in your company: mangikwethule ku- ... or
mangikwazise ku- ... Let me introduce you to ••• followed by the
noun (minus its initial vowel) denoting the person or persons to
whom you would like to make the introduction. For instance:
Mangikwethule kubazali bami. Let me introduce you (sing.)

to my parents (abazali)
Mangikwazise kumyeni wami Let me introduce you (sing.)
uPeter. to my husband (umyeni), Peter.
Insight
Note the -kw- in mangikwethule and mangikwazise is a
variant form of the object concord -ku- of the second person
singular you before vowel verb stems, in this case the stems
-ethula and -azisa respectively. (See also Unit 4.) Note also
that in friendly requests the verb always ends in -e.
Unit 11 Pfeased to meet you, Ron I2I

When you want to introduce more than one person in your
company to other people, you replace the object concord -ku- with
the object concord of the second person plural-ni- you and say to
the people in your company: Manginethule ku... or Manginazi.se
ku ... Let me introduce you to ..., for example:
Manginethule ku-anti wami Let me introduce you (pl.)

ulizzie. to my aunt Lizzie.
Manginazise kumndeni wami. Let me introduce you (pl.)
to my family (umndeni).
1.2 This is so-and-so
When introducing people individually you place the copulative
prefix ngu- in front of the person's name and the (demonstrative)
pronoun lo (see Unit r6) after it, for example:
Albert, mangikwethule Albert let me introduce you to

kubangane bami. my friends.
NguThulani lo. This is Thulani (Lit. It is Thulani
this one).
NguDudu lo. (And) this is Dudu (Lit. It is Dudu
this one).
In more formal introductions you place ng- before a person's title
followed by his or her name/surname (or both) and you add the
demonstrative lo at the end, for example:
NguMnumzane (< uMnumzane) This is Mr David Cele.
David Cele lo.
NguNkosikazi (< uNkosikazi) This is Mrs Makhambeni.
Makhambeni lo.
NguSolwazi (< uSolwazi) This is Professor (uSolwazi)
Sibusiso Khumalo lo. Sibusiso Khumalo.
1.3 I am
When you want to introduce yourself to someone you can do so by
saying: Ngingu +your name (and surname), for example:
N ginguEliza beth Johnson. I am Elizabeth]ohnson.
(See also Unit I for other possibilities in this regard.)
122
1.4 Pleased to meet you
When you are introduced to someone it is customary to respond by
saying something like pleased to meet you, nice to have met you,
nice to know you, and so on. An appropriate response in Zulu is
to say Ngijabulela ukukwazi., Lit. I'm happy to know you (sing.) or
Kumnandi ukukwazi. It is nice to know you. For example:
Mangikwethule kuNkosikazi Let me introduce you to

Howard. Mrs Howard.
Ngijabulela ukukwazi Pleased to meet you, madam
Nkosikazi. (•unkosikazi).
When someone says to you Ngijabulela ukukwazi., you can reply

by saying Nami ngijabulela ukukwazi. I too (::nami) am glad to
have met you.
2 Some more 'where?' questions
Previously (Unit 8) we dealt with the interrogative -phi? where? as

it occurs as part of non-verbal words. This is, however, not the only
way -phi? can be used in Zulu. It can also be used as part of a verb, in
which case it is attached to the end of the verb. For example:
Bahlalaphi? Where are they staying? (-hlala stay)

Ufundephi isiZulu? Where have you learned (-fund e) to speak Zulu?
Uyaphi manje? Where are you going now? (-ya go)
To say that you are not going anywhere, you say Angiyi ndawo:
Uyaphi Zenzele? Where are you going to,Zenzele?

Angiyi ndawo labu. I am not going anywhere, Jabu.
2.1 Where do you come from?

As you have noted in Unit 2, to ask someone where he or she (or
they) come from (i.e. where his or her home is) you can say:
Uvelaphi?/Uphu map hi? Where do you come from?

Nakhephi? Where is your home town? (i.e. where have
your family built their home?)
Unit 11 Pfeased to meet you, Ron I 2 3

.....................................................................................................
Insight
nakhephl? = nl- akhe- phi? (Lit. where have you [pl.] built?)
=
n- variant form of the subject concord of the second person
plural before vowel verb stems, -akha = vowel verb stem,
-phi? = interrogative suffix.
2.2 I come from .../My home town Is

If you are from somewhere in South Africa you can answer by saying:
Ngivela/Ngiphuma plus the locative form of the place name.

(See below.) For example:
Nglvela/Sivela ePitoll I/We come from Pretoria.
An alternative way to state where you (or someone else) are from
is to say:
Ngis- (I am from), Sis- (We are from), Bas- they are from plus a
place name, usually beginning with the vowel ~. for instance:
l Go/i, JohonnesbUTg
124
NgiseGoli I am from Johannesburg (eGoli)
SiseKapa We are from Cape Town (eKapa)
BaseThekwini They are from Durban (eThekwini)
3 Place names in South Africa
Two kinds of place names in South Africa may be distinguished as

follows:
Places with African names and places with English and Afrikaans
names. Among the Zulu people several cities and towns in South
Africa with English/Afrikaans names are also given Zulu names. Here
are the (official) names of a few important places in South Africa
together with their (unofficial) Zulu names given in brackets. As to be
expected many of these places are found in KwaZulu Natal.
(Note that most of the Zulu names begin with the locative prefix
e- while a few of them begin with the locative prefix o- or kwa-.
(See 4 below.) The name ofthe province in which the place occurs
is given in brackets.
Johannesburg eGoli (the place of gold) (Gauteng)

Durban eThekwini (KZN)
Pietermaritzburg eMgungundlovu (KZN)
Port Elizabeth eBhayi (Eastern Cope)
East London eMonti (Easten Cape)
Germiston eDukathole (Gauteng)
Volksrust eLangwane (Mpumalanga
Paulpietersburg eDumbe (KZN)
Port Shepstone eSayidi (KZN)
Utrecht eNgcuba (KZN)
Ladysmith eMnambithi (KZN)
Ulundi oNdini (KZN)
Estcourt eMtshezi (KZN)
Stanger KwaDukuza (KZN)
Rorke's Drift eShiyane (KZN)
Greytown eMgungundlovana (KZN)
Hluhluwe eHiuhluwe (KZN)
Drakensberg oKhahlamba (KZN)
(mountain range)
Unit 11 Pfeased to meet you, Ron 125

Many English and Afrikaans place names that do not have Zulu
equivalents are often 'Zulufied' by Zulu mother-tongue speakers
by putting an e- before the place name and then modifying its
pronunciation to bring it more in line with the Zulu sound system.
The following are examples of such 'Zulufied' South African place
names:
'Zulufied' non-Zulu place names:

Pretoria ePitoli (Gauteng)
Nelspruit eNelspotho (Mpumalanga)
Vryheid eFilidi (KZN)
Ermelo eMiomo (Mpumalanga)
Dundee eDandi (KZN)
Newcastle eNyukhasela (KZN)
Charlestown eShalastoni (KZN)
4 Formation of locative nouns
Locative nouns are nouns that signify a place or locality and are
derived from ordinary nouns in basically two ways, depending on
the noun class to which the noun that is being locativized belongs.
The translation of Zulu locative nouns in English usually involves
prepositions such as in, at, to, from, on, etc. The following are the
most important ways of how locative nouns are formed in Zulu:
o By means of a locative prefix ku-
Nouns belonging to Classes r, ra, 2, 2a and 6 (signifying people)

are locativized by replacing the initial vowel of the noun with the
locative prefix ku-, for example:
Class r: kumfazi (< umfazi) to, at, by, from, ••. the woman
Class 2: kubantu (< a bantu) to, at, by, from, ... the people
Class ra: kubaba (< ubaba) to, at, by, from, ... my father
Class 2: kubantu (< abantu) to, at, by, from, ••• the people
Class 6: kumadoda to, at, by, from, ... the men
126
Examples:
Ngithe kuSipho/kumama/ I said to Sipho!to my mother/to

kuthisha ... the teacher
Sikholelwa kuNkulunkulu. We believe in God (uNkulunkulu) ...
Lesi sicelo sivela kumadoda/ This request (isicelo) comes from
kumantombazanalkumaZulu. the men/from the girls/from the
Zulu people.
At the place of ...
When you want to say 'at the place of such and such a person' you
prefix kwa- to the noun signifying the name of the person, e.g.
KwaKhumalo at the Khumalos' place/home/homestead

Kwaluthuli at the Luthulis' place/home/homestead
Note that many place names in Zululand have this prefix, e.g.
KwaNongoma Nongoma (place in northern KZN)

KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger)
KwaMashu KwaMashu (township near Durban)
b By means of the locative prefix e-/o- (plus locative suffix)
Nouns belonging to any of the other noun classes are locativized by

substituting the initial vowel of the noun withe- (a small number
of nouns use o-) and the final vowel with the locative suffix -eni
(when the final vowel is -a) or with -weni (when the final vowel is -o)
or with -(w)ini (when the final vowel is -i or -u), for example:
ikhishi > ekhishini in, to, from the kitchen

idolobha > edolobheni in, to, from town
ikamelo > ekamelweni into, from the room
umuzi > emzini in, to, at, from the village
Examples:
Uphi uVusi? Where is Vusi?

Uye edolobheni (< idolobha). He went to town.

Hamba uyolanda izibuko zami Go and fetch (-Ianda) my glasses
ekamelweni (< ikamelo) (izibuko) from the the room.
Liphi inyuziphepha lami? Where is my newspaper?
Nalo etafuleni (< itafula) There it is (nalo) on the table.
Abantwana bathanda ukudlala The children prefer (-thanda)
endlini (< indlu) playing in the house.
A limited number of nouns (including names of streets and businesses

(with non-personal names) do not take the suffix -ini but only use the
locative prefix e- when they are locativized, for instance:
esibhedlela (< isibhedlela) in, to, at, from (the) hospital

esitolo (< isitolo) in, at, to, from the shop
eposihhovisi (< iposihovisi) in, at, to,from the Post Office
ehhotela (< ihhotela) in, at, to,from the hotel
ekhaya (< ikhaya) at, to,from home
ebhange (ibhange) at, to, in from the bank
e-Church Street, e-West Street, etc. in, from, to Church, West Street, etc.
Note that verbs that express a movement to or a movement from

are usually accompanied by a locative noun although this noun is
not translated as a locative in English, for example:
Siya edolobheni manje. We are going to (-ya-) town now.

Bavela elalimane. They come from (-vela) Germany.
Isigebengu sibaleke The gangster fled from the police
emaphoyiseni. (-baleke • run awayfrom,flee from).
5 Someone/Something is in/at a certain place
To say someone or something is in or at a certain place or locality

you put an -s- between the subject concord and the locative
noun that begins with the locative prefix e-/o- (as in 4b above)
and use this structure: subject concord+ -s- +locative noun.
This construction is known in Zulu grammar as the locational
copulative. For example:
Standard Bank ise-Church Street The Standard Bank is in

(i-s-eChurch Street) Church Street.
128
Ubaba akekho usemsebenzini My father is not here, he is
(u-s-emsebenzini) at work
Umama usekhaya (u-s-ekhaya) My mother is at home
Umalume usesibhedlela (u-s-esibhedlela) My uncle is in hospital.
6 Asking about distances
South Africa is a large country and places are often relatively far
apart. Calculating the distance between two points with the aid of
a road map can be quite awkward at times. It's usually much easier
to find out from the local people what the distance is. But beware!
What many of the local inhabitants consider to be not very far may
turn out to be much further than you anticipated.
6.1 How far is ... ?

To ask how far a certain place is you say -kude kangakanani? How
far? and add to kude far the subject concord referring to the place
you are enquiring about, for example:
Likude kangakanani iposihhovisi? How far is the Post Office (from here)?
Sikude kangakanani isiqiwu How far is the Kruger National
sase-Kruger National Park? Park (from here)?
In the case of place names (beginning with an e-, o- or a kwa-) you

add the indefinite subject concord ku- to kude, for example:
Kukude kangakanani How far is KwaDiangezwa (a place

KwaDiangezwa? in KZN) from here?
Kukude kangakanani e-Soweto? How far is Soweto (from here)?
If you wish, you can add kusukela lapha from here or kusukela
plus place name, for instance:
KukudekangakananieSand~ana How far is Isandlwana from here?

kusukela lapha? (Isandlwana is a famous Zulu
battlefield in KZN.)
Sikude kangakanani isiqiwu How far is the Kruger National Park
sase-Kruger National Park from Johannesburg?
kusukela eGoli?

.....................................................................................................
Insight
In kukude the subject concord ku- (Class ry) is used because
it refers to the locative noun eSandlwana. (All locative
nouns belong to Class ry.) In sikude the subject concord si-
(Class 7) is used because it refers to a (non-locative) noun in
Class 7, isiqiwu.
6.2 How far is it from to ... ?

To ask this you say: kukude kangakanani kusukela (place name)
kuya (place name), for example:
Kukude kangakanani kusukela How far is it from Durban to

eThekwini kuya eMgungundlovu? Pie termaritzburg?
6.3 It is (about) kilometres

To answer a question such as the one above you can say kungu- (or
ngu-) plus numeral (usually pronounced in English) after which the
word amakhilomitha may optionally be added. For example:
EPitoli kungamakhilomitha How far is Pretoria from

amangaki kusukela eGoli? Johanesburg?
Kungu-50 (amakhilomitha). It is 50 (kilometres).
If you want to say it is about . •. kilometres you use the auxiliary

verb stem cishe nearly and say:
Cishe kungamakhilomitha angu-50. It is nearly 50 kilometres.
Insight
Kungamakhilomitha angu-50 literally means kilometres that
are 50. The a- in angu- is the relative concord referring to
amakhilomitha (see Unit 22). These concords are usually
translated into English by means of relative pronouns such as
which, that, who.
(Although not exactly welcomed by educational authorities, many

Zulu mother-tongue speakers prefer to use English numerals when
expressing numbers.)
6.4 It is very far/not so far
If a place is very far you say: Kukude kakhulu
If it is not so far you can say: Akukude kakhulu.
For example:
ESwazini kukude kakhulu Is Swaziland very far from here?

kusukela lapha?
Cha, akukude kakhulu. No, it is not very far.
Yebo, kukude kakhulu. Yes, it is very far.
in!~~~~::·~-~~·:·~~:~·:·~~:::.··~~·:·~:~-~~·~:~:~~-=~·~;~·~:~:···············1
-ku- is the indefinite subject concord of Class 17, -kude is an
....................................................................................................
adverb used as a stem in this example •
Umsebenzi
1 Norman and his friend Kevin Sharp meet Lucas Dhlomo

whom Norman has met before. The following conversation
takes place between the three men:
a Norman (to Kevin): i Kevin, let me introduce you to
my friend (umngane wami) Lucas.
ii Lucas, this is Kevin. iii Kevin, this
is Lucas.
b Kevin: Pleased to meet you, Lucas.
c Lucas: I'm also happy to know you.
d Norman: Lucas is from Durban.
e Lucas: Where are you (wena) from, Kevin?
f Kevin: I'm from Port Elizabeth.
g Norman: (And) I am from Pretoria.
h Lucas: (to Kevin) Sorry, what is your name (again)?
Kevin: My name is Kevin.
j Lucas: Kevin who (bani)?
k Kevin: Kevin Sharp.
I Lucas (to Kevin): Thank you.
Unit 11 Pfeased to meet you, Ron I 3I

Rewrite the above conversation in Zulu and then enact the whole
conversation out loud.
2 Ask where the following persons and things are and then say
where they are by using the words given in brackets, e.g.
Siphi isinkwa? Sisekhabetheni.
Where is the bread? It is in the cupboard.
a imimese (knives) (idilowa) drawer

b ubaba (umsebenzi) work
c ushukela (sugar) (itafula) table
d a bantwana (children) (isikole) school
e inyama (meat) (ifriji) fridge
f isuphamakethe (supermarket) (Long Street)
g izincwadi (books) (ibhokisi) box
3 You have a new girlfriend (Sheila) whom you would like to

introduce to your family. You arrive at your parents' house
in Johannes burg and are met by your mother and younger
brother Vincent. a First you greet your mother and brother and
then b you introduce Sheila to your mother. Sheila responds by
saying c 'pleased to meet you, mama'. Then you tell Sheila that
d this is your brother (umfowethu my brother) Vincent. Sheila
says that e it's nice to meet him. Your mother is interested to
know f where Sheila comes from and she replies that g she's
from Hawick (her home is in Hawick). Your mother asks
h 'Where's Hawick?' and Sheila replies that i it is in KZN.
Use the above informaton to create a suitable dialogue

between you, Sheila and your mother.
4 Supply the missing positive and negative subject concords in

the following sentences (see Units 8 and 9).
a UMoses _khona na? Cha, _kho
b Umlungu _khona na? Cha, _kho
c Abelungu khona? Cha, _kho
d Ikhemisi (chemist) _khona? Cha, _kho
e lsibhedlela _khona? Cha,_kho
f Udokotela _khona? Cha,_kho
5 How would you ask the following:

a How far is the Kruger National Park from Nelspruit?
b How far is the FNB bank from the hotel?
c How far is the shopping centre (inxanxathela yezitolo)
from here?
d Is the 0. R. Tambo airport (isikhumulo sezindiza u-0. R.
Tambo) very far from Pretoria?
6 Somebody asks you how far a certain destination is. How

would you say it is:
a 6o kilometres
b approximately 90 kilometres?
7 Give the plural.

a into (thing) e iBhunu (Afrikans persan)
b isibane (lightRamp) f inyoni (bird)
c umlungu g upha yina phu
d ibhayisikili h umuzi (village)
8 How will you say that you come from (-vela) the following
places:
a Durban d Pretoria
b Pietermaritzburg e London
c CapeTown f New York
Unit 11 Pfeased to meetyou,Ron I 33

1 What to say when introducing people to one another in

informal and formal situations.
2 How to respond when you are introduced to a person or
persons.
3 How to use the interrogative -phi where? with verbs.
4 The Zulu names of South Africa's major cities.
5 The different ways locative nouns are formed in Zulu.
6 To use locative nouns in Zulu (and not non-locative nouns
as in English) after verbs signifying movement e.g. Ngivela
eNgilandi (loc. noun) I am (come) from England (non-loc.
noun.)
7 To use the pre-locative's' when saying someone or something
is in a certain area or place.
8 How to say from here and from ... to ... when asking or
telling the distance between two places.
9 How to use numerals when indicating distances in Zulu.
10 As much of the Zulu vocabulary used in this unit as possible.
134
Sicela lmeniyu
Can we have the menu please?
how to order a meal in a restaurant

how to ask permission to do something
how to deny someone permission to do something
how to say something is prohibited
some useful things you can say (or hear) in a restaurant
how to use the absolute pronouns in Zulu
ldayalogi
Sipho Ngcobo and his wife Lindiwe have decided to dine out (-dla
idina). The following conversation takes place in the restaurant
(erestorenti) between Sipho and the waiter.
: Waiter (greeting Sipho and his wife) Sanibonani.

: Sipho Sawubona.
: Waiter Nginganinceda ngani?
: Sipho Sicela imeniyu.
: Waiter Nifuna uku-oda?
: Sipho Yebo.
: Waiter Kulungile. Ngisayilanda mnumzane. (After having
brought the menu) Nansi imeniyu mnumzane.
(Contd)
Unit 12 Can we have the menu please? I 35

.~
.. Sipho Ngiyabonga.
(studying the menu with his wife, Sipho asks:)
Niphakamisani namhlanje?
! Waiter Namhlanje siphakamisa i-pepper steak.
! Sipho lnjani i-pepper steak?
! Waiter Imnandi kabi kakhulul
! Sipho Nenhlanzi?
...
: Waiter Inhlanzi nayo imnandi kakhulu mnumzane. Eqinisweni
sinesipesheli senhlanzi namhlanje.
! Sipho Siyini?
! Waiter Yi-King Klip mnumzane
.! Sipho (having decided what to order)
Inkosikazi yami izothatha i-KingKiip, mina ngizothatha
. i-pepper steak.
...: Waiter 1-pepper steak ibe njani? Ivuthwe kancane noma ivuthwe
kakhulu?
! Sipho Ivuthwe kancane kodwa ingavuzi igazi.
: Waiter Kulungile mnumzane. Ungathanda amatshipisi noma
izambane elithosiwe?
: Sipho Mina ngifuna amatshipisi, inkosikasi yami ifuna
izambane elithosiwe.
! Waiter Namasaladi?
! Sipho Yebo, sifuna amasaladi.
! Waiter Nifuna okuphuzwayo?
! Sipho Yebo-ke.
: Waiter Nifuna ukuphuzani?
: Sipho Sifuna iwayini.
: Waiter Kulungile, ngizobiza elinye iweta.
! Sipho Singabhema lapha na?
: Waiter Cha, akubhenywa lapha mnumzane.
Nginganinceda ngani? Can/may I help you (pl.)? (-nceda help is an

alternative form for -siza)
a Sicela imeniyu Can we have the menu please
~ Nifuna uku-oda? Do you want to order?
~ Ngisayilanda I'll go and fetch it
Nansi imeniyu Here's the menu
Niphakamisani? What do you (pl.) recommend?
Namhlanje Today
Injani i-pepper steak? What's the pepper steak like?
Imnandi kabi kakhulu It's very nice, i.e. very tasty
kabi kakhulu very much
Nenhlanzi? And the fish?
Inhlanzi nayo ... The fish too
eqinisweni in fact
sinesipesheli we have a special
senhlanzi (of=) on fish
Siyini? What is it (the special)?
Inkosikazi yami My wife
Vi-King Klip It is King Klip (a local kind of fish)
Inkosikazi yami izothatha ... My wife will take, i.e. will have
mina I (emphatic first person sing. pronoun)
Ibe njani? How should it (the pepper steak) be?
ivuthe kancane it (i.e. the meat) should be under-done (i.e. lightly
cooked)
noma or
ivuthwe kakhulu it (the meat) should be (Lit. well cooked) well done
kodwa but
ingavuzi igazi it must not be under-done (Lit. it must not leak blood)
Ungathanda amatshipisi? Would you like some chips?
izambane elithosiwe baked potato
namasaladi? and salad?
Nifuna ... ? Do you (pl.) want ... ?
okuphuzwayo something to drink
Yebo-ke Yes, please
Nifuna ukuphuzani? What do you want to drink?
iwayini wine
Ngizobiza elinye iweta I'll call another waiter
Singabhema lapha? May we smoke in here?
Cha, akubhenywa lapha No, it (i.e. smoking) is prohibited in here
lmibuzo
1 Shono (say) kuyiqiniso noma akusilo iqiniso. Lungisa imisho

engalungile (incorrect sentences) bese uyibhala kabusha:
o Banesipesheli senyama namhlanje
b USipho akathandi iwa yini

c USipho nenkosikazi yakhe bafuna amasaladi
d Kuyabhenyelwa lapho (in there)
2 Phendula okulandelayo:
a Uweta uphakamisani?
b USipho nekosikazi yakhe bafuna ukuphuzani?
c Siyini isipesheli namhlanje?
d USipho nenkosikazi badle (eat) kuphi?
e 1-pepper steak ibe njani?
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Asking or giving permission to do something
1.1 May I
When you ask permission to do something or when you want
to give permission to someone else to do something you use the
(potential) formative -nga- may/can that is inserted in the verb
immediately after the subject concord, for example:
Ngingakusiza na? Can/May I help you?

Singa-oda manje? May/Can we order now?
Ngingabhemela lapha na? May/Can I smoke in here?
Singagena na? May we come in?
Insight
The suffix -el- in ngingabhemela is known in Zulu grammar
as the applied verbal extension. One of its functions is to
indicate that an action takes place within the boundaries
of a specific area.
Note that the subject concord of Classes r and ra which is

normally u- changes to a- when combining with the so-called
potential formative -nga- may/can, for example:
Ulojo angahamba manje na? May/Can George go now?

Yebo, angahamba. Yes, he may go.
Umfana angahlala phansi May/Can the boy sit down
lapha na? here?
Note that since there is no word for may in Zulu you cannot, for
instance, say in this language 'Yes, you may.' You have to give the
full verb in which 'may' occurs, for instance:
Ngingangena na? May I come in?

Yebo, ungangena. Yes, you may come in (not Yebo
*unga Yes, you may).
2 Saying someone may not/cannot do something
When you want to say that someone may not/cannot do

something, you replace -nga- with -nge- and let the verb end
with an -e, for example:
Ungevule leli sango. You may not/cannot open this

gate (isango).
Ungepake lapha, mnumzane. You cannot/may not park here, sir.
Ungapaka lapho. You can park over there (lapho).
Ungebhemele lapha baba. You may not/cannot smoke in
here, baba.
3 Saying something is prohibited
There are several ways in Zulu to say this. One way is to attach the
negative formative aku- to the beginning of a verb stem appearing
in passive form which in this instance often means a verb ending on
-wa like in the following public notices:
Akungenwa lapha. No thoroughfare/entry here (-ngena enter)

Akubhukudwa lapha. No swimming allowed here (-bhukuda
swim)
Akubhenyelwa lapha. No smoking allowed in here (-bhema
smoke)
Akupakwa lapha. No parking allowed here (-paka park)
Akunqanyulwa lapha. No short cut here (-nqamula walk across)

Another way to say Smoking is prohibited: Ukubhema
akuvumelekile.
Insight
Verbs with the passive ending -wa never change this ending
to *-wi in the negative. This is why the ending-wain the
above verbs remains unchanged in the negative. (See also
Unit 24.)
Akupakwa
lapha
3 .1 Trespassers will be prosecuted

The wording for this in Zulu can for instance be:
Oweqa umthetho uzojeziswa (Lit. The one who trespasses the law
will be punished.)
t.. Some useful things you can say (or hear) in a restaurant
t...1 I prefer mine to be under-done/well done

When ordering meat in a restaurant (in South Africa) the chances are
that you will be asked how you would like it cooked (unga thanda
ibe njani?) i.e. under-done, well-done or medium-done. To say how
you prefer your meat to be cooked you can reply:
Ngithanda ivuthwe kakhulu. I prefer it well-done. (Lit. well

cooked)
Ngithanda ivuthwe kakhudlwana. I prefer it medium-done.
(Lit. lightly cooked)
Ngithanda ivuthwe kancane. I prefer it under-done. (Lit. very
lightly cooked)
4.2 Would you like some more coffee/wine, etc?

To ask this you can say: uzothanda/nizothanda ukuphinda .•. ?do
you (sing.)/do you (pl.) want some more •.• ? followed by the name
of the thing you are asked whether you would like to have some
more of, for example:
Uzothanda/Nizothanda Would you (sing.)/you (pl.) like

ukuphinda ikofi/iwayini/ some more coffee/wine/cake?
ikhekhe na?
Instead of uzothandalnizothanda you can also say ungathanda/

ningathanda ... would you like ..., for instance:
Ungathanda ukuphinda Would you like some more

amabhisikidi? biscuits?
If you want some more you can reply:
Yebo, ngingathanda ukuphinda. Yes, I would like some more.

(Ngingathanda ... I would like ... )
If you don't want any more you can say:
Cha, ngiyabonga senganele No thank you, I have had

(se-ngi-anele < -anela be enough). enough.
Unit 12 Can we have the menu please? I4I

.....................................................................................................
Insight
The -nga- in ngingathanda is the potential formative -nga- can/
may (see above). In combination with the auxiliary verb stem
-thanda like/prefer (not to be confused with the verbal stem
-thanda love) it expresses the meaning of would like in English.
4.3 Is everything OK?

Konke kulungile na? Is everything OK?
To this you can respond by saying for instance:
Yebo konke kulungile. Yes, everything is fine.

Siyabonga. Thank you.
[ ·····in~~·~:~·~~~~~·=:~·~~:~~::::·~~~·~;~~·~~·::::~::::·=~~~··········
.....................................................................................................
verb Siyabonga above? If you don't, see Unit 8 .
4.4 Is there anything else you want/need?

After you have finished your meal you might be asked by your
waiter whether there is anything else you want or need:
Kusekhona okunye na? Is there anything else?
To this you can reply:
Cha, siyabonga. Yilokhu No, thank you. This is all. (Lit. It is

kuphela. only this.)
[ ·····in~~~ti!~~~:~·;~~~-~=~·:~:::~·~:::·:~:=·~~~;;.·::;~-~~-:~~:~:······
.....................................................................................................
stems it has the form -sa-. (See Unit 17.)
5 Thank you for your good/friendly service
When you want to say thank you to the waiter or manager for the
good (and friendly) service you (and your company) have received,
you can say:
Sibonga/Ngibonga umsebenzi We/I thank you for your good and
omuhle nonobungane. friendly service.
or:
Sibonga/Ngibonga impatho (We!I) thank you for your good
enhle yenu. service (impatho treatment) .
.....................................................................................................
Insight
Omuhle good in the first example of this paragraph is an
adjective, i.e. a word that describes a noun (see Unit 21),
while yenu in the second example is the possessive pronoun
of the second person plural (see Unit 19).
If you want to emphasize your gratitude (and impress at the same

time) you can add to the above the following interesting idiomatic
expression:
Ukwanda kwaliwa ngumthakathi. (Lit. Increase [of people] is

refused by a wizard- Zulu idiom.)
6 Finding out what something is or tastes like
6.1 What is it?

Visitors to South Africa are often very intrigued by the names of
some of the local food items listed on the menus of restaurants and
hotels. If you come across an unfamiliar name on a menu and you
want to know from the waiter what exactly it is you can ask:
o What is ... ?
To ask this you say: Yinto yini i-... ? What is (a) •.• ? and then give
the name of the item on the menu you are enquiring about, for
instance:
Yinto yini i·Kingklip? What is Kingklip? (name of a fish)

Yinto yini i-boerewors? What is 'boerewors'? (spicy
Afrikaaner sausage)
Yinto yini i-mixed grill? What is a mixed grill?

(In some areas you may find that people pronounce yinto yini?
as yintoni?)
Insight
Yintoni? literally means It is what kind of thing? and
consists of the copulative prefix y- +into+ -ni. The latter
is traditionally known in Zulu grammar as an enumerative
stem. (See Unit 19.)
b What's it like?
To find out what something tastes like you can use the stem -njani
how? and attach to it the subject concord referring to the thing you
want to know the taste of, for instance:
Injani inhlanzi? How's your fish/What is your

fish like?
lnjani i-peper steak? What is the pepper steak like?
Sinjani isikhuphashe? What's the crayfish like?
(You are more than likely to get imnandi kakhulu or kumnandi

kakhulu it is very nice as an answer to this question.)
Note: Dishes served in restaurants often have names for which

there are presently no equivalents in Zulu. Therefore, when you
want to refer in Zulu to any particular dish on the menu you
simply add the prefix i-to the name of the dish, for example:
i-Kingklip, i-fillet, i-sole mineur, etc.
7 The absolute pronouns
Zulu has a system of pronouns that is traditionally known in Zulu

grammar as the absolute pronouns. One of the main functions of
these pronouns is to contrast (and by implication to emphasize)
a noun with another noun, or in the case of the first, second and
third persons, the pronouns that signify these persons. This 'other'
noun or pronoun may be overtly mentioned or merely implied. (In
languages such as English we use phonological means [emphasis]
144
for this purpose.) Compare for instance in this regard the following
English example with its counterpart in Zulu:
We come from England; where do you (sing.) come from?

1bina sivela eNgilandi wena uvelaphi?
Although there is an absolute pronoun for each noun class we will,

for the purpose of this course, confine ourselves to those absolute
pronouns that emphasize the first, second and third persons (Class
I, Ia and 2) only. They are:
Ist p. sing. mina/I Ist p. pl. thinalwe

2nd p. sing. wenalyou 2nd p. pl. nina/you
3rd p. sing. (Cl. I, Ia) yenal(s)he 3rd p. pl. (Cl. 2) bona
It is of great importance to remember that these absolute pronouns

are not the equivalents of the English pronouns I, you, we, etc. -
we use the subject concords in Zulu for this purpose. Therefore,
if you want to emphasize a personal pronoun in Zulu you have to
use the absolute pronoun together with its corresponding subject
concord as, for example:
Ist p. sing. Mina ngithanda ubisi (I don't know a bout

kakhulu. you but as for me), I
like milk very much.
Ist p. pl. Thina sizosala, nina We shall stay behind,
nizohamba. you (pl.) will go.
3rd p. sing. Wena ukhuluma amanga. You (and not the
others) are talking lies
(amanga).
Umsebenzi
1 You are a bout to have a meal in a steakhouse. You speak to the

waitress. Complete your part of the dialogue below in Zulu.
Unit 12 Can we have the meiH.I please? I 45

................................................................
: Waitress Sawubona mnumzana.
:You (a) Good day sister (a)
: Waitress Ngingakusiza ngani?
:You (b) Can I have the menu please. (While studying (b)
the menu you ask:) What do you recommend?
. (-phakamisa)
: Waitress I-T-bone steak
:You (c) Is it nice? (c)
: Waitress Imnandi kakhulu
:You (d) OK. I'll take (-thatha) it. (d)
: Waitress Uthanda ibe njani?
You (e) I like (-thanda) it medium-done. (e)
Waitress Ungathanda irayisi (rice) noma (or) amashibusi
(chips)
You (f) I would like some chips. (f)
Waitress Ufun'okuphuzwayo?
You (g) Yes (please). (g)
: Waitress Ufunani?
·You (h) I would like a beer (ubhiya). (h)
You (i) Can I smoke in here? (i)
Waitress Ngiyaxolisa, akuvumelekile (I'm sorry, it is not
allowed.)
(A little later)
Waitress Kusekhona okunye na, mnumzane?
:You (j) I would like another (more) beer. (j)
: Waitress Kulungile.
...............................................................
2 You arrive at a parking lot and want to park your car but
don't know exactly where. You speak to a parking attendant.
:You May I park here?

: Attendant No, you cannoUmay not park here, sir.
:You Why not? (Kungani na?)
...
: Attendant This area (le ndawo) is reserved for (-bekelwe)
doctors (odokotela).
:You Where can I park then?
.: Attendant You can park over there (laphaya)
:You OK. Thankyou.
: Attendant You speak Zulu?
:You Yes.
: Attendant Where do you come from?
:You From KwaZulu-Natal.
Rewrite the above dialogue and then enact loudly your and the
parking attendant's part.
in~~~L::~~~::~:~~·~:~·~:~~--~-~~~·~:::~:~:~::·~=~:~;~·:~··········)
......................................................................................................
the final syllable, i.e. la-pha-yaa .
3 Say in Zulu:
a I (emphasized) like coffee but he (Class r) doesn't.
b We stay in South Africa (eNingi.zimu) but they (Class 2)
stay abroad (phesheya).
4 Give the plural:

a umthengisi salesman d inyoni bird
b ihhashi horse e ikati cat
c isipunu spoon f uthisha teacher
5 Give the singular:

a amadoda men d amazinyo teeth
b a bantu people e izibhamu guns
c izimfologo forks f imithi trees
6 Give the Zulu for:

a dish g milk
b knife h sugar
c meat bread
d my name j salt
e my surname k rice
f the Zulu language I butter

7 How will you tell a friend that you want to:
a gonow
b watch (-bukda) TV
c speak to (-khuluma na-) his friend (umngane wakho)
d play football (-dWa ibhola)
e study (-fundda study for) medicine (ubudokotela)
1 The verbal prefix that is used when asking or giving

permission to someone to do something.
2 How to tell a person that he or she (or they) is/are not allowed
to do a certain thing.
3 The Zulu wording for the prohibitive signs listed in this unit as
well as the Zulu wording for 'Trespassers will be prosecuted'.
4 How to say something should be: under-done (rare), medium-
done or well done.
5 How to say that you want some more please of something that
you have just eaten or drunk.
6 How to say Is there anything else? and That's all, thank you
in Zulu.
7 How to thank someone for good service.
8 How to ask (for example in a restaurant) what a certain dish
on the menu tastes like or what exactly it is.
9 The form of the (absolute) pronouns for the first, second and
third persons in Zulu and what the function of these pronouns
in Zulu entails.
10 As much of the Zulu vocabulary that appears in this unit as
possible.
13
Sicela uku-Oda iwayini
Can we order some wine please?
how to ask about the form of payment

how to express satisfaction/dissatisfaction with
something
about the stative form of verbs
how to form and how to ask questions with 'why?'
form and usage of the immediate and remote past tense
in Zulu
ldayalogi
In the previous dialogue we met Sipho Ngcobo and his wife
Lindiwe while they were dining out. We left just as they were about
to order some wine. The following is the conversation between
Sipho and the wine steward.
................................................................. ~
: Steward Sawubona mnumzane. Ufuna okuphuzwayo? • iCIIi:

: Sipho Yebo. I-
N
: Steward (Jokingly) Nomile na? c
: Sipho Yebo, somile. : ~
(Contd) :
Unlt13 Canweordersomewlneptease7 149

.: Steward
.. Kulungile. Ngizonilethela ilisti yewayini.
(After having fetched the wine list) Nansi-ke
. mnumzane .
! Sipho Ngiyabonga. (While examining the wine list Sipho
asks his wife:) Ungathanda iwayini ebomvu noma
emhlophe?
: Lindiwe Akunandaba. Khetha wena.
: Sipho (Selects a dry white wine.) Mina ngithanda iwayini
emhlophe ebabayo. Ilungile yini?
: Lindiwe Yebo, ilungile.
: Steward (Brings the wine, pours a little in a glass and enquires
whether it tastes all right.) Ilungile?
..~ Sipho Yebo, ilungile. Imnandi.

(Meanwhile the order is served and Sipho is
dissatisfied with the way the meat has been prepared
and complains to the waiter.) Le nyama ayilungile.
Ngicele ukuthi ingavuzi igazi kodwa bhekal lseluhlazal
Awuyibuyisele ekhishini bayipheke kahle.
(After the matter has been settled and everyone is
..
: Steward
satisfied.)
Wanelisiwe manje mnumzane?
~ Sipho Yebo nganelisiwe.
(After they've finished their meal Sipho calls the waiter.)
: Sipho Weta!
: Steward Yebo, mnumzane.
...
: Sipho Sicela i-akhawundi. (After having received the bill.)
Nginga khokha nge-credit card noma namukela
ukheshe kuphela?
: Steward Samukela kokubili mnumzana.
: Sipho Ngikhokhe kuphi?
: Steward Khokha kimi mnumzane. Nihamba manje?
: Sipho Yebo, sikhathele kancane.
: Steward Nihambe kahle.
: Sipho Ngiyabonga. (Handing the waiter the money.) Nansi.
: Steward Ngiyabonga mnumzana.
!50
Nifuna okuphuzwayo? Do you (pl.) want something
to drink?
Nomile na? Are you thirsty?
Somile We are thirsty
Ngizonlethela ilisti yewayini I'll bring (for) you (pl.)
the wine list
ilisti list
Ungathanda iwayini ebomvu Would you prefer a red wine
noma or
emhlophe a white (wine)
Akunandaba It doesn't matter
khetha wena you choose (-khetha)
iwayini ebomvu red wine
iwayini emhlophe ebabayo dry white wine
-babayo dry
Le nyama ayilungile This meat is not right
Ngicele ukuthi ingavuzi igazi I have requested that it must not be
under-done
bheka! iseluhlaza look! it is still uncooked (=under-done)
Awuyibuyisele ekhishini Please return it to the kitchen
-buyisela return something to
bayipheke kahle so that they cook (-roast) it properly
wanelisiwe? are you satisfied?
i-akhawundi bill
Ngingakhokha May I pay (See also Unit 12)
-khokhapay
Namukela ukheshe kuphela? Do you accept cash only?
-amukela accept
kuphela only
Samukela kokubili We accept both
koku bi li both
Ngikhokhe kuphi? Where should I pay?
Nihamba manje? Are you going now?
Sikhathele kancane We are a little tired
Unit 13 Can we order some wine please? 151

TABLE MOUNTAIN
1993
SAUVIGNON BLANC
-..---
S'I'EI.I.ENBOSa
lmlbuzo
Phendula imibuzo elandelayo. Phendula ngemisho egcwele (in full

sentences):
o USipho uthanda iwayini enjani? (what kind?)

b Ngubani igama lenkosikazi (of the wife) kaSipho?
c USipho ucele inyama ibe (must be) njani?
d USipho uthe (said) bayibuyisele kuphi inyama?
e ULindiwe ukhethe (chose) iwayini na?
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Asking about method of payment
1.1 Do you accept ... ?/Is ... accepted?/acceptable?

Although most businesses in South Africa accept credit cards as
a form of payment, some of them do not. It is therefore advisable
to first enquire whether this form of payment is acceptable before
making a purchase. In Zulu this can be done by using any of the
vowel verb stems -amukelwa be accepted, -amukela accept and
-amukeleka be acceptable. For instance, if you want to know
whether you may pay by Visa card you may ask:
a I-Visa card iyamukelwa (i-ya-amukelwa) na? Is Visa card

accepted, (i.e. as a form of payment)? or
b Namukela (ni-amukela) i-Visa card na? Do you (pl.) accept
Visa card? or
c I-Visa card iyamukeleka na? Is Visa card acceptable?
When the answer to (a) above is yes:

Yebo, iyamukelwa. Yes, it (Visa card) is accepted. (Note -ya- must
be used.)
When the answer to (b) above is yes:

Yebo, siyayamukela. Yes, we accept it.
i"!!i~~·:::~:·:·~:~~~~:~:~~:::::~·~::·~-~~::·:~·~=·~:·.:~~~~···········]
....................................................................................................
refers to the object i-Visa card .
When the answer to (c) is yes:
Yebo, iyamukeleka. Yes, it is acceptable.
2 Expressing your satisfaction/dissatisfaction

with something
2.1 Be satisfied (with/by)

To say this you use the verb stem -anelisiwe (be satisfied) followed
by a noun. Nouns with a class prefix that begins with u- take the
(copulative) prefix ng(u)- in front while those with a class prefix
that begins with -i- take a prefix y(i)- in front. The function of these
two (copulative) prefixes is to identify the person, action or thing
that is the cause of the action expressed by the (passive) verbal
stem (for example, in the first sentence below umsebenzi is the
cause of the satisfaction expressed by the verbal stem -anelisiwe).
Unit 13 Can we order some wine please? I 53

In English these prefixes are normally translated by prepositions
such as by and with, as in the following examples:
Nanelisiwe (< ni-anelisiwe) Are you (pl.) satisfied with the

ngumsebenzi na? service (umsebenzi)?
Wanelisiwe (u-anelisiwe) Are you satisfied with his
yincazelo yakhe na? explanation (incazelo)?
Insight
The full form of the copulative prefixes ng- andy- is ngu- and
yi- respectively. The full form normally occurs before other
word categories such as pronouns, but not before nouns.
.....................................................................................................
(See Unit 19.)
In the answer to questions such as these you can repeat the verb
if you wish. However, make sure that you use the proper subject
concord. A possible answer to the questions above can, for
instance, be:
Yebo, sanelisiwe (< si-anelisiwe). Yes, we are satisfied (with the

service).
Yebo, nganelisiwe Yes, I am satisfied (with his
(< ngi-anelisiwe). explanation).
In the negative you simply put the negative a- in front of the

verb, adapt the form of subject concords that consist of a vowel
only (see Unit 9) and leave the rest of the verb unchanged, for
example:
Asanelisiwe (< a-s(i)-anelisiwe) No, we are not satisfied with your

ngumsbenzi wakho. (wakho) work (umsebenzi).
Awanelisiwe ( < a-u-anelisiwe) Are you not satisfied, sir?
na, mnumzane?
Cha, anganelisiwe (< a-ng(i)- No, I am not satisfied.
anelisiwe).
154
....................................................................................................
Insight
Don't forget the negative form of the subject concord of
Class rand ra, aka- (Unit 9) or ak- before vowel verbal
stems, e.g. Uthisha wethu akanelisiwe (< aka-anelisiwe)
kakhulu ngum-sebenzi wami. Our teacher is not very satisfied
with my work.
2.2 Be satisfied that

In this instance you use the verb stem -anelisekile followed by the
conjuctive ukuthi that, as for instance:
Umqeqeshi wethu wanelisekile Our trainer(umqeqeshi) is very

(< u-anelisekile) kakhulu ukuthi satisfied that we have won.
siwinile.
Uhulumeni wanelisekile kakhulu The government (uhulumeni) is
ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika very satisfied that South Africa will
izosingatha iNdebe Yomhlaba. host (-singatha) the World Cup.
lzisebenzi zanelisekile (< z(i)- The employees (izisebenzi) are
anelisekile) ukuthi inkampani satisfied that the company has
yavuma ukukhuphula agreed(-vuma) to raise (-khuphula)
amaholo azo. their wages (amaholo).
Insight
Note that neuter verbs do not assume an agent that is the
cause of the action expressed by the verb, like passive verbs
do. This is why a verb with a stem such as -anelesekile is
never accompanied by an 'agentative' noun with a prefix
ng(u)- or y(i)-.
3 The stative form of the verb
Verbs that express a persisting state are known in Zulu as stative

verbs. They signify a certain condition or state that someone/
something is in, e.g. I am hungry, we are thirsty, your hands are
dirty. There are several ways in which stative verbs are formed
in Zulu.

o The general rule is to substitute -ile for the final vowel of the
verb stem:
-lamba become hungry > lambile be hungry, e.g. Silambile.
We are hungry.
-phuza drink > phuzile be drunk, e.g. La madoda
aphuzile. These men are drunk.
-oma become thirsty > omile be thirsty, e.g. Ngomile
kabi kakhulu. I'm extremely
thirsty.
-phela get finished > phelile be finished e.g. Ukudla
kuphelile. The food is finished.
-eduka get lost > edukile be lost, e.g. Madoda
ngicela usizo, ngedukile. Guys,
please help me, I'm lost (I have
lost my way.)
b Verbs that end on -ala or -atha change to -ele and -ethe

respectively in the stative, for instance:
-lala go to sleep > lele be asleep, e.g. Izingane zilele.
The children are asleep.
-khathala become tired > khathele be tired, e.g. Sikhathele
kakhulu. We are very tired.
-gcwala become full > gcwele be full, e.g. Le ndawo
igcwele kakhulu. This place is
very full.
-phatha hold (in the > phethe hold/have on you, e.g.
hand) Uphethe imali Ephraim? Do you
have any money on you, Ephraim?
c Verbs that end in -wa change to -iwe in the stative, e.g.

-aneliswa become > anelisiwe be satisfied, e.g.
satisfied Nganelisiwe I'm satisfied.
-vuthwa ripen (as > vuthiwe be ripe, be well cooked
fruit), become well e.g. Sifuna okwatapheya
cooked abavuthiwe, hhayi abaseluhlaza.
We are looking for ripe avocados,
not ones that are still green.
....................................................................................................
Insight
Okwatapheya is a noun in Class 2a and therefore takes the
relative concord of the same class, i.e. aba- (see Unit 22).
Abaseluhlaza consists of the relative concord aba- + the

progressive formative -se- still (Unit 17) + the relative stem
....................................................................................................
luhlaza green (Unit 22) .
3.1 Negative form of stative verbs

Stative verbs are negated by prefixing the negative formative
a- to the positive form of the stative verb, bearing in mind the
change that the negative creates in the form of some of the subject
concords (see also Unit 9).
Silambile > Asilambile. We are not hungry.

Ngomile (ngi-omile) > Angomile. I'm not thirsty.
UZanele uthokozile > UZanele Zanele is not happy.
akathokozile.
Abantwana bakhathele > The children are not tired.
Abantwana abakhathele.
Ngiphethe imali > Angiphethe I have no money on me.
mali.
4 The past tense
Zulu has two past tense forms, the so-called immediate past tense
and the remote past tense. The distinction between them,
however, is relative. What one speaker may consider to be
immediate past the other rna y regard as remote past or the other
way round. It is therefore up to the speaker to decide whether
an action that took place say two or three days ago happened in
the immediate past or in the remote past. There are, of course,
also clear-cut cases. For instance, an action that happened a few
minutes or a few hours ago is unlikely to be regarded as having
happened in the remote past.

4.1 The immediate past tense
The immediate past tense in Zulu is expressed by a formative -ile
that is suffixed to the verbal stem in the place of the final vowel-a,
for example:
-bona see -bonile saw

-pheka cook -phekile cooked
-hamba walk -hambile walked
An important exception as far as -ile is concerned is found with the

stem -sho say (so) which does not take -ile in the immediate past
tense but -ilo, e.g. Ngishilo. I said so, Ushilo. He/She said so, etc.
There are two important rules to remember regarding the use of

-ile. They are:
Ruler:
When another word (or words) follow(s) the verb, an abbreviated

version of -ile, namely -e (which is somewhat accented) is more
frequently used, for example:
Ufikile. He has arrived/He came.
but:
Ufike izolo. He arrived yesterday.

Bahambile. They have left.
but:
Bahambe ngo-12. They left at 12 o'clock.

Sibuyile. We have come back.
but:
Sibuye namhlanje ekuseni. We came back this morning.

Rule 2:
The short form -e (and not -ile) is used with most of the so-called
wh?question words and suffixes such as when? nini?, where? -phi?,
what? (-ni?) For example:
Uyephi ulacob? Where has Jacob gone to?

(-ya go)
Utheni uThokozile? What did Thokozile say (-thi)?
Amaphoyisa alibophe nini When did the police arrest
iduni? (-bopha) the hijacker (iduni)?
One of the exceptions to the first rule above is that the long form
-ile is normally used when the verb (or verb phrase) in which it
occurs is followed by a subordinate clause beginning with ukuthi
that, for example:
Ngimtshelile ukuthi inkosikazi I have told him that my wife

yami iyagula. (inkosikazi) is ill (-gula).
Ngibatshelile ukuthi izitolo I have told them that the shops
zivula ngo-9. open at 9 (o'clock).
Insight
It is important to remember that the suffix -ile has a dual
function in Zulu: it can indicate the immediate past tense
(see 4.1 above) and that the verb signifies a stative condition
(see 3a above).
in~~~~!·~~~:::::;~:·:·::~·::j·~:~·~::~:~:·:~-~~~~~··:~~:-~::··············]
....................................................................................................
-ba- in ngibatshelile the object concord of Class 2•
4.2 The remote past tense

The remote past tense is marked by means of a long -a that combines
with the subject concord as is illustrated in the following table:

Table of remote past tense concords
1st p. sing. ngi +a> nga-

1st p. pl. si +a> sa-
2nd p.sing. u+a> wa-
2nd p. pl. ni +a> na-
um(u)- u+a> wa-
ababa +a> ba-
um(u)- u+a> wa-
imi- i- +a> ya-
i(li)- li- +a> Ia-
ama- a-+ a> a-
isi- si- +a> sa-
iZi- zi-+ a> za-
in- i- +a> ya-
izin- zi- +a> za-
u(lu)- lu- +a> lwa-
ubu- bu- +a> ba-
uku ku- +a> kwa-
Note that these concords are pronounced with a longish a, for

example:
nga- = *ngaa-, sa-= *saa-, wa- = *waa-, a-= *aa-, etc.
Below are a few examples where the remote past tense must
obviously be used and not the immediate past tense.
Ngazalelwa eMgungundlovu I was born in Pietermaritzburg in

ngonyaka ka-1967. the year 1967
Ngakhulelwa eMpangeni. I grew up in (-khulelwa)
Empangeni.
Sabuyela eNingizimu Afrika We came back to/returned to
ngonyaka ka-1998. South Africa in the year 1998.
Ugogo wami washona My grandmother passed away
ngo-195-4. (-shona) in 1954.
160
5 Negative of the immediate past tense
The negative of the immediate past tense is formed in exactly the

same way as the negative of the present tense (see Unit 9) except
that the verb ends here on -anga, for example:
lzisebenzi azibuyelanga The workers did not return to work

emsebenzini namhlanje. today.
UFred akadayisanga indlu Fred did not sell (-dayisa) his
yakhe, wadayisa imoto yakhe. house, he sold his car.
Unani uVusi? Akadlanga (< -dla) What is the matter with Vusi? He
ukudla kwakhe. did not eat his food.
Siyaxolisa baba kodwa We are sorry baba, but we did
asikuzwanga ( < -zwa) kahle. not understand (-zwa) you
very well.
(Note the past tense negative form of the verb stem -sho (say so):
akashongo he did not say (so)

angishongo I didn't say (so)
Umsebenzi
1 Rewrite each of the the following sentences in the immediate

past tense to signify the meaning given in italics.
a Ngikunika i-R5o. I gave you R5o.
b Sifika ngebhasi. We came by bus.
c Ngiyakutshela ukuthi angizi kusasa. I have told you that
I will not be coming (-za) tomorrow.
d Ngiyamtshela ukuthi isivivinyo sihlehlisiwe. I have told
him that the test has been postponed (-hlehlisiwe).
e Sicela itiye, hha yi ikhofi. We asked for tea, not coffee.
f Abantwana bayahamba. The children have left.
g Uthini Moses? What did you say, Moses?
Unit 13 Can we order some wine please? I 6I

2 First write each of the following sentences in the stative
present tense positive and then in the negative.
o Ngikhathala kakhulu. I am very tired.
b Wanke utamatisi uyaphela. All the tomatoes are finished.
c Umlenze wakhe uyalimala. His leg is injured (-limala).
d Uphatha imali na? Do you have any money on you?
e Siyoma (si-y(a)-oma) kakhulu. We are very thirsty.
f Itangi liyagcwala. The tank (of the car) is full.
g Siyalamba. We are hungry.
h Kuyalunga. It is OK.
Zonke izingane ziyathokoza kakhulu. All the children are
very happy.
3 Rewrite each of the following underlined verbs in the

immediate past tense negative:
o lqembu lethu likore amagoli amabili. Our team (iqembu)
scored (-kore) two goals.
b Labo bafana ababili babaleke ekhaya. Those two boys
ran away from (-baleke) home.
c Amaphoyisa abophe abagqekezi abathathu izolo. The
police arrested three (abathathu) burglars (abagqekezi)
yesterday (izolo).
d Inja yabo ibulale zonke izinkukhu zethu. Their dog killed
(-bulale) all our chickens (izinkukhu).
4 Change the form of the verb in brackets so that it expresses

the concept for (Unit 7).
o (Awungiphathe) ibhotela, mama. Please pass (for) me the
butter, Mother.
b (Ngizokubiza) udokotela. I'll call a doctor for you.
c (Ngizokwenza) lokho, mfowethu. I will do that for you,
my brother.
d Ngizozama (ukumthola) umsebenzi. I will try to get a job
for her.
5 Complete the following sentences by providing the appropriate
subject concord (before the vowel verb stems):
o Mina _ejwayele lo msebenzi. I'm used to this work.
b Isalukazi _amukele imali yokulungisa indlu yaso. The
old woman received (-amukele) money to fix (-lungisa)
her house.
c l(li)hembe lami _omile, alimanzi. My shirt is dry, it is not
wet (-manzi).
d Imenenja _ale (< -ala) isicelo sethu. The manager refused
(-ale) our request (isicelo) sethu.
e (Ku-) _omile kabi kakhulu yonke indawo. It is extremely
dry everywhere (yonke indawo ).
1 How to enquire about the form of payment.

2 How to express your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with
something.
3 The stative form of some verbs in Zulu and the sound changes
it involves.
4 The stative form of the passive ending -wa.
5 What the concept 'stative' implies in this case.
6 The negative form of stative verbs.
7 The formal and semantic difference between the immediate
and the remote past tense in Zulu.
8 The negative form of the immediate past tense in Zulu.
9 The positive and negative form of the verb stem -sho in the
immediate past tense.
10 As much of the Zulu vocabulary used in this lesson as
possible.

1~
Ngibuza indlela eya
eposihhovisi
Can you direct me to
the Post Office please?
• form and use locative nouns
• express certain relational concepts
• say a place is near another place
• ask/give directions
• Zulu names of some road signs
• say something/someone is in/at
• ask why? questions
• say and then
ldayalogi
Themba is on his first visit to Johannesburg and wants to post a
letter. He enquires from a young boy (umfana) passing by where
,., the nearest Post Office is.
~ ................................................................ .
1- : Themba Sawubona mfana wami. :
S : Umfana Yebo, baba. •
~ : Themba Uxolo mfana wami ngicela ungisize.
.
: Umfana Ngikusize ngani baba?
...
: Themba Ngibuza iposihhovisi. Ngifuna ukuposa le ncwadi.
Ngihambe kanjani uma ngiya khona?
: Umfana Hamba njalo ngalo mgwaqo baba. Ungaphambuki.
Lapho phambili esitobhini ujikele ngakwesobunxele
uqonde ngqo uzokweqa imigwaqo emibili bese ujikela
ngakwesokudla. Lapho uzobona iposihhovisi liseduze.
Yibambe lapho mfana wami, ngithi ukubhala lapha
..: Themba phansi. Ngilahlekile kancane.
..: Umfana Yini ndaba ungaposi incwadi yakho esigxotsheni

seposi? Siseduze kakhulu kuneposihhovisi .
: Themba Sikuphi?
: Umfana Naso-ke ngale komgwaqo eduze nasekhefini.
: Themba Hawul Yini ndaba ubungasho?
: Umfana Awungibuzanga baba.
Mfana wami My (dear) boy

Uxolo Excuse me
ngicela ungisize Please help me (Lit. I request that you help me)
Ngikusize ngani? With what should I help you?
Ngibuza iposihhovisi I want to know where the Post Office is
(Lit. I ask the Post Office)
Ngifuna ukuposa I want to post
incwadi letter
Ngihambe kanjani? How should I go? (See 1 below)
uma ngiya khona if I (want to) go there
Hamba njalo Continue
ngalo mgwaqo with this road
Ungaphambuki You must not deviate (from it)
Lapho phambili There ahead (of you)
esitobhini at the stop street
ujikela ngakwesobunxele you turn to the left
ujikela you turn to
uqonde ngqo (and) then you carry on straight (See 8 below)
uzokweqa (• u-zoku-eqa) imigwaqo emibili you will cross two streets
-eqa cross over
bese and then
Unit 1Lj Can you direct me to the Post Of(lce please? I 65

ujikele ngakwesokudla and then you tum to the right
iposihhovisi liseduze the Post Office is nearby
Yibambe lapho Hold it there
ngithi ukubhala lapha phansi I just want to write (it) down here
Ngilahlekile kancane I'm a little bit lost
Yini ndaba ungaposi incwadi yakho esigxotsheni seposi? Why
don'tyou post your letter in a post box?
Yini ndaba? Why?
isigxobo seposi post box
Siseduze kakhulu kuneposihhovisi It (i.e. post box) is much nearer
than the Post Office is
Sikuphi? Where is it (the post box)?
Naso-ke There it is (see also Unit 8)
ngale komgwaqo on the other side of the road
eduze nasekhefini near the cafe
ikhefi cafe
Yini ndaba ubungasho? Why didn't you say so?
Awungibuzanga You didn't ask me
lmibuzo
Phendula imibuzo elandelayo nemisho egcwele. Answer the

following questions in full sentences:
o UThemba ufuna ukuposani?

b UThemba ubuzeni kumfana?
c Umfana usize ubani?
d UThemba uyipose kuphi incwadi yakhe?
e Umfana uthe (< -thi) uThemba ajikele (must turn) kuphi
ngakwesobunxele (left)?
Insight
The terminal ending -e in the verb in (b), (c), (d) and (e)
above signifies the past tense. Do you know which past tense?
If you don't, see Unit r 3· For the reason why the subject
concord of Class ra is a- in the verb ajikele and why this verb
ends in -e, see (r) below.
•
166
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 How to ask questions with 'should' in Zulu.
To ask questions in Zulu in which you want to express the English

should (e.g. Should I open the door?) you use verbs that occur in
the so-called subjunctive mood. A typical feature of these verbs is
that they always end in -e in the positive while the subject concord
u- of Class riia in this instance changes to an a-, for example:
Ngikuvulele umnyango na? Should I open the door for you?

Sithenge amathikithi ebhola Should we buy our football (-ibhola)
namhlanje? tickets today?
Ngimtshele yini? Should I tell her or not? (or not =
yini?)
Ngingene manje? Should I go in now?
in~:~:~~·::·i·~~:~~·~:~·::::·::::~~:::~~;~:::~:~·:~:·~·~~::·············)
rendered in English as or not? Its most frequent position is
.....................................................................................................
immediately after the verb or at the end of a sentence .
2 Must noUShould not/Don't
To say to a person (or persons) that he or she (or they) must not
or should not perform a certain action or instruct them not to do
something, you use the negative formative -nga- and insert it in the
verb immediately after the subject concord and then change the
final vowel -a of the verbal stem to -i, e.g.
Ningabhemeli You must not/Don't smoke in

(< -bhema) lapha madoda, (-bhemela) here guys, it is not
akuvumelekile. allowed (-vumelekile).
Ungaphuzi ushayele. You must not/Don't drink and drive
Kuyingozi (-shayela). It is dangerous (ingozi)
(Lit. You must not drink and then
drive afterwards.)
Unit 1Lj Can you direct me to the Post O((lce please? I 67

Abashayeli bangapaki Drivers (of cars) should not park
esitubheni bangaxaba on the pavement (isitubhe),
indlela yabahamba they might obstruct (-xaba) the
ngezinyawo. way for pedestrians (abahamba
ngezinyawo).
lzingane zingadlaleli Children should not play in the street
emgwaqeni kusihlwa. (umgwaqo) at dusk (kusihlwa).
[ ·····i;;~~~ti!~~·~::·~~~·=·~~::::~:-~::·~::~~:~:-~::~~·i:·~::~:~:~~·········
suffix -ela that signifies that the action expressed by the verb
....................................................................................................
takes place within a certain area. (See Unit 12.)
Note that verb stems with the ending -wa such as -khohlwa forget
and -kholwa believe do not change their final vowel -a to an -i in
the negative, for example:
Ungakhohlwa ukukhiya You must not/Don't forget to lock

umnyango Thandeka. (-khiya) the door, Thandeka.
Ningakhohlwa ukuletha You must not/Don't forget to bring
isambulela makhosikazi. an umbrella (isambulela), Ladies
Lingana kusasa. (makhosikazi). It might rain (-na)
tomorrow.
Ungamkholwa Johanna. You must not believe him, Johanna.
Ukhuluma amanga. He is telling lies (amanga).
····ynsi9.ht···················································································
[ It is important not to confuse this negative morpheme -nga-
with the potential morpheme -nga- (e.g.lingana above).
....................................................................................................
(See Unit 12.)
3 The expression of some relational concepts in Zulu
3.1 is near (to) ... I is next to

To say a thing or place is near (to) or is next to another thing or
place you use the construction: subject concord + -seduze na- +
noun for near to and subject concord + -seceleni kwa- + noun for
next to. The vowel a- of na- and kwa- respectively coalesces with
168
the initial vowel of the prefix of the following noun according to
the sound change rules set out earlier. (See Unit 4.) This causes:
a na- >no- or ne- or remains na- depending on the initial vowel

of the prefix of the following noun. For example:
1-Protea Hotel iseduze The Protea Hotel is near the
nenkundla (< na-inkundla) cricket ground/field.
yekhrikithi.
1-Pitoli iseduze neGoli. Pretoria is near Johannesburg.
b kwa- > kwe- (or ko- when the initial vowel of the following
noun prefix is u-). For example:
Ibhange liseceleni The bank is next to the Post Office.
kweposihhovisi ( < kwa- (Lit. the bank is on the side of the
iposihovisi). Post Office.)
3.2 Next to
To say next to ... (i.e. without is) you simply leave out the subject
concord and say eceleni kwa- + noun (remembering the vowel
coalescence rules), for example:
Liphi ibhotela? Lisefrijini eceleni Where's the butter? It is in the

koshizi (< kwa-ushizi). fridge next to the cheese (ushizi).
Insight
When a subject concord appears before a locative noun or
a locative adverb a so-called pre-locative s must be inserted
between them, as for instance in: lisefrijini it (the butter) is in
the fridge, liseceleni kweposihhovisi it (the bank) is on the side
of (i.e. next to) the Post Office.
3.3 Near to
For this you say: eduze na +noun (remembering the vowel
coalescence rules). For example:
Kukhona inxanxathela yezitolo There is a shopping centre

eduze nendlu (< na-indlu) (inxanxathela yezitolo) near
yethu. our house.
Unit 1Lj Can you direct me to the Post O(flce please? I 69

3.4 is opposite
For this you use -bhekene na- + noun as in:
Ikhemisi libhekene The chemist is opposite the

nesuphamakethe. supermarket.
lsitobhu sebhasi sibhekene The bus stop (isitobhu sebhasi)
nehotela. is opposite the hotel.
4 Names of some road signs in Zulu
Akungenwa No entry
Akupakwa lapha No parking
Kuyiwa nganhlanye kuphela One way
Virna Stop
Ingozi Danger
Umgomo wejubane Speed limit
AKUNGENWA AKUPAKWA KUYIWA

LA PHA NGANHLANYE
KUPHELA
d f
VIM A INGOZI UMGOMO

WEJUBANE
!70
5 Some useful words and phrases to use when
giving or asking directions
a Giving directions:
I> Uqonda ngqo ngalo mgwaqo. You carry straight on along
this road (umgwaqo).
1> Thatha umwaqo onguthela wayeka oya ... (plus place
name) Take the highway (onguthela wayeka) to ... (plus
place name).
I> Uhamba nge- (+street name). You go down(+ street name).
I> uze ufike •.• (+ locative noun) until you come to .•.
I> uphawu lokuma stop sign
1> emarobhothini/esitobhini samalambu at/to (the) traffic
lights
1> esitobhini (< isitobhu) at/to a/the stop street
1> ekhoneni Ia-/ejikeni Ia (+ street name) at/to the corner of
(+ street name). Remember the sound change rules of
a + u and a + i set out in Unit 4·
I> ujikela ngakwesokudla/ngakwesobunxele you turn
right/left
1> uzobona ibhodi elikhomba indlela eya ... e- (name of
town, suburb, airport, etc.) you'll see a (notice) board
(ibhodi) that shows the way to ... (name of town,
surburb, airport, etc.)
in~~~!:~~-:~~:~::::·~:·:~:~~~~~~-~-~~~:·:;:~~:·~:~:~~~-~············)
.....................................................................................................
to refer to traffic notice boards .
b Asking directions:
I> How do I get to the 0. R. Tambo airport? Ngihamba
kanjani uma ngifuna ukuya esikhum:ulweni sezindiza
u-0. R. Tambo? How do I get to the 0. R. Tambo airport?
(Lit. How do go if I want to go to the 0. R. Tambo airport?)
1> Where's the road to ... (e.g. Sandton City?) Uphi
umgwaqo oya e-Sandton Gty? Which is the way to
Sandton City? (a suburb in Johannesburg)? (Lit. Where
is the road that goes to Sandton City?)
I> umgwaqo oya .•. the road that goes to .•.
Unit 1Lj Can you direct me to the Post O(flce please? I 7I

(Instead of umgwaqo you can use indlda which can also be used
to mean 'way'.)
An idiomatic and simple way to ask someone to direct you to a

particular place is to say Ngibuza ... (I ask ... ) or Sibuza ... (We
ask ... ) followed by the name of the place (in its non-locative form)
that you are looking for. For example:
Uxolo, ngibuza i-Ashton Road. Excuse me, can you direct me to

Ngedukile. Ashton Road. I'm lost (-edukile).
A more friendly way to gain the same information is to use the

verb stem -cela instead of -buza, for example:
Sicela umgwaqo oya e-0. R. Can you please show us the way!
Tambo airport. direct us to the 0. R. Tambo
airport?
6 Asking questions with 'why'?
There are various ways to ask questions with why? in Zulu. Two
of the most popular ones are with the words yi.ni ndaba? and
kungani na? both meaning why? There are a few important things
to remember about these interrogatives:
First, when you want to say why don't you ... ?, why doesn't
he/she ... ? etc. with any one of these two interrogatives you have
to insert -nga- just behind the subject concord in the accompanying
verb (which ends in -i in the present tense negative and -anga in the
past tense). For example:
Yini ndaba/Kungani na Why are you leaving now?

uhamba manje?
Yini ndaba/Kungani na Why don't you go now?
ungahambi manje?
Yini ndaba/Kungani na Why didn't you tell me?
ungangitshelanga?
Yini ndaba/Kungani na usho njalo? Why do you say so?
172
.,. The second point to remember about these interrogatives is
that the subject concord of nouns belonging to Classes I,
Ia, 2 and 6 have a different form when used together with
these interrogatives. The subject concord u- of Class I and Ia
becomes e-, the ba- of Class 2 becomes be-, while the subject
concord a- of Class 6 changes to e-. For example:
Class 1a: Yini ndaba/Kungani na Why didn'Uhasn't Joseph

uloseph engafikanga come today?
narnhlanje?
Class 2: Yini ndaba/Kungani na Why aren't the children
abantwana bengayi going to school today?
esikoleni narnhlanje?
Class 6: Yini ndaba/Kungani na Ia Why are these men
arnadoda ekhala kangaka? complaining (-khala) so
much (kangaka)?
Insight
Note the three different verbal endings that occur in the three
example sentences above. They are the ending -anga (in
engafikanga) of the immediate past tense negative, the ending
·i (in bengayi) of the present tense negative and the ending -a
(in ekhala) of the present tense positive.
7 Until
To express the concept until as for instance in .•. until you come
to •.• you make use of the auxiliary stem -ze until with the appropriate
subject concord and followed by a main verb ending in -e.
Insight
Note that the subject concord of the auxiliary verb and that
of the following main verb is the same, as can be seen in the
examples below:
Uqhubeka ngalo rngwaqo uze You stay on this road until you
ufike ernarobhothini ... come to the traffic lights ...
Virna lapha ngize ngibuye. Stand (-rna) here until I come
back (-buya).
Unit 1Lj Can J'OU direct me to the Post Office please? I 73

To say until such and such a time you say: kuze kube ngu- plus
numeral (as in English), for example:
Ufanele usebenze kuze kube You must work until (it becomes
ngu-5 ntambama (-ba) 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
(As Zulu does not have abbreviations for a.m. and p.m.; these
abbreviations are used just as they are, for example: kuze kube
ngu-1 a.m until I a.m., kuze kube ngu-6 p.m. until 6 p.m. etc.)
8 and then
There are several ways to express the concept and then in

Zulu. One that is frequently used is with the conjunctive bese
to introduce phrases that express consecutive actions of a non-
habitual type. For example:
Awuhlole iwoyela bese uhlola Please check (-hlola) the oil (first)
amasondo. and then check the wheels.
Uhamba ngalo mgwaqo bese You continue along this road and
ujikela ngakwesobunxele lapho then turn to (·jikela) your left
esitobhini. there (lapho) at the stop street
(esitobhini).
Abantu abahlakaniphile Clever (-hlakaniphile) people
babheka umoya bese look at the wind (umoya) and
baqagela ukuthi izulu lizobe then guess (-qagela) what the
njani. weather (izulu) will be like.
Umsebenzi
1 Someone asks you the way to a certain suburb, say Athlone.

How will you tell him/her:
a You go down (-hamba) this road until you come to a stop
street or no entry sign.
b There you turn left (ngakwesobunxde).
c and then (you) carry straight on until you come to traffic
lights (amarobhothi).
174
d There you turn (to your) right (ngakwesokudla).
e You'll see a notice board (ibhodi) indicating (-khomba)
the road that goes to Athlone (e-Athlone).
2 You are in Durban and want to go to Pietermaritzburg

(uMgungundlovu). How would you ask someone politely
where the road to Pietermaritzburg is?
3 How do you ask the following questions in Zulu:

a Should/Must I call a taxi?
b Should/Must I apologize (-xolisa) to her (kuye)?
c Should/Must I wear (-gqoka) a suit (isudi) to his farewell
party? (umcimbi +loc. wokumvalelisa).
d How much petrol (uphetroli ongakanani) should/must
I fill up with (-thela)? (I should/must fill up with how
much petrol?)
4 Tell your friend Linda not to:

a forget (-khohlwa) to bring (-letha) the COs (amacwecwe).
b be late (-fika emva kwesikhathi) tomorrow.
c worry (-khathazeka). Everything will be fine. (Konke
kuzolunga).
d wait (-hlala) till 2 o'clock, that she may go now.
5 By making use of the interrogative yini ndaba? or kungani na?

ask the following questions:
a Why didn't you call (-biza) the police (amaphoyisa)?
b Why don't you take (-gibela) a bus?
c Why didn't you tell (-tshela) me (-ngi.-)?
6 How would you say to someone:

a Take (-thatha) the milk (ubisi) and then put it (-lu-) in the
fridge.
b Read the instructions (imiyalo) and then fill in (-gcwalisa)
the forms (amafomu).
c Open the door (umnyango) and then switch on
(-khanyisa) the lights (izibane).
d Wash (-geza) the dishes (izitsha) and then put them (-zi-)
in the cupboard (ikhabethe).
Unit 1Lj Can you direct me to the Post O(flce please? I 75

7 Say that the health shop (isitolo sempilo):
a is next to Woolworths (name of shop).
b is near the FNB Bank.
c is opposite the library (ilabhulali).
1 How the concepts should and must are expressed in Zulu and
the formal changes this necessitates in the verb.
2 How to say shouldn't/mustn't/don't in Zulu by using the
negative morpheme/formative -nga- and changing the verbal
ending to -i.
3 The use of the pre-locative s when a subject concord appears
before a locative noun or a locative adverb, e.g. eduze near.
4 How to express the notions of be opposite to, be near to and
be next to in Zulu.
5 The appropriate Zulu vocabulary and phrases to use when
giving or asking directions.
6 How to use the interrogatives yini ndaba? and kungani na?
and the change in the form of the subject concords of
Classes r/Ia, 2 and 6 they necessitate.
7 How to use the auxiliary verb stem -ze to express until and
not to forget to use the appropriate subject concord in the
following main verb.
8 The use of the conjunctive bese and then.
9 The Zulu names of the different road signs given in this unit.
15
Ukubukeza
Revision
1 o You have invited your new colleague Moses Mthethwa
to a barbecue (izoso) at your house. How would you
introduce him to your friends Mark and Judy Clark?
(Do not forget to also tell Moses that 'this is Mark' and
'this is Judy' ... )
b How will Mark and Judy tell Moses that they are pleased
to have met him(= -ku- you [sing.]) and how will Moses
tell them that he too is pleased to have met them (= -ni-
you)?
2 You are going to have lunch (indlamini) in a Steak House.

How will you:
o ask the waiter for the menu?
b tell the waiter that you would like a rump steak (i-rump
steki) but (kodwa) that it should be medium-done?
c tell the waiter that you would like a glass of white wine
(ingilasi yewayini emhlophe)?
How will the waiter:
d ask you whether everything is fine?
e ask you whether there's anything else you need?
In your response how will you say:
f 'That's al~ thank you'?
Unlt15 Revision 177

Photo colll.esy o( &ono magazine.
o4&CD2, TRt.
3 It is your first visit to Durban. How would you ask a Zulu-

speaking person where the following places and people are:
o The Standard Bank
b The Elangeni Hotel
c The Aquarium (i-Aquarium)
d The rickshaws (amalisho)
e The road (that goes) to the airport (enkundleni yezindiza)
t. Ask Sindile why she doesn't:

o like to listen (-lalela) to the news (izindaba) on the radio
(irediyo)
b like to watch (-bukela) football (ibhola)
c like to wear (-gqoka) T-shirts (izikibha)
5 Answer the following questions in the positive. Do not repeat
the object noun. Use its object concord instead.
a Uvale i(li)sango na? Have you closed the gate?
b Ubone ubaba Madiba izolo ku-TV? Did you see baba
Madiba (Mr Mandela) on TV yesterday?
c Ugeze imoto yami? Have you washed my car?
d Ucime zonke izibane endlini na? Have you switched off
(-cima) all the lights in the house?
e Uthole isiqhebeza kude sakho? Have you found your
remote control (isiqhebeza kude)?
f Where did you find it (isiqhebeza kude)?
6 Answer all the above questions except (f) in the negative.

Begin your answer each time with Cha (No).
7 You are planning to visit the Hluhluwe Game Reserve in

Northern KwaZulu Natal (famous for its white and black
rhino population).
a How will you ask a Zulu friend how far Hluhluwe
(eHI.uhluwe) is from Durban?
b How will he tell you that it is (about cishe) 2 50 km?
8 What do these public notices forbid?

a Akubhenyelwa Lapha
b Akungenwa Lapha
c Akupakwa Lapha
9 Which traffic signs do the following refer to:

a Kuyiwa nganhlanye kuphela c Yima
b Umgomo wejubane d Ingozi?
10 You have visitors. How will you ask them if:

a they would like some tea or (noma) coffee?
b they would like some more coffee or tea?
11 Someone asks you to direct him to the Traffic Department

(uMnyango W ethrafikhi). How will you tell him that he should:
a carry straight on along this road, and then (bese)
Unit 15 Revision I 79
b tum right there at the traffic lights (isitobhu samalambu)
and that he then will see a sign (uphawu) indicating
(olukhomba) where (ukuphi) the Traffic Department is.
12 Rewrite the following in the immediate past tense so that the

new sentences reflect the meaning given in brackets.
a Uyaphi? (Where did you go?)
b Ngiyabatshela (I told them)
c Ngenza (ngi-enza) iphutha (I made a mistake [iphutha])
d Ngiyasho (I said so)
e Ubaba wesula emsebenzini ngonyaka odlule (My father
retired [esula emsebenzini] last year).
13 Correct and rewrite.

a Ngisebenza (I am working)
b Ubaba Mabuya ukhulumile amanga (Baba Mabuya told lies)
c UMaDlamini uyahola imali eningi (MaDlamini is earning
[-hola] a lot of money)
d Ugogo wami ushona ngonyaka ka-2003 (My grandmother
passed away [-shona] [remote past] in 2003).
14 Answer each of the following questions in the negative. Begin

each answer with Cha No.
a UNkz. Tha bethe ukhona na?
b Umsebenzi ukhona na?
c Inja ikhona na?
d Akhona na amanzi abandayo?
15 Say that the persons and things below are inion/at the place
given in brackets:
a ushizi cheese (ifriji)
b ibhotela butter (itafula)
c umimese knives (idilowa drawer)
d URaymond (ikhaya)
e Marjorie (ikamelo lakhe her room)
16 Give the meaning of the following words:

a ushukela d -cela g -ya
b umgwaqo e -buza h -jikela
c indlela f -biza i -thanda
ISO
16
Sikhuluma ngocingo
Telephone conversation

• some popular expressions when speaking on the telephone
• the form and use of demonstrative pronouns
• how to ask questions with ubani? who?/whom?
• how to say unfortunately and fortunately
• how to ask someone to convey a message
• how to say something is urgent
ldayalogi
In the following dialogue Mark Stephenson phones a Mr Roy
Thwala who works for a publishing company about an urgent
matter. He speaks to the company's secretary (Nobhala 1) who puts
him through to Roy Thwala's office where he is told by the secretary
(Nobhala 2) that Roy is not available at the moment. He is asked
what his name is and to leave a message as well as his telephone
number so that Roy can phone him back as soon as he comes in.
(Telephone rings)
................................................................. ~
: Nobhala 1 Sawubona. Kuse-H & H Publishers lapha. : ~

Ngingakusiza na? N•
Mark Ngicela ukukhuluma nomnumzane Thwala. c
(Contd): ~
Unit 16 Telephone conversation I 8I
.
: Nobhala 1 Awubambe kancane, ngizokwedlulisela kumabhalane
. wakhe.
! Mark Ngiyabonga.
.: Nobhala 2 Kusehhovisi loMnumzane Thwala lapha.
Ngingakusiza na?
! Mark Ngabe uMnumzane Thwala ukhona?
! Nobhala 2 Cha, ngeshwa akekho. Uye elantshini.
! Mark Ubuya nini?
...
: Nobhala 1 Uthe uzobuya emva kwelantshi. Ngubani
okhulumayo?
! Mark NguMark okhulumayo.
! Nobhala 1 Mark bani?
: Mark Ngingu-Mark Stephenson.
: Nobhala 1 Ngingathatha umyalezo Mark?
: Mark Yebo, nkosikazi. Mtshele uRoy (Thwala) ngicela
makangifonele. Mtshele nokuthi ngithe yindaba
. ephuthumayo .
! Nobhala 1 Uyayazi inombolo yocingo lwakho Mark?
! Mark Ngiqinisile uyayazi. Nokho awuyibhale phansi.
! Nobhala 1 Ithini inombolo yakho?
! Mark Ithi 420-2493.
! Nobhala 1 Kukuphi lapho?
! Mark KusePitoli.
! Nobhala 1 1-'code' yakhona ithini?
! Mark Ithi 002.
: Nobhala 1 Kulungile, ngizomtshela.
Kuse-H & H Publishers lapha H & H Publishers here

Ngingakusiza na? Can I help you?
Ngicela ukukhuluma ... I would like to speak to
a Awubambe kancane Please hold for a little while
~ ngizokwedlulisela I'll put you through
~ kumabhalane wakhe to his clerk or secretary
~ umabhalane clerk or secretary
Kusehhovisi Lomnumzane Thwala This is Mr Thwala's office
Ngabe uMnumzane Thwala ukhona? Is Mr Thwala there perhaps?
ngeshwa unfortunately ( < nga-ishwa with misfortune)
I82
Akekho He's not here
Uye elantshini He's gone for lunch (Lit. He went to lunch for lunch)
Ubuya nini? When will he return?
Uthe ... He said
emva kwelantshi after lunch
ilantshi lunch (note: the traditional word for lunch is indlamini;
however, the loan-word ilantshi is very frequently used in
metropolitan areas)
Ngubani okhulumayo? Who's speaking?
NguMark okhulumayo It is Mark speaking
Mark bani? Mark who?
Ngingathatha umyalezo na? Can I take a message? (see also
Unit 12)
Mtshele uRoy Tell Roy that ...
ngicela ukuthi ... I requestthat ...
makangifonele he must please phone me
yindaba ephuthumayo it is an urgent matter
Mtshele nokuthi ngithe ... Tell him also that I said
nokuthi also that ( < na-ukuthi) (See also Unit t.)
uyayazi inombolo yocingo lwakho? does he know your telephone
number?
inombolo yocingo telephone number
Ngiqinisile I'm certain
nokho nevertheless
-fonela phone
awuyibhale phansi please write it down
-bhala write
phansi down
Ithini inombolo yakho? What's your (telephone) number?
Ithini? What does it (the number) say
Ithi ... It says
Kukuphi lapho? Where is it?
1-code yakhona ithini? What's the code (number) there?
(Lit. The code of there says what?)
khona there
Kulungile ngizomtshela A// right, I'll tell him
Unit 16 Telephone conversation I 83

lmlbuzo
1 Kuyiqiniso noma qha? Bhala izimpendulo ezilungile kuphela.

o UMark uhlala eGoli.
b URoy ukhona ehhovisi lakhe.
c URoy uye emhlanganweni (meeting).
d URoy akayazi inombolo yocingo lukaMark.
e Isibongo sikaRoy nguButhelezi.
2 Phendula imibuzo elandelayo.

o UMark ufonele ubani?
b URoy Thwala uye kuphi?
c Ithini inombolo yocingo lukaMark?
d UMark ukhulume nobani (na-ubani) (with whom?)
ehhovisi likaRoy?
e URoy usebenza. kuphi?
·····iii5i9"tii"..................................................................................
Note that in dialogues the names of the characters (mostly
in Class n) are usually given without their class prefix u- as
for instance is the case with the nouns Nobhala (< uNobhala)
and Mark(< u-Mark) in the dialogue above.
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Speaking on the telephone
The following are some of the expressions in Zulu that many people
often use when speaking on the phone. Consider memorizing as
many of them as you can as they nearly always create a favorable
impression if the person you are talking to on the phone is a
mother-tongue speaker of one of South Africa's Nguni languages.
o Personal identification
Answering the phone often requires identification, such as your

name, your address, your telephone number or the business where
you are employed. Here are a few a few useful expressions you can
use in this regard:
Who is speaking?
People often neglect or forget to identify themselves when
speaking on the phone. When you want to know who is
speaking you ask:
Ngubanl okhulumayo? Who is speaking/calling?
Unit 16 'R!Iephone con~.I7Citlon I 85

ii It is (name) speaking
To answer the question above you say ngu- + your name
(or surname or both)+ okhulumayo, e.g.
NguTimothy okhulumayo. It's Timothy speaking.
or you can add the subject concord ngi.- I and leave out
okhulumayo, e.g.
NginguTimothy. It's Timothy (who is speaking).
b Identifying your business or your home
When stating the name of a firm/organization you usually begin

with Kuse, followed by the name of the firm or organization.
Kuse-Protea Engineering lapha. (It is) Protea Engineering (here).

Kuse-Cargo Carriers lapha. (It is) Cargo Carriers (here).
If it is a private house, you say Kukwa- followed by the surname of

the person in whose name the telephone number is listed.
Kukwalohnson lapha. It's the Johnsons' house/

place here.
KukwaKhumalo lapha. It's the Khumalos' house!
place here.
c May I speak to (name) please
To ask politely to speak to someone else on the phone you can

use the stem -cela request and say:
Ngi.cela ukukhuluma na- plus noun or pronoun referring to the

person you want to speak to. For example:
Ngicela ukukhuluma nobaba May I speak to baba (Mr)

(< na-ubaba) Mkhize. Mkhize please.
Ngicela ukukhuluma nemenenja May I speak to the manager,
(< na-imenenja). please.
Ngicela ukukhuluma naye. May I speak to him/her please.
186
in~~~·!~·~~:~=·~:~·~:::~=~~·~=~·~·~~~~·:::~·~~:·;~·~=~~~~~····· . · ·
....................................................................................................
na- with combines with the following noun .
]
d What number are you looking for?
When you suspect that the caller has dialled the wrong number you
rna y ask him or her:
Ufuna namba bani? What number are you looking for?
e Sorry, it's the wrong number
If the caller has phoned the wrong number you can, for instance,
use the following two expressions, both implying that the caller has
phoned the wrong number.
Uxolo, wedukile. Lit. Sorry, you are lost.

or:
Uxolo, ushayele kabi. Lit. Sorry, you have dialled badly;
you have dialled the wrong
number.
f Whom do you want to speak to?
Ufuna ukukhuluma nobani? Lit. You want to speak with

(< na-ubani) whom?
g Please hold (the line)
Any of the following will do:
Awubambe kancanelisikhashana. Lit. Please hold (on) a little while.

Ngicela ubambe ucingo. Lit. Please hold the phone (ucingo).
Awume isikhashana. Lit. Please stand(= wait) a moment.
h I'll put you through (to ... )

Ngizokufaka ku- (plus name or pronoun) or:
Ngizokudlulisda ku- (plus name or pronoun)

For example:
Awubambe kancane ngizokufaka/ Please hold on a moment, I'll

ngizokudlulisela kuye. put you through to him/her.
(-ye is the abbreviated emphatic pronoun. See Unit 12.)
Awubambe ucingo Please hold the line, I'll put you

ngizokud lu lisela/ngizokufaka through to: Mr!Me!Dr (plus
kuMnumzane/kuNkosikazi/ name)lhis!her secretary, etc.
kuDokotela (plus name)/
kunobhala wakhe, etc.
If you do not want to say to whom you'll put the caller through,
you can simply say I'll put you through to there (khona):
Ngizokufaka khona. I'll put you through to there.

or:
Ngizokudlulisela khona.
Can you put me through to ... please.
To ask this you can say:

Ngicela u ngifake ku- ... Lit. Please put me through
(plus name or number) to
or:
Ngicela ungidlulisele ku- ...
(plus name or number)
To which the person answering the phone can respond by saying:
Kulungile, ngizokufaka khona/ OK, I'll put you through to there.

Kulungile, ngizokudlulisela
khona.
[....~"~~:~~~·~:·:::·:~:·:~::~:~·:~·::~·::;~:·~:::~:~:~·:::·~~~~-~~····
person singular -ku- you and not part of the future tense
morpheme -zo(ku)-. (See Unit 9.)
.....................................................................................................................................
188
j Sorry, the line is busy
Uxolo, intambo i(sa)gcwele. Lit. Sorry the line (intambo)

is (still) full.
k Sorry his/her phone (line) is still engaged
Uxolo, ucingo lwakhe lusabambekile. (< -bambekile be busy).
Can I take a message?/Would you like to leave a message?
Ngingathatha umyalezo na? Can I take a message?

Uthanda ukushiya Would you like to leave
umyalezo na? (-shiya) a message?
m Please phone again later
Awufone ngesinye isikhathi. Lit. Please phone another time.
n What number is that?

When for some reason or other you are not sure whether you
have dialled the right number, you can ask:
Kusenamba bani lapho? What number is that? (Lit. It is

at what number there?)
To which the person answering the telephone may say:
Kuse +telephone number + lapha, for example:
Kusenamba bani lapho? What number is that (there)?

Kuse-3611883 lapha. It is 3611883 here.
Insight
The sin kusenamba is the interlocative s that occurs between
the subject concord and the following locative noun as in
kusenamba = ku-s-enamba. Inamba number does not take
the ending -eni in the locative. (See Unit I I.)

o Whereami?
If you are unsure whether you have dialled the right place,
you may ask:
Kukuphi lapho? (Lit. It is where there?)
To which the person answering the phone may respond by either

giving the number of the phone he is speaking from as in (n)
above or, in the case of a private house, the name of the owner
or occupant of the house as in (b) above.
2 Asking questions with ubani? who?lwhom?
o Ubani? Whom?
When ubani? is used as an object it renders the meaning whom? in
English as, for instance, in Whom did you see?, Whom did you tell?,
etc. There is, however, an important difference between Zulu and
English in this regard. Where whom? usually appears at the beginning
of an interrogative sentence in English, its Zulu counterpart ubani?
normally comes at the end of the sentence. For example:
Ufuna ubani? Whom are you looking for? (Lit. You are
you looking for who?)
Ubuze ubani? Whom did you ask? (Lit. You asked who?)
Utshele ubani? Whom did you tell? (Lit. You told who?)
b Ubani? Who?
There is an important difference between Zulu and English in the

way this interrogative is used. Whereas who? can act as the subject
of a sentence in English, e.g. Who won the game? Who told you
so?, etc. ubani? cannot do so in Zulu. In other words, one cannot
for instance say in Zulu ubani uwine umdlalo? who won the game?
ubani ukutshelile? who told you so?, etc. In Zulu you must use the
copulative form of ubani? i.e. ngubani? it is who? followed by its
relative concord o- that. For example:
Ngubani ocele ikhofi? Who asked for coffee? (Lit. It is

who that requested coffee?)
Ngubani ophuma isibili? Who came second? Lit. It is who
that came second (isibili)?
Ngubani othanda ukudlala Who likes to play tennis? Lit. It is
ithenisi? who that likes to play tennis?
Insight
Note the semantic difference between the verb stem -cela and
-buza. The first means request, the latter ask. In English both
these verbs are often translated as ask. -buza is, however,
exclusively used for asking questions while -cela can also be
used to ask for other things provided it implies a request, as
in the first example above.
c Who would like .•. ?
To say who would like .•. ? you use the potential formative -nga- may,
can (Unit 12) together with the verb stem -thanda like, for example:
Ngubani ongathanda itiye? Who would like some tea?
It is ...
When the answer to these who-questions is someone's name, you

add ngu- it is ••• to the name, as for instance in:
(Ngubani opase ngamalengiso? Who passed (-pase) with

distinction (ngamalengiso)?
Ngu-Joan. (It is) Joan.
(Ngubani kini ovela eThekwini? Who comes from Durban?)
NguNkosazana Zungu. (It is) Miss Zungu. (Miss Zungu does.)
in~~:~~-~-~·~:~::~·~:·~·~::::i·~~::~~~i::·:·~::·::~·:~·~···············)
copulative noun, i.e. a noun (or absolute pronoun) with the
.....................................................................................................
copulative prefix ng(u)- or y(i)- it is ...
When the answer to these questions above is a personal pronoun,

i.e. I, we, you (sing.), you (pl.), he/she or they, you add the prefix
yi- (ngu- in the case of the second person singular and Class Ilia)
Unit 16 Telephone conversation I 9I

to the absolute pronoun (see Unit 12) of these persons and classes
and drop the final syllable -na of the pronoun. For example:
Class Ilia: Ngubani ophuma kuqala? Who came first?

Nguye (< yena) (It is) She/He.
1st p.sing: Ngubani kini okhuluma isiZulu? Who (kini <
ku-ni[na] speaks Zulu?) Yimi (< yi-mi[na]). I do
(Lit. It is me).
c With whom ... ?
To say this you use the interrogative nobani? (< na-ubani), for
example:
Ufuna ukukhuluma nobani? Whom do you want to speak to?

(Lit. You want to speak with
whom?)
Uhamba nobani? Whom are you going with?
(Lit. You are going with whom?)
3 Unfortunately/Fortunately
For fortunately you use ngenhlanhla (< nga-inhlanhla) with

luck and for unfortunately you use ngeshwa (< nga-ishwa) with
misfortune. For example:
Ngeshwa uNobuhle wehluleka Unfortunately Nobuhle was

ukufika kodwa ngenhlanhla unable (-ehluleka) to come but
ulabu ufikile fortunately Jabu came.
4 It is urgent
For this you use the verbal stem -phuthuma hasten, hurry, for
instance:
Indaba iyaphuthuma The matter is urgent

Umyalezo uyaphuthuma The message is urgent
Umsebenzi uyaphuthuma The job/work is urgent
4.1. 'Urgent' as an adjective
To use urgent as an adjective you have to use the relative concord
of the noun signifying the thing that is urgent. For instance, for
nouns in the umu- classes (Classes rand 3) the concord is o-,
for nouns in the in-class (Class 9) it is e- as in the following
examples:
Class 3: Ngimthumele umyalezo ophuthumayo izolo. I sent

him an urgent message yesterday. (Lit. a message that
is urgent.)
Class 9: Mtshele ukuthi yindaba ephuthumayo. Tell her that it
is an urgent matter. (Lit. a matter that is urgent.)
Verbs with a relative concord often take the suffix -yo as, for
instance, in the two examples above. When a relative verb ends
a sentence (as in the second example above) -yo is normally used
but when it is followed by another word or words the use of -yo is
mostly optional.
(See Unit 22 for the form of the relative concords of the different
noun classes and the meaning they convey.)
Insight
The verb mtshele tell her in the second example above is a
command verb (see Unit r8) with an object concord m-. As
no distinction between masculine and feminine is made in
Zulu as far as the concords are concerned the object concord
m can signify both him and her.
5 Asking someone to convey a message
When asking someone to convey a message we often begin by

saying: Tell so-and-so that (ukuthi) ... or Tell him/her/them that ...
followed by the message. To express this in Zulu you say: Mtshele
(< -tshela tell) ukuthi ... Tell him/her that . . . or Batshele ukuthi ...
Tell them that •.• The m- (her/him) in mtshele is the object concord
of Class rlra while ba- (them) in batshele is the object concord of
Class 2.)

Consider the following examples:
Mtshele ulohn ukuthi indaba Tell him, John that is, that the
iyaphuthuma. matter is urgent.
Batshele abazali bakho ukuthi Tell your parents that I send them
ngiyabakhonza. my regards (-khonza).
Although from a semantic point of view the object concord could

be omitted when the person or (persons) to whom the message
is conveyed is mentioned in the discourse (as for instance in the
examples above) it is, nevertheless, mostly retained (again as in the
examples above.)
6 Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns in Zulu are words that indicate the

actual position which some or other referent occupies. In English
these words are mostly translated with this, these; that, those;
and that, those yonder. Each noun class in Zulu has its own set
of demonstrative pronouns which means that every noun class
has at least three demonstrative pronouns. They are:
Position r: this, these

Position 2: that, those
Position 3: that, those yonder
In this course, however, we will only be dealing with the first and
second position demonstratives.
Demonstratives may normally occur before (more frequent) or

after (less frequent) the noun. When a demonstrative occurs before
the noun, the noun usually discards its initial vowel, for example:
lo (u)muntu this person

laba (a)bantu these people
le (i)ndawo this place
lezi (i)zinkomo these cattle
Demonstratives are formed by means of a formative Ia- that combines

with the subject concord of the particular class. The sound-changing
194
rules referred to earlier in Unit 4 apply here, i.e. when the subject
concord is ani- (Class 4 and 9) la-i- > le-, when it is the vowel
u-la-u- > lo and when it is a, Ia remains unchanged. For instance:
Class r/3 um(u)-: Ia +u- >lo

Class ra u-: Ia +u- >lo
Class 4/9 imi-fm-: Ia + i- > le
Class 6 ama-: Ia +a- >Ia
In the case of subject concords consisting of a consonant plus vowel

the a of Ia- coalesces with the vowel of the subject concord according
to the same sound-changing rules referred to above, for example:
Class 2 aha-: Ia + ba >laha

Class 5 i(li)-: Ia + li > leli
Class 7 isi-: Ia + si > lesi
Class 14 ubu-: Ia + bu- > lobu
The following table contains all the this/these (Position r)

demonstratives and all the that/those (Position 2) demonstrative
pronouns for the various noun classes.
Table of demonstrative pronouns
Class 1 um(u)- lo lowo

Class 1(a) u- lo lowo
Class 2 aba- lab a labo
Class 2 (a) 0· lab a labo
Class 3 um(u-) lo lowo
Class 4 imi- le leyo
Class 5 i(li)- leli lelo
Class 6 am a- Ia lawo
Class 7 isi- lesi leso
(Contd)
Unit 16 Telephone conversation 195

Position 1 Position 2
This/These That/Those
Class 8 izi- lezi lezo
Class 9 in- le leyo
Class 10 izin- lezi lezo
Class 11 u(lu)- lolu lolo
Class 1it u(bu)- lobu lobo
Class 15 uku- lokhu lokho
To form Position 2 demonstrative pronouns you do as follows:
a When the first position demonstrative is lo or Ia add the suffix

-wo (d. Classes 1 and 6). When it isle add yo (d. Classes 4
and 9), for example:
lo muntu this person lowo muntu that person

Ia madoda these men lawo madoda those men
lemali this money leyo mali that money, etc.
b The remaining (bisyllabic) demonstratives change their final

vowel to -o, for example:
lobo bantu these people lobo bantu those people

leli hhashi this horse lelo hhashi that horse
lezi zinja these dogs lezo zinja those dogs, etc.
Note that demonstratives may function without their co-referent

nouns, in which case they become true pronouns, for example:
lobo bantwana those children lobo (bantwana) those (ones)

lezi zinto these things lezo (zinto) those (ones), etc.
Umsebenzi
1 Write a suitable dialogue based on the information given below.

The telephone rings and you answer it. The person asks if
a she may speak to (your wife) Julia. You ask b who is calling
(speaking) and she says that cit is Mrs (uNkosikazi) Dlamini.
You tell her that d unfortunately Julia is not there and whether
e you can take a message. She says f 'yes please' (Unit 4) and
tells you tog tell Julia to please phone her (and that) hit (ku-)
is urgent. You end your conversation by asking her i what her
telephone number is and she replies that j Julia knows it.
2 Answer in the negative (note that some sentences are in the

present tense while others are in the past tense).
a UNkosikazi (Class ra) Kelly ukhona na? Is Mrs Kelly
there?
b Lento iyabiza na? Is this thing expensive?
c U-Susan upasile na? Has Susan passed?
d Lishisa kakhulu na? Is it (the weather) very hot?
e Kuyabanda na? Is it cold?
f Izingubo (clothes) zakho zihlanzekile (clean) na? Are
your clothes clean?
g UNomusa ufikile na? Has Nomusa come?
3 Complete by providing the missing subject concord.

a Izingubo (clothes) _ngcolile (dirty).
b Thina (we) _edukile (lost).
c Uthisha wethu (our teacher) _qinile (strict).
d Ukudla (food) _phelile (finished).
e Imisebenzi (jobs) _yindlala (scarce) nonyaka (this year)
f Laba bantu _yakhohlisa (dishonest)
~ C02, TR 5, 02:10
4 You are answering the phone. How will you telVask the caller:
a to please hold
b that you'll put her/him through to the manager (= umphathi)
c that Mr Smith is not in
d that he should please call again within ro minutes.
5 How will you ask your friends:

a who would like to have a soft drink?
b who would like to watch (-bukela) the football match
(umdlalo webhola) on TV?

6 How would you ask a friend to:
o tell Dudu that you send her your regards (-khonza)
b tell Thandi that you will be late (-phuza ukufika)
c tell Muzi that he must not forget to lock the door
d tell Jabulani that he must please hurry up (-phuthuma).
7 Supply the missing demonstrative.

o Angimazi _ muntu. I don't know this person.
b Singathatha _ sinkwa na? May we take this bread?
c Angithandi _mota. I don't like that car.
d Siyabathanda kakhulu. _bantu. We like those people
very much.
e Batshele _ zindaba ezimnandi. Tell them this good news.
1 Practical phrases to use when answering or speaking on the

telephone.
2 The difference between Zulu and English in the use of the
interrogatives who and whom.
3 The Zulu words for the adverbs fortunately and unfortunately.
4 How to use the word urgent as a verb and as an adjective
in Zulu.
5 How to use the verb stem -tshela tell with an object concord
when asking someone to convey a message to someone else on
your behalf.
6 How the demonstrative pronouns are formed in Zulu.
7 The formal and semantic difference between Position I and
Position 2 demonstrative pronouns in Zulu.
8 The elision of the initial vowel of the noun class prefix when
preceded by a demonstrative pronoun.
10 The semantic difference between the verb stems -buza and
-cela which in English are often rendered by the verb ask.
17
Usibongile Vilakazi nomndeni
wakhe badla ukudla
Kwantambama
Sibongile Vilakazi and his family
are having supper

• a further way to say please
• to say grace
• how to express the concepts too and also
• how to express the concepts still and not yet
• How to form and use words that express possession
• How to express the concepts all and everything
ldayalogi
Sibongile Vilakazi, his wife Lindiwe and their two children Sfiso
and Doreen are sitting at the dinner table and are about to have
their supper.
································································: ~
; Sibongile Masithandaze. ~ ~
: (After having said grace) •
: Sfiso Siziphakele rnarna? • Ef
u
(Contd) : 9
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazland hls(amHyare having supper I 99

.: Lindiwe Yebo mntanami kodwa ngizoniphakela inyama.
: Sibongile Ngicela usawoti nopelepele Doreen.
! Doreen Nanku. Ngicela amanzi baba.
! Sibongile Nanka. Umasitadi ukhona na?
.
: Lindiwe Cha, awukho. Sfiso mfana wami, hamba uyosilandela
umasitadi. Usefrijini.
! Sfiso Kulungile mama.
! Sibongile Usiphekele ukudla okumnandi kakhulu, Lindi.
.
: Lindiwe Ngiyabonga baba. Sifiso, mntanami, ungaphakamisi
izindololwane uma usika inyama. Akungamamenazi
amahle.
: Sfiso Ngiyaxolisa mama. (After a little while) Ngisacela
inyama mama.
: Lindiwe Ayikho Sfiso. Inyama iphelile.
: Sfiso (A little surprised) Iphelile yonke?
! Lindiwe Yebo, yonke iphelile.
! Doreen Ukhona uphuthini mama?
! Lindiwe Yebo ukhona.
~ Sibongile Hawul usibulele ngokudla okumnandi namhlanje MaNtuli.
.. (After everyone has finished his or her dessert)
! Lindiwe Nizothanda ukuphinda uphuthini na?
! Sibongile Cha, ngiyabonga. Sengesuthi impela.
! Sfiso Mina ngithanda ukuphinda mama.
! Doreen Nami ngisafuna mama.
: Lindiwe Lethani izitsha zenu ngizoniphakela.
Masithandaze Let us pray/say grace

Siziphakele? Should we help ourselves? (see also Unit 18)
mntanami my child (a term often used endearingly)
Ngizoniphakela I will dish up for you (pl.) (=-ni-)
a -phakela dish up for
~ Ngicela usawoti Please pass me the salt
~ upelepele pepper
5a Ngicela amanzi Please pass me the water/Can I have the water please
Nanka Here it is (the water) (see also Unit 8)
Umasitadi ukhona na? Is there (any) mustard (on the table)?
(see also Unit 8 for khona)
umasitadi (class 1a)mustard
200
awukho There isn't any (mustard) (see also Unit 8)
Mfana wami My dear boy (term of endearment for young boys)
HambaGo
uyosilandela umasitadi go and fetch the mustard for us
-Iande Ia fetch for (Unit 7)
usefrijini it is in the fridge (Unit 14)
Kulungile mama Very well, Mother
Ungaphakamisi ... You must not lift
izindololwane elbows
uma when
-sika cut
inyamameat
akungamamenazi amahle It is not good manners
amamenazi (< Eng. manners) manners
Ngiyaxolisa I am sorry
Ngisacela inyama May I please have some more (-sa-) meat?
Inyama iphelile The meat is finished
Yonke All (the meat)
-phelile be finished
Usiphekele ukudla okumnandi kakhulu You have cooked very nice
food for us
ukudla okumnandi nice food
kakhulu very
Ukhona uphuthini na? Is there any pudding? (i.e. sweets)
uphuthini (class 1a) sweets
Usibulele ngokudla okumnandi You are killing us with the nice food
ngokudla with food
UMaNtuli Dougher of Ntuli (married women are often addressed as
daughter of so and so)
Nizothanda ukuphinda uphuthini na? Do you want some more
sweets? (Unit 12)
ukuphinda to repeat
Sengesuthi (Se-ng[i]-esuthi) I am already satisfied with food,
i.e. I have had enough to eat
-esuthi be satisfied with food
Ngisafuna I still want (some more)
Nami I too
Lethani Bring (pl.) (See also Unit 23)
izitsha zenu your plates
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazland hls(amlfyare having supper 20 I

lmlbuzo
o Ngubani othandazile? (< -thandaza pray)

b USibongile uceleni kuDoreen?
c Ulindiwe uthe (said) umasitiladi ukuphi?
d Ngubani opheke ukudla?
e Ulindiwe uthe uSifiso angaphakamisi izindolwane uma esika
inyama. Kungani ushilo?
f USibongile uthe ulindiwe upheke ukudla okunjani (that is how)?
g Ngubani othanda ukuphinda uphuthini?
····iii5i9"1ii" •••• •••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •

The word uma ifJ when in (e) above is a conjunctive that
governs the form of the subject concords of Class I, n, 2
and 6. When the subject concords of these classes form part
of verbs that follow after uma in sentences, as in (e) above,
....................................................................................................
their form changes as follows: u- > e-, ba- > be- and a- > e-•
202
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 A further way to ask for something politely
In Unit 6 you learned how to use the verbal stem -cela when
asking for things politely. -Cela is, however, not the only verb
(stem) that you can use to ask polite questions. You can also use
the imperative verb siza please for this purpose. (Imperative verbs
do not include a subject concord See Unit 23 for the usage of
imperative verbs.) For example:
Slza baba, Nglcela uslzo lwakho Please baba, I request/need your

lapha. help (uslzo) here.
Slza unglnlke usawotl Nomusa. Please give (-nlka) me the salt,
Nom usa.
Slza gogo, uslxoxele lnganekwane Please Grandma (ugogo), tell
emnandl. (-xoxela) us a nice fairy-tale
(lnganekwane).
iii5i9"1ii······················································································•·
Note that the verb that follows slza (in the same sentence)
always ends with the vowel -e, as in the last two examples
above.
gogo/Nomusalbaba are nouns denoting the addressee and

....................................................................................................
therefore the class prefix u- is omitted. (See Unit 2.)
L---------~,
Unit 17 Slbongile Vllalazl and his family cue having supper 20 3

2 Let us ...
When you would like people to do something with you, you can
ask them politely by starting the verb with rna (or a) and letting it
end with-e.
Maslthandaze. Let us pray(-thandaza).

Maslhamblsane. Let's go together.
Maslqede lo msebenzl Let's finish this work quickly
ngokushesha madoda. (ngokushesha) guys (men).
Let us say grace

Saying grace before meals is a habit practised by all Zulu
people of the Christian faith. Such prayers normally begin with:
Masithandaze Let us pray. Here is an easy example of such a
prayer in Zulu. (Try to memorize it as one day you might find your
ability to say grace will create a very favourable impression among
Zulu as well as non-Zulu speakers.)
Baba wethu oseZulwlnl, slbonga lokhu kudla eslkuphlwa nguwe

nezandla ezlkwenzlle. Slbonga urn usa wakho nokusllondoloza.
Konke lokhu slkucela egamenlllkalesu Krestu, uMslndlsl wethu.
Amen.
Our Heavenly Father (Baba wethu oseZu lwlnl), we thank (-bonga)

thee for this food which thou has given us (esl kup hlwa ng uwe
that we were given by thee) and the hands that have prepared
it (ezlkwenzlle). We thank thee for thy kindness (umusa) and for
keeping us safe (-londoloza). All (kon ke) this we ask in the name
• (egamen I) of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer (uMslnd lsi). Amen.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
.
204
3 1/we/he/they too/also
To say this, you put na- and in front of the absolute pronoun
(Unit 12) and drop its final syllable -na, for example:
1st p. sing. Nami (< mina) ngiyohamba manje.

I also (I) am going to leave now.
1St p. pl. Nathi (< thina) sithokozile kakhulu.
We too (we) are very happy (-thokozile).
2nd p. sing. Nawe (< wena) Josefa uyavilapha!
You too joseph (you) are lazy (-vilapha)/
Class 1a UThoko naye (< yena) ubambekile.
Thoko too (he) is busy (-bambekile).
4 Expressing the concepts 'still' and 'not yet'
4.1 Still
The adverb still in English, as in He is still busy, She is still here,
is expressed by the formative -sa- (in the case of verbs) or -se- (in
the case of non-verbs) both of which appear immediately after the
subject concord. For example:
Ngisaphila. I am still fine. (Lit. I'm still here.)

Ngiyaxolisa kodwa I'm sorry but I'm still busy.
ngisabambekile.
Umama usekhishini, Mother is in the kitchen; she is still busy
usalungisa isidlo preparing supper (isidlo sakusihlwa).
sakusihlwa.
Before non-verb stems -sa- > -se-:

A non-verb that often occurs with -se- is khona here/there, for
example:
UDokotela Bhengu Is Dr Bhengu still there/here?

usekhona na?
Kusekhona isikhathi. There is still time.
Ngisekhona. I'm still fine. (Lit. I'm still here.) (Often in
response to the question Unjani na? How
are you? See Unit 1.)
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazl and his (amlly are having supper 20 5

4.2 no longer
Note that in the negative -sa-/-se- remains unchanged. There is
only a change in meaning, as for instance in:
Indlu yethu ayisadayisi. Our house is no longer for sale.

Asisayi phesheya. Kubiza imali We are no longer going overseas.
eningi. It is (too) costly.
Note that the combination -se- plus khona in the negative can also
imply euphemistically that someone is no longer with us, i.e. that
he or she has passed away:
UDokotela Bhengu akasekho. Dr Bhengu is no longer with us

(i.e. he has passed away).
4.3 Not yet

To express the concept not yet in Zulu the formative -ka- is used.
Its position in the verb is immediately after the subject concord. It
obviously only occurs in negative verbs which, with the exception
of passive verbs (see Unit 24), all end in -i, for example:
lbhasi lethu alikafiki. Our bus has not yet arrived. We are
Sisalilindela. still waiting for (-lindelaJ it.
Angikafundi le ncwadi. I have not yet read this book.
Lo muntu uthi akakatholi iholo This person says (-thi) that he has
lakhe lale nyanga. not yet received his salary (iholo)
for this month (inyanga).
[ ·····in~~:~~=:·:~:·:~~-~=~·:~·~:~-~~~~·::·::~·:~-~~·::~~:·:·::~·········
.....................................................................................................
negative form of the subject concord of Class a. (See Unit 9.) I
5 All/Everything
The concepts all and everything are expressed in Zulu by means of

the so-called quantitative pronouns. Each noun class has its own
quantitative pronoun which is formed by means of the subject
concord of that particular class plus the pronominal stem -onke.
For example:
206
Class 2 (aba-): ba - onke > bonke, e.g.
bonke a bantu all the people
Class 6 (ama- ): a - onke > onke, e.g.
onke amadoda all the men
Class 7 (isi-): si- onke > sonke, e.g.
sonke isikhathi all the time
Class 9 (in-): i - onke > yonke, e.g.
yonke imali all the money
Class 17 (ku-): ku - onke > konke, e.g.
Konke kulungile All/Everything is fine
Note that when these pronouns combine with singular nouns they
express the meaning every/the whole, for example:
Class 1 (um(u): u - onke > wonke, e.g.

wonke umuntu every person
Class 5 (i[li]): li - onke > lonke, e.g.
lonke ilanga the whole day
Class 7 (isi-): si - onke > sonke, e.g.
sonke isizwe the entire/whole nation
Note that the final vowel of these pronouns may be optionally

dropped when it occurs before a noun, for instance:
bonk'abantu, sonk'isikhathi, wonk'umuntu, etc.
6 Expressing possession
6.1 Expressing possession by means of possessive concords

Possession in Zulu is expressed somewhat differently from in
English. Whereas in English you may say the boy's bicycle, their
house, my father's car, etc. you say in Zulu the bicycle of the boy,
the house of them, the car of my father, etc. The of in examples such
as these is expressed in Zulu by means of a possessive concord. Each
noun class has its own possessive concord. Possessive concords look
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazland hls(amlfyare having supper 207

very much like subject concords from which, in fact, they are also
derived. This derivation occurs by combining the subject concord
with the so-called possessive -a causing certain sound changes in
the form of the subject concords. Subject concords whose form is
u- (Classes I, Ia and 3) change to wa-; and subject concords with the
form i (Classes 4 and 9) change to ya- when they become possessive
concords. The possessive concord of Class 6 (ama-) has the same
form as the subject concord of this class. The possessive concords
of all the other classes are formed by replacing the vowel of their
respective subject concords with an -a. Consider the form of the
possessive concords of the different noun classes in the table below:
Table of Possessive Concords

" ................................................................
Subject concord Possessive concord
a. lo • •. a a a •• • • •• a a •• • a a • • lo. "tl • "lo • to a <II • lo • • a •• lo • to a II It lo • • II • • • lo lo. • •. a a <I e
Class 1 umu- u- (+a>) wa-

Class 2 ababa- (+a>) ba-
Class 1a u- u- (+a>) wa-
Class 2a 0· ba- (+a>) ba-
Class 3 umu- u- (+a>) wa-
Class~ imi- i· (+a>) ya-
Class 5 i(li)· li- (+a>) Ia-
Class 6 am a- a- (+a>) a-
Class 7 isi- si- (+a>) sa-
Class 8 izi- zi- (+a>) za-
Class 9 in- i· (+a>) ya-
Class 10 izin- zi- (+a>) za-
Class 11 u(lu)- lu- (+a>) lwa-
Class 1~ ubu- bu- (+a>) ba-
Class 15 uku- ku- (+a>) kwa-
Note the presence of the semi-vowel w in the possessive concords

of Classes I I and I 5.
The possessive in Zulu does not consist of a possessive concord

only but also includes the word that the possessive concord
combines with. This may be a noun, pronoun or an adverb.
208
6.1.1 Possessive concord plus noun
When the possessive concord combines with a noun the vowel of
the possessive concord changes according to the sound-changing
rules referred to in some of the earlier lessons and given here again
for the sake of convenience. They are:
..,.. a+u>o
This rule applies when the possessive concord combines with
nouns whose class prefix begins with u-, e.g.
iwashi lomfana (< la-umfana) The boy's watch (Lit. the watch
of the boy)
amandla omthakathi (< a-umthakathi >)the wizard's power
(Lit. the power of the wizard)
abantu bomuzi (< ba-umuzi) the village people (Lit. the people
of the village)
..,.. a+i>e
The a of the possessive concord changes to e when the
possessive concord combines with nouns whose class prefix
begins with i-, e.g.
intengo yegilosa (< ya-igilosa) the price of the groceries
izinyo lendlovu (< la-indlovu >)ivory (Lit. the tooth of an
elephant)
..,.. a+ a> a
The vowel of the possessive concord remains unchanged when
combining with nouns whose class prefix begins with a-, e.g.
amandla abantu (< a-abantu) the power of the people
ukudla kwamadoda (< kwa-amadoda) the food of the men
..,.. Possessives formed from nouns in Oass I a

When the possessor is a noun in class I a (e.g. a noun
signifying someone's name), two important rules concerning
the possessive concord apply:
a When the noun signifying the possession contains an m or an

n in its prefix (except nouns in Class 10 [izin-]), the possessive
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazl and his (amity are having supper 20 9

concord is always aka which appears in the place of the class
prefix of the Class I a noun, e.g.
imoto kababa my father's car

umntwana kaThandeka Thandeka's child
umuthi kadokotela the doctor's medicine
b When the noun signifying the possession does not contain an

morn in its prefix (Class 10 excluded), the possessive concord
is equal to: subject concord plus ka, for example:
ibhayisikili likaFana Fana's bicycle

izinkomo zikamalume my uncle's cattle
lzibuko zikamama my mother's glasses (spectacles)
6.1.2 Possessive concord plus possessive pronominal stem

Apart from nouns the possessive concord may also combine with
what is known as the possessive pronominal stems. Each noun
class has its own possessive pronominal stem that is derived from
the absolute pronoun of the same class and which we have briefly
referred to in Unit 12. As in Unit 12 we will only be dealing here
with the possessive pronominal stems of the first, second and third
person (i.e. Classes I, Ia, 2 and 2a). They are as follows:
Possessive pronominal stems
1st p. sing. -mi 1st p. pl. -ithu

2nd p. sing. -kho 2nd p. pl. -inu
Class 1/1a -khe Class 2/2a -bo
Note that when the possessive concord combines with the possessive
pronominal stems -ithu and -inu the sound change rules referred to
above apply.
Examples of usage:
Ngubani igama lakho mfana wami? What is your name, my boy?

Ningakhohlwa ukwenza You must not forget (-khohlwa)
umsebenzi wenu (< wa-inu) to do (ukwenza) your homework
wasekhaya, bantwana. (umsebenzi wasekhaya), children.
210
Abafuni ukulalela izikhalo They do not want to listen to our
zethu (< za-ithu). grievances (izikhalo).
Usibekephi isikhwama sami, Moses? Where did you put my bag, Moses?
6.1.3 Possessive concord plus demonstrative pronoun

When the possessive concord precedes a demonstrative pronoun its
form remains unchanged, e.g.
umndeni walo muntu the family of this person

abantu bale ndawo the people of this place
izakhamuzi zaleli zwe the citizens (izakhamuzi) of this country
6.1.4 Relational concepts with the possessive concord

Here are a few commonly used relational notions in Zulu:
emvakwa- after
phambikwa- before
phezukwa- on top of
phansi kwa- under
phakathi kwa- inside/between
ngalekwa- across
The vowel -a of the possessive concord kwa- changes according to

the sound rules pertaining to possessive concords as set out above.
emva kwdantshi (< ilantshi) after lunch

phambi kwami before me (= -mi)
phezu kwentaba on top of the mountain
phansi kombhede (< umbhede) under the bed
phakathi kwemoto inside the car
emva kwamadoda behind the men
phakathi kwethu between us(= -ithu)
ngalekomgwaqo (< kwa-umgwaqo) across the street
in~i~!-~:~·::~~:~~~:~·:~·~::::·=~~·:::·~~~~:·:~~:·:·~::·:···········1
an umu-class its semi-vowel w is dropped as in some of the
....................................................................................................
examples above .
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazland hls(amlfyare having supper 2I I

6.2 By means of the preposition -no-
The preposition -na- be with in Zulu can be used to signify
ownership as for example in: I have a car, she has a dog, etc. When
this -na- combines with a following noun (as it often does) its vowel
a coalesces with the initial vowel of the class prefix of this noun
causing the a to change according to the same sound-changing
rules as the ones set out above in the case of the possessive concord.
For example:
Nginemoto entsha. ( < ngi-na- I have a new (-sha) car. (Lit. I am

imoto) with a new car.)
Abazali bam i banepu lazi My parents have a farm in the
(<ba-na-ipulazi) elimpopo. Limpopo province (one of the
provinces in South Africa).
Unomakhalekhukhwini Do you have/possess a mobile phone,
(< u-na-umakhalekhukhwini) madam?
na, Nkosikazi?
II> Negative
In the negative the preposition -na- remains unchanged,
for example:
Uxolo, anginamali. Sorry, I don't have any money (on me).

Ubaba akanamoto. My father doesn't have (own) a car.
Umsebenzi
1 You and your wife Ann have invited your friends Themba
and Florence for dinner. At the dinner table the following
discourse between you and your guests takes place. You
(pointing to a chair) request Florence to a please sit here
(lapha) and Themba to b please sit there (lapho). After
everyone has been seated you request them c to join you in
saying grace. Having said grace you ask your visitors d what
they want to drink. Themba says that e he would like a glass
(ingi1azi) of white wine. Florence says that f she would like to
have a soft drink (icooldrinki). During the meal Ann asks you
g to please pass her the pepper and the salt. She also asks
h what you think of the food (that she has prepared). Florence
says that i it (tastes =) is delicious (-mnandi kakhulu)l Themba
says thatj he agrees (-vuma). Ann says k 'Thank you'. After
the meal you ask your guests whether I they would like some
coffee. They decline by saying m 'No thank you'. You tell
them n to go well and they reply by telling o you (pl.) to sleep
well (kamnandi).
Use the above data to create a suitable dialogue between

yourself and your guests at the dinner table.
2 Complete the following sentences by supplying the missing

possessive concord.
a Nanga usisi _kho, Zenzele. There is your sister, Zenzele.
b Nasi isikole _(i)thu baba. Here is our school, baba.
c Uhlelo _amabhasi lwenu lubi kakhulu. Your bus service
is very poor (-hi).
d Injani impilo _kho Ephraim? How is your health
Ephraim?
e Mahle kakhulu amasiko _maZulu. The Zulu people's
customs are very interesting. (Lit. They are very beautiful!
interesting [-hie] the customs of the Zulu people.)
f Indlu _(i)thu ayidayisi. Our house is not for sale.
g Yonke imali _bo iphelile. All their money is finished.
h Nilwele amalungelo _(i)nu. You must fight for (-lwela)
your rights (amalungelo).
Ngibonga kakhulu usizo (Cl. I I) _kho, mnumzane. (I)
thank you very much for your help (usizo), sir.
j INingizimu Afrika isingathe iNdebe _(u)mhlaba
ngonyaka ka-20IO. South Africa hosted (-singathe) the
World Cup in the year 2010.
k Iphepha __ (i)siZulu belinzima kakhulu. The Zulu
(examination) paper was very difficult.
Sekuyisikhathi __(u)kuhamba manje. It is now time to go.
m lsicelo _Fana Fana's request.
n Ubaba _Fana Fana's father.
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazl and his (amity are having supper 2I 3

3 Write the underlined verbs in the negative so that the Zulu
text corresponds to its English counterpart.
a (Thina) siyavuma. We do not agree.
b Ubaba nomama baphila kahle. My father and mother are
not well.
c Ubaba usasebenza khona. My father does not work there
any more.
d Izingane zethu ziyasebenzisana. Our children are not
working together.
e Amanzi ayabila. The water isn't boiling.
f Ikati lethu lithanda ukubamba amagundane. Our cat does
not enjoy catching mice (amagundane).
g Le ntombazana ihlakaniphile kakhulu. This girl is not
very intelligent (-khaliphile).

a Let us pray.
b Everything is fine.
c Please close (-vala) the door (umnyango).
d Please check (-biola) the tyres (amathaya).
5 How will you tell someone that:

a you are still fine
b the shops are still open (-vulekile)
c the boss (Ophethe) is still there.
~ C02, TR 6, 02:10
6 How would you ask someone with whom you are having lunch:
a to please hand you the milk (ubisi)
b whether there is any salt (usawoti) on the table?
7 Say in Zulu (by using the formative na be with):

a I have a dog. d I don't have change.
b I don't have a dog. e I have a job (umsebenzi).
c I have change (ushintshi). f I don't have a job.
214
1 The use of the verb siza please to express polite requests.

2 The use of ma- when asking others to join you in doing things.
3 The use of na- too, also with personal pronouns.
4 How to express still, not any more and not yet in Zulu.
5 The change in the form of the verbal prefix -sa- > -se- before
non-verbs.
6 The formation and use of the quantitative pronouns in Zulu.
7 The formation and use of the possessive concords of the
different noun classes.
8 The different forms of the possessive concord with -ka when
the possessor-noun is a noun in Class ra.
9 The possessive pronominal stems of the first and second
persons and for Classes r, ra and 2.
10 The use of the formative na- be with to express possession in
both positive and negative sentences.
Unit 17 Slbonglfe Vlfakazl and his (amity are having supper 2I 5

18
UGavin uya kudokotela
Gavin goes to the doctor

• how to say that you suffer (rom something
• Zulu equivalents of expressions often used by doctors when
examining their patients
how to use the reflexive verbal prefix in Zulu
the names of days of the week
how to ask questions with should
how to express wishes with must and may
how to express commands in Zulu
further usages of the locative prefix ku-
how to ask questions with when?
ldayalogi
Gavin has not been feeling very well lately and has decided to pay
his doctor a visit.
~ ................................................................ .
g:: Thoko Uphi uGavin, Lindi?
~ Lindi Uye kudokotela.
c Thoko Unani? Ngabe uyagula?
u
9 Lindi Angazi rnina.
(At the doctor's consulting rooms)
Gavin Sawubona Dokotela.
216
.: Dokotela Sawubona mnumzana. Unjani?
: Gavin Angizizwa kahle Dokotela.
! Dokotela Unani?
! Gavin Ngiphethwe ngumphimbo Dokotela.
! Dokotela Ubuhlungu na?
! Gavin Yebo.
! Dokotela Ukhwehlela kakhulu?
! Gavin Yebo Dokotela, kodwa hayi kakhulu.
! Dokotela Sicinene na isifuba sakho?
! Gavin Yebo, sicinene.
! Dokotela Unethemperesha na?
! Gavin Yebo.
: Dokotela Uqale nini ukugula?
: Gavin Ngiqale izolo, Dokotela.
.
: Dokotela Awulale lapha embhedeni. Ngifuna ukukupopola.
Awukhumule ihembe.... Donsa umoya, ... khipha
umoya.
Donsa futhi ..., khipha futhi ..., Yithi, 'aah'
Ngibona uphethwe yimfuluwenza.
! Gavin Ngingaya emsebenzini na Dokotela?
: Dokotela Cha. Kuhle ulale izinsukwana uze uzizwe ungcono.
Ngizokulobela umuthi ozoqeda ukukhwehlela
. namaphilisi okuqeda ubuhlungu ...
! Gavin Ngibuye futhi Dokotela?
! Dokotela Ngingathanda ukukubona futhi ngolwesithathu.
: Gavin Ngiyabonga Dokotela. Usale kahle.
: Dokotela Uphole masinyal Hamba kahle.
UGavin uya kudokotela Gavin goes to the doctor

Uphi uGavin? Where's Gavin? (see also Unit 11)
Uye kudokotela He went to (see) the doctor
Unani? What's the matter with him? (Lit. He is with what?)
Ngabe uyagula? Is he ill perhaps?
ngabe (conjunctive) is used to indicate uncertainty and is often
translated with perhaps.
Angizizwa kahle I don't feel well
Angazi mina I don't know
Unit 18 Gavin goes to the doctor 2I 7

Unani? What's the matter with you? (Lit. You are with what?)
Ngiphethwe ngumphimbo My throat is sore (Lit. I'm bothered by
my throat)
umphimbo throat
Ubuhlungu na? Is it (i.e. your throat) painful?
Ukhwehlela kakhulu na? Do you cough (-khwehlela) a lot?
Sicinene na isifuba sakho? Is your chest (isifuba) congested
(-cinene)?
Unethemperesha na? Do you have a temperature? (Lit. Are you with
a temperature?)
Uqale nini ukugula? When did you start feeling ill?
Ngiqale izolo I started yesterday
Awulale embhedeni Please lie on the bed
ngifuna ukukupopola I want to examine (-popola) you (=-ku-)
Awukhumule ihembe Please take off (-khumula) (your) shirt
(ihembe)
Donsa umoya Take a (deep) breath (umoya) (Lit. draw in the air)
Khipha umoya Breathe out (Lit. Take out the air)
futhi again
Yithi 'aah' Say 'aah'
Ngibona uphethwe yimfuluwenza I think you're suffering from
influenza
Ngingaya emsebenzini na? May I go to work? (see also Unit 12
for -nga-)
Kuhle ulale izinsukwana It's best that you stay (lie down) in bed for
a couple of days (stay in bed is idiomatically expressed in Zulu by the
verb -lala lie down)
izinsukwana a few days
uze uzizwe ungcono until you feel (yourself= -zi-) (that you are)
better
ungcono you are better
Ngizokulobela umuthi I'// give you a prescription (Lit. I will write
down medicine for you to take)
umuthi medicine
umuthi ozoqeda ukukhwehlela medicine that will stop (end) the
coughing
namaphilisi okuqeda ubuhlungu and tablets to stop the pain
Ngibuye futhi? Should I come back (for a check-up)?
218
Nglngathanda ukukubona futhl I would like to see you (-ku-)
again ngolweslthathu on Wednesday
U pho le maslnya You must get well (-pho Ia) soon (See UnIt 1Lj
for 'must'.)
KHPHA UMOYA-
DONSAUMOYA-
lmlbuzo
1 Kuyiqiniso noma akusilo? Correct and rewrite the false ones.

o UGavin uye kubani?
b UGavin uqale nini ukugula?
c UGavin wakhumulani?
d Udokotela uthe uGavin uphethwe yini? (unani?)
e Udokotela ufuna ukumbona nini uGavin?
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 How to say you suffer from an Illness or an aliment
To say you (or someone else) suffer from an illness or ailment

you use the passive verb stem -phethwe suffer from followed by
Unit 18 Gavin goes to the doctor 2 I 9

a (copulative) noun signifying the ailment or illness. Nouns with
a prefix beginning with with ani- take the copulative prefix y-in
front while nouns with a prefix that begins with the vowel u- or
a- take the copulative prefix ng- (or a w- before u- in the speech of
some speakers). For example:
umkhuhlane cold > ngumkhuhlane/wumkhuhlane

isifuba chest > yisifuba
amathonsela tonsils> ngamathonsela.
The following are examples of a number of common illnesses and

ailments:
Ngiphethwe ngumkhuhlane. I have a cold (umkhuhlane common

cold).
Uphethwe wumkhuhlane/yimfuluwenza. You have/suffer from flu

(umkhuhlane imfuluwenza flu).
Ingane yami iphethwe ngamathonsela. My child has tonsillitis

(amathonsela tonsils).
Lo mntwana uphethwe yisithuthwane. This child suffers from

epilepsy (isithuthwane).
Ngiphethwe yikhanda. I have a headache/am suffering from a

headache (ikhanda head).
Uphethwe yisimungmungane. She's suffering from measles/has

measles (isimungumungwane).
Lo mntwana usaphethwe nguzagiga. This child still suffers from/

has mumps (uzagiga).
Laba bantu baphethwe nguqhuqho/ngumalaleveva. These people

suffer from/have malaria (uqhuqho or umalaleveva).
220
The following are more examples of ailments you can have or can
suffer from:
-phethwe yizinyo toothache (izi.nyo tooth)

-phethwe ngumphimbo sore throat (umphimbo)
-phethwe yisisu stomach ache (isisu stomach)
-phethwe yindlebe earache (indlebe ear)
-phethwe yidolo knee problem (idolo knee)
in~~~ti!~~:::·~~~=-~:::~::·;~·~:~·:::~:~~·~:~:·~~::~·::~·:~
the verbal stem -phatha that is used here in its stative form
.......1
.....................................................................................................
(Unit 13) .
2 Zulu equivalents of expressions often used by doctors

when examining their patients
What is the matter/wrong/problem with you? Unani? (Lit. You are

with what?)
What ails you? Uphethwe yini? (Lit. You are troubled by what?
[yini? by what?]).
How do you feel? Uzizwa unjani? (Lit. You feel yourself you are
how? [-zizwa feel yourself])
Do you feel feverish? Uzizwa ushisa (be hot) umzimba (body) na?
(Note that the u- in ushisa is the subject concord of the second

person singular and the -zi- in uzizwa is the reflexive verbal prefix
[see 3 below].)
When did you start to become ill? Uqale nini ukugula?

When did you begin to feel unwell? Uqale nini ukuzizwa kabi?
How long have you been ill? Yisikhathi esingakanani ugula?
Please lie on your side. Awulale ngohlangothi (uhlangothi side).
Please sit up. Awuqhiyame.
Unit 18 Gavin goes to the doctor 22 I

Let me check/take your blood pressure. Mangihlole/Mangithathe
umfutho wegazi lakho. (Lit. Let me check/take the pressure
[umfutho] of your blood [igazi]).
[ ·····i;;~~~~~:=~~i~:·::~·~:::·:~;·i·~-=~:·::·::~::~·~::~::;····· . . . . ..
....................................................................................................
requests. (See Unit 6.)
Your blood pressure is high/OK (normal) Umfutho wegazi lakho

uphakemelulungile.
[·····i;;~~~~::·~:::~·~::~:=~·-~:·;~~~~:·:~·~:~-~~::::~·~:::·:~=~·~·~·;···
of the stem -phakama and -lungile the stative form of -lunga
....................................................................................................
be in order•
Do you have a temperature? Unethemperesha na? (Lit. Are you

with a temperature?)
You may get up. Usungasukuma (-sukuma stand up).

Stick out your tongue. Khipha ulimi.
Breathe in. Donsa umoya.
Breathe out. Khipha umoya.
Open your mouth. Vula umlomo.
Do you have/suffer from diarrhoea? Unohudo na? (Lit. Are you
with diarrhoea? [uhudo].)
Do you cough a lot? Ukhwehlela kakhulu na? (-khwehlela cough).
You must have (get) an injection. Ufanele uthole umjovo

(< -jova inject).
[. . .i;;~~ti:~:~·~·;~-~~==~·:~~:·~:~·::::~-~~~=·~:::~:·:~·~:~·······
must always end in the vowel-e as in the example above.
.....................................................................................................
(See also Unit 9.)
I'll give you a prescription. Ngizokunqumela umuthi. (Lit. I will

decide for [-nqumela] you medicine [umuthi].)
222
in~~fi~~·:·:~·i::~::~-~·::~:·~::~:~·:·::~·::;~:·~:::~~·:~
the second person singular and the -zo- the contracted form
. . . . . .1
.....................................................................................................
of the future tense morpheme -zoku- (Unit 9) .
I want to see you again. Ngithanda ukukubona futhi.
in~~~ti!~::~·-··:·::~:::~·~:·::·~:~-~~:·:~·::~:·:~·::~·::~:~~··········1
class prefix of Class 15 uku- followed by the object concord
.....................................................................................................
of the second person singular -ku-.
Please take off your jacket/jersey. Awukhumule (take off)

ibhantshilijezi lakho.
Stay in bed for a couple of days. illale izinsukwana. (Lit. you

should lie down for a couple of days.)
(See Unit 14 for the expression of should.)
3 The reflexive verbal prefix -zi-
The reflexive verbal prefix -zi.- occurs directly in front of the verbal
stem and basically expresses the English -self as in the following
examples:
Ngizozenzela (< ngi-zo-z(i)-enzela) le nto. I'll do this thing myself.

(Lit. I'll do for [-enzela] myself this thing.)
Uzozilimaza (-limaza hurt). You will hurt yourself.

Uyazi.sola (-sola blame). She is blaming herself.
A number of verbs have special significances when they include the

reflexive prefix, like the following:
-zi.phatha kahle behave oneself well/good manners (< -phatha

carry, hold), e.g.
Unit 18 Gavin goes to the doctor 22 3

Abazali bafanele ukufundisa abantwana babo ukuziphatha kahle
besebancane. Parents ought to teach their children good manners
while they are still (-se-) young (-ncane).
-ziqhenya be proud of (< -<J.henya show off), e.g.
Ngiziqhenye kakhulu ngendodakazi yami. I was very proud of my

daughter (indodakazi).
-zenzela umathanda do as one pleases(< -enzela do for), e.g.
Bathanda ukuzenzela umathanda uma besekhaya. They like to do

as they please when at home.
-zisola regret (< -sola find fault with), e.g.
Ngiyazisola kakhulu ngengikwenzile I very much regret what I

have done (-enzile) .
....................................................................................................
Insight
The verb ngengikwenzile consists of no fewer than five parts.
They are: the adverbial formative ng(a)- (Unit 23) +the
relative concord of the first person singular engi- (Unit 23) +
the indefinite object concord of Class 17 -ku- it plus the vowel
verb stem, -enza plus the perfect or immediate past tense
....................................................................................................
ending -ile .
4 The Zulu names for days of the week
4.1 Days of the week

They are:
ngomSombuluko (on) Monday
ngolwesibili (on) Tuesday
ngolwesithathu (on) Wednesday
ngolwesine (on) Thursday
ngolwesi hlanu (on) Friday
ngoMgqibelo (on) Saturday
ngeSonto (on) Sunday
224
It's important to note that the days of the week are normally
used in Zulu in the sense of on Monday, on Tuesday, etc. This is
why they all begin with the preposition ngo- or nge- on. For
example:
Ngizokubona ngolwesithathu. I'll see you on Wednesday.

Sobonana ngeSonto. We'll see each other on Sunday.
in~~~ti!~-=~~~-~-~~~·::::~·~:·:~·:·~:::~::;~:·:~-~~:~::~-~~·············)
.....................................................................................................
which -zoku is the future tense morpheme. (See Unit 9.)
4.2 Weekends
For weekend you use the word impelasonto ( < -phela come to an
end+ isonto week).
For at/during the weekend you say kwimpd.asonto (< ku- +

impelasonto) and for at/during this weekend you add the locative
prefix ku- and the demonstrative pronoun le this to (i)mpelasonto, e.g.
Nenzani kule mpelasonto? What are you (pl.) doing (ni-enza-ni)

during this weekend?
To say the forthcoming weekend you add the verb ezayo (Lit. that
comes (-za), i.e. impelasonto ezayo.
Uyaphi le mpelasonto ezayo? Where are you going this weekend?
For next weekend you add the verb elandelayo (Lit. that follows),
i.e. impelasonto elandelayo, e.g.
Sizokwenza izoso kwimpelasonto elandelayo. We will have a

barbecue (izoso) next weekend.
See paragraph 7 below for the use of the locative prefix kwi-.

5 Expressing wishes in Zulu
Wishes that in English are rendered by words such as must or may

are often expressed in Zulu by letting the present tense verb end
on the vowel-e. The subject concord u- of Class I and Ia changes
to a- in this instance. (See Unit 14 for a similar construction.) For
example:
Uphole masinya Emelda. You must get well soon, Emelda.

UNkulunkulu ahambe nawe, May God (walk=) be with you,
baba. father.
Usale kahle Nomsa. You must stay well, Nomsa.
Uhambe kahle mfowethu. You must go well, my brother.
(The last two examples are often used as parting phrases in Zulu.
See also Unit I.)
6 Expressing commands in Zulu
To express a command (not a polite one!) in Zulu you use what is

known in Zulu grammar as an imperative verb, i.e. a verb without
any verbal prefixes. The form of an imperative verb is therefore
more or less similar to that of a verbal stem.
Zulu distinguishes between commands given to a single person and

commands given to more than one person. In the case of the plural,
-ni is added to the verb, for example:
Thula! Be quiet/ [but] Thulani! Be quiet/ (pl.)

Suka! Go away/ [but] Sukani! Be gone/ (pl.)
Sukuma! Stand up! [but] Sukumani! Stand up! (pl.)
Monosyllabic verb stems take a yi- in front (alternatively a suffix

-na), and vowel verb stems take a y-. When the command is
directed to more than one person a -ni is suffixed to the verb, for
example:
Yima/Mana (<-rna) lapha! Stand/Wait here/
226
But:
Yimani lapha! (pl.) Stand here (you people)!
Yiza/Zana (< -za) lapha! Come here (you)!
But:
Yizani lapha! (pl.) Come here (you guys)!
Yisho izinto ezintathu. Say!Name/Mentian three things.
But:
Yishoni izinto ezintathu. Say/Name/Mention three things
(children)
Yenyuka (< -enyuka) lapha! Go up here/
But:
Yehlani (< -ehla) lapha! Go down here (you people)!
Note the alternative imperative form for the stems -za and -sho:
Woza (<-za) lapha Themba! Come here, Themba! (sing.)
Wozani lapha madoda! Come here, men/ (pl.)
Shono izinto ezimbili. Say/Name/Mentian two things.
Don't forget to omit the initial vowel of the noun denoting the
person(s) to whom the command is directed.
6.1 Command verbs with object concords

When a command verb takes an object but the object noun is not
mentioned then its object cancord must appear in the verb and
the verb must end on an -e. (Take note of the form of the object
concords of the different noun classes.) For example:
Tshela uJohn (CI. 1a) ukuthi Tell John that I want him. > Mtshele
ngiyamfuna. ukuthi ngiyamfuna. Tell him that
I want him.

Ngivale igede (CI. 5) na? Should I close the gate? Yebo, livale
ngiyacela. Yes close it, please.
Ngiphuze nini lo muthi? When must I drink this medidne?
(CI. 3) Wuphuze manje. Drink it now.
Ngibatsheleni laba bantu Batshele ukuthi akunamsebenzi
(CI. 2)? What must I tell lapha. Tell them there is no work
(say to) these people? here/there are no jobs here.
[ ·····i;;~~:~~~~~-:~~~:·:~::·~~:=~·~::·:~·~:·~:~:·:~~~·~::·~:~~-~~::······
are very often followed by the conjunctive ukuthi that as can
....................................................................................................
be seen in some of the examples above .
7 Further notes on the locative prefix ku-
In Unit I I you learned that to form locatives from nouns signifying

human beings we use the locative prefix ku- as in: kumlungu to/
from the white person, kumalume to/from my uncle, kuSipho
to/from Sipho, etc. In recent times, however, there seems to be
a growing tendency among mother-tongue speakers of Zulu to
use the locative prefix ku- (instead of the more usual prefix e- ....
-ini) when forming locatives also from non-human nouns. Nouns
that are frequently locativized in this way include (English) trade-
names, technical and scientific terms, names of certain plants and
animals and even longish Zulu nouns (with five or more syllables).
Here are a few examples of such words:
kwimbangalusizi (< ku-imbangalusizi tragedy) in the tragedy

(literary term)
kwi-Omo (< ku-i-Omo [name of washing powder]) in/to the Omo

(washing powder)
kwimpelasonto (< ku-impelasonto) at/during the weekend
kushukela (< ku-ushukela sugar) in (the) sugar
Note that in case of some nouns in English (e.g. Omo, sugar above)
the definite article the is not normally used.
228
8 The interrogative 'When?'
To ask questions with this interrogative you simply put nini?

when? immediately after the verb, for example:
Nizobuya nini? When will you becoming back? (Lit. You will
return when?)
Bafike nini? When did they come?
Umgcine nini? When did you last see her? (-gcina come to
an end)
Umsebenzi
1 Imagine that you are a medical doctor and that you are
examining a patient. You ask the patient (Mr Khathi) a what's
wrong with him. He says that b he doesn't know. You ask
c whether he has a temperature and he replies d yes. You also
enquire e whether he suffers from any headaches and he replies
that f he sometimes (ngesinye isikhathi) does have headaches.
You ask him g how long he has been ill and he replies that h he
started to feel unwell (ukuzizwa kabi) the day before yesterday
(= kuthangi.). You request him to i please take off his jacket
(ibhantshi) because (ngoba) j you want to take (-thatha) his
blood pressure. After you have checked it you tell him that k his
blood pressure is 0 K. You ask him I whether he feels feverish
and m he says 'yes'. You conclude that n he is suffering from flu
and you tell him that o you will prescribe some medicine for him.
Write a suitable dialogue based on the information given

a hove. Then re-enact it by performing the role of both doctor
and patient.
2 Write the following sentences in the negative.

a UGavin uye (went) esibhedlela
b UGavin ugula kakhulu
c Udokotela ujove (injected) uGavin)
Unit 18 Gavin goes to the doctor 229

3 How do you say in Zulu
We'll see each other:
a on Monday, on Tuesday, on Saturday
b this weekend
c next weekend.
4 How will you give the following commands in Zulu

4.1 To more than one person:
a Sit down!
b Stand up! (sukuma)
c Keep quiet!
d Close your eyes (amehlo)
e Come here!
4.2 To a single person.

a Put it (ibhotda) in the fridge!
b Call them!
c Give (-nika) me the money! (me =object concord)
d Write it (into) down (-bhala phansi)!
5 Say what each of the following means:

a Ngizenzela umathanda.
b Ngiphethwe ngumkhuhlane.
c Uzizwa unjani namhlanje?
d Ziphathe kahle!
e Sizobonana nini futhi (again)?
6 How would you tell Phillip that he must:

a get well (-phola) soon
b go well
c keep (stay) well
d sleep well (kamnandi)?
7 Tell Rachel to please (see Unit 6):

a tum on (-vula) the TV (i-TV).
b switch off (-vala) the radio (umsakazo)
c bring (-letha) the sugar
d call Jonathan.
230
8 Rewrite in the positive:
o UNkosikazi Sibiya akekho
b (Thina) asikhali (complain)
c Ibhasi alifikanga
d Umama akalambile
e Laba bantu abakhulumi isiZulu.
9 Complete the sentences by providing the missing subject

concord.
o _enzani manje Violet? What are doing now, Violet?
b lsikhathi _thini manje? What is the time now?
c _njani George? How is it, George?
d _yaphi manje? Where are you (pl.) going now?
e _enzani abantwana? What are the children doing?
f _ngakusiza ngani, mnumzana? With what can I help
you, sir?
g _cela amanzi. _omile kakhulu. Can we please have
some water? We are very thirsty.
1 How to say that you (or somebody else) suffer(s) from

something.
2 The Zulu names of some (common) illnesses, such as flu,
measles, mumps, malaria, etc.
3 The Zulu names for some common aches and pains such as
headache, toothache, stomach ache, etc.
4 Common expressions used by doctors and patients.
5 Zulu names for the days of the week.
6 How to address commands to one person or more.
7 The use of the object concord in imperative verbs in Zulu, i.e
verbs that express commands.
8 The use of the interrogative nini? when?
9 The use of the locative prefix ku- with non-human nouns.
Unit 18 Gavin goes to the doctor 2 3I

19
Ukugcwalisa amafomu
Filling in forms

• some questions often found in questionnaires
• how to ask questions beginning with What is ... ?
• how to ask questions beginning with How long have you
been ... ?
different ways to ask someone's age
how to say you have a problem
the form and usage of copulatives expressing (it) is
the form and usage of the enumerative stem -ni? what?
some relationship terms in Zulu
how to ask about people's marital status
ldayalogi
Menzi Zondo is visiting a doctor. As it is her first visit to this doctor
the receptionist (mamukeli) requires certain particulars from her.
00 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
g:: : Mamukeli Ngubani isibongo sakho? •
1- : Menzi NguZondo.
N'
c : Mamukeli Amagama akho aphelele?
~ : Menzi Elinye nguPatience elinye nguMenzi.
! Mamukeli Ithini i-ID namba yakho?
.: Menzi Ithi 5805125082003.
: Mamukeli Ubudala bakho?
Menzi Ngine-36 ubudala.
: Mamukeli Ushadile na?
: Menzi Yebo.
: Mamukeli Lithini ikheli lakho?
: Menzi Lithi PO Box 468 eSikhawini.
: Mamukeli 1-code yakhona?
• Menzi lthi 3887.
: Mamukeli Usebenza kuphi?
: Menzi Ngisebenza eYunivesithini yaKwaZulu.
: Mamukeli Usebenzani lapho?
: Menzi Ngingumabhalane.
.
: Mamukeli
• Menzi
Lithini ikheli lakhona?
Lithi UNIZUL PO Box KwaDiangezwa, 3886.
Mamukeli Yisikhathi esingakanani ukulo msebenzi?
: Menzi Sekuyiminyaka eyisithupha.
: Mamukeli Ngabe uyilunga le-Medical Aid?
: Menzi Yebo.
Mamukeli Lithini igama le-Medical Aid yakho?
Menzi Lithi Profaid Medical Aid.
Mamukeli thini inamba yakho ye-Medical Aid?
Menzi thi 122905.
Mamukeli gama nesibongo sesihlobo sakho noma somngane
wakho?
Menzi NguStanley Vusumuzi Gumede.
Mamukeli Uyini kuwe?
Menzi Ungumfowethu.
Mamukeli kheli lakhe?
Menzi Lithi PO Box 58 Mntunzini.
Mamukeli Ngubani ozokhokha i-akhawundi?
Menzi Yimina.
Mamukeli Sekwanele. Awusayine lapha.
(After Menzi has signed)
Awuhlale phansi. Udokotela uzokubona masinyane.
: Menzi Ngiyabonga.
Unlt19 Fltflngln(orms 233

Ngubani isibongo sakho? What is your surname? (Unit 2)
Amagama akho aphelele Your full names
-phelele be complete
amagama names
Elinye ngu ... elinye ngu ... One (name) is ... the other one is
Ithini ... What is (the number)? (Lit. What does it [i.e. the number] say?)
inamba number
Ithi ... It is ... (Lit. It [i.e. the number] says... )
Ubudala bakho? Your age?
ubudala age
Ushadile na? Are you married?
ikheli lakho your address
ikheli address (< English care of)
1-code yakhona? The (postal) code (of) there?
Usebenza kuphi? Where do you work?!Where are you employed?
eYunivesithini YaKwaZulu at the University of Zululand
Usebenzani lapho? What (kind of) work are you doing there?
a~ Ngingumabhalane I am a clerk
:5 umabhalane a clerk
~ Yisikhathi esingakanani ukulo msebenzi? How long have you been
~
~ doing this work? (Lit. It is how much time that you are in this work?)
::::>
a esingakanani? how much (time)?
-ngakanani? how much?
kulo msebenzi at this work
Sekuyiminyaka eyisithupha It is six years already (Unit 24)
iminyaka years
isithupha six
ngabe perhaps
Uyilunga le-Medical Aid? Are you a member of a Medical Aid?
ilunga member
igama nesibongo sesihlobo name and surname of a relative
isihlobo relative
noma or
somngane wakho of a friend of yours
umngane friend
Uyini kuwe? What (relation) is (s)he to you? (Unit 12)
Ungumfowethu He is my brother
Ngubani ozokhokha i-akhawundi? Who is responsible for settling
the account? (Lit. Who will pay the account?)
234
Yimina I will (Lit. It is me)
Sekwanele (< se-ku-anele) It is sufficient
-khokhapay
Awusayine lapha Please sign here
-sayi na sign
Awuhlale phansi Please sit down
phansi down
masinyane soon
lmibuzo
Phendula imibuzo elandelayo:
o Umamukeli ukhuluma nobani lapha?

b Ngubani isibongo sikaMenzi?
c Ngubani igama lesihlobo sikaMenzi?
d Lithini elinye (another) igama likaMenzi?
e UMenzi uhlala kuphi?
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Questions with -thini? what is ... ?
For questions with what is ••• ? such as What is your name?, What
is your address?, What is your telephone number? or What is the
time?, What is the date? etc. you can use the interrogative verbal
stem -thini? (< -thi say+ ni what) and add to it the appropriate
subject concord referring to the person or thing, you are enquiring
about. For example:
Lithini ikheli lakho eligcwele? What is your full address?

(Lit. It says what your address
that is full.)
Lithini ikheli leposi lakho? What is your postal address?
Lithini ikheli lakho lasekhaya? What is your home address?
Unit 19 Fltflng In forms 2 35

Luthini ulimi lwakho lwasekhaya? What is your home language?
Lithini igama lakho, mfanakithi? What is your name, my boy?
Sithini isikhathi manje? What is (says) the time now?
Ithini inombolo yocingo lwakho? What is your telephone
number?
Ithini inombolo yomazisi wakho? What is your ID number?
(umazisi ID document)
To answer questions such as these you normally begin with -thi

(using the same subject concord as in -thini?) followed by the
required information.
Lithini ikheli lakho leposi? What is your postal address?

Lithi: 99 Mazibuko Street. It is (says) 99 Mazibuko
Street.
Ithini inamba What is your mobile/cell
yomakhalekhukhwini phone number, Maria?
yakho Maria? (mobile/cell phone:
u makhalekhukhwini).
Ithi 361 1883. It is 361 1883.
Sithini isikhathi manje? What is the time now?
Sithi 8.15. It is 8.15.
2 How long have you been ... ?/How long is it that ... ?
To ask questions such as: How long have you been .•. ? or How
long is it that ... ? you start with: Yisikhathi esingakanani (Lit. It
is how much time) followed by a verbal or non-verbal predicate.
When this question is addressed to the second person singular the
following predicate always begins with the subject concord u- of
the second person singular (for the second person plural the subject
concord is ni-). For example:
Yisikhathi esingakanani ulinda How long have you been

lapha? waiting here?
Yisikhathi esingakanani How long have you (pl.) been in
niseNingizimu Afrika? South Africa?
Yisikhathi esingakanani How long have you been in
usesibhedlela? hospital? (See Unit 14 for the
pre-locative's'.)
There are three important things to remember in the verbal or non-

verbal phrases that normally follow on yisikhathi esingakanani?
They are:
Ill> The present tense -ya- is never used in verbs in this

environment, for example, it is incorrect to say Yisikhathi
esingakanani uyasebenza lapho? How long have you been
working there?
Ill> The subject concord of Classes r and raise- and that of
Class 2 is be- in the verb or non-verb that follows after
yisikhathi esingakanani? For example:
Yisikhathi esingakanani emi lapho? How long has she been

standing (-mi) there?
Yisikhathi esingakanani besilindela? How long have they been

waiting for us (-si-) ?
Ill> Verbs (in the present tense) are made negative with -nga- and
end on ani, for example:
Yisikhathi esingakanani ungasebenzi? How long have you not been

working? (i.e. have been unemployed?)
Insight
The esi- in esingakanani is the relative concord of Class 7
(See Unit 21) and is often translated into English by the
pronoun which or that. isikhathi esingakanani? literally
means: time thaUwhich is how much?
Unit 19 Fllflng In forms 2 37

3 Asking someone 's age
There are several ways to ask a person how old (s)he is. Here are
two popular ways to ask this:
Uneminyaka (< u-na-iminyaka) emingaki ubudala? How old are

you? (Lit. You are with years that are how many [-ngaki] old
[ubudala] ?)
Mingaki iminyaka yakho? Lit. How many are the years of you?
In answering this question you can say:
Ngineminyaka engu- (followed by a numeral usually given in

English), for example:
Ngineminyaka engu-3 I (ubudala) I am 3 I years (old)
Some people abbreviate this by saying ngine- followed by a

numeral in English, e.g.
N gine-3 I ubudala. I am 3 I (years) old.
Insight
The emi- in emingaki? and the mi-in mingaki? are adjective
concords. All adjectives in Zulu consist of an adjectival concord
plus an adjectival stem. (See Unit 2I.) The adjectival concord
formally agrees with the second syllable of the class prefix of
the noun it refers to.
You can, of course, also gain this information in a more indirect

way by asking: Wazalwa ngamuphi unyaka? In what year were
you/he/she born (-zalwa)?
For the year of birth you can say: ngonyaka ka- (plus numeral
usually given in English). For instance:
Ngazalwa ngonyaka ka-1985. I was born in 1985.

Wazalwa ngonyaka ka-1991. He/She was born in 1991.
Don't forget to pronounce the subject concord with a long -a as the
verb appears in the remote past tense. (See Unit 14.)
in~~~!~-~~·~:·:~·~:~~·:·::·~:~·::~-~~~:::·;~:=~~~:~·:::~-~~················)
........................................................................................................
which one of its meanings is on. (See also Unit 23.)
4 Further notes on the preposition -na- 'be with'
To say you have something (without owning it) such as I have a

cold, a problem, an idea, etc. you also make use of the preposition
-na-, for example:
Nginenkinga (< ngi-na-inkinga). Ngicela usizo. I have a problem

(inkinga). I ask for assistance please.
Nginomkhuhlane (< ngi-na-umkhuhlane) angikwazi. ukuya

emsebenzi.ni namhlanje. I have a cold. I cannot go to work today.
.....................................................................................................
Insight
In the negative, the negative a- (see Unit 9) is placed
before the word while the associative formative na- be with
(Unit 17) remains unchanged, for example anginakinga
I don't have a problem, anginandaba (< a-ngi-na-ndaba)
I do not care (Lit. I do not have an affair).
5 The form and usage of the identifying

copulative in Zulu
There are four kinds of copulatives in Zulu. They are the

identifying, descriptive, associative and locational copulatives.
The latter two kinds of copulatives have already been dealt with
in Units II, 18 and 19. Of the two remaining kinds of copulatives
we shall only attend to the identifying type at this stage.
The identificative copulative is used when we want to identify

someone or something as in: Joan is a teacher, my brother is
an artist, the lion is a dangerous animal, etc. Identifying copulatives

are complete words in Zulu and can be formed from nouns or
pronouns. A noun can be made copulative by either lowering
the tone on the initial syllable of its class prefix (something
more suitable for high-level students of Zulu) or by prefixing a
copulative formative to its class prefix. Nouns whose class prefix
begins with the vowel u- or a- normally prefix the formative ng(u)-
while those whose prefix starts with ani- usually prefix a y(i)-, for
example:
ngumuntu (< ng-umuntu), yindoda (y-indoda), ngabantwana,

(< ng-abantwana), etc.
Notes on the identifying copulative

.. When the subject noun is present in the sentence the subject
concord that precedes the copulative formative may or may
not be used. For example:
UThemba Ndlovu (u)ngusolwazi Themba Ndlovu is a professor

eYunivesithi YaKwaZulu-Natali. (usolwazi) at the University
of KwaZulu-Natal.
.. U-Ethel Mazibuko noBongi Samba (ba)yizakhamuzi

zaseDube. Ethel Mazibuko and Bongi Sambo are residents
(izakhamuzi) of Dube (township)
The same happens when the subject is a demonstrative pronoun,

for example:
Laba (ba)ngabantu baseZimbabwe. These ones are people from

Zimbabwe.
Lokhu (ku)yinhloli. This is a hedgehog (inhloli).
[ ·····i;;~~~~~·:·~~:·~~~·::~:~::~·~::~:~:~~::·~~·(·:~:·~~~:~~~-i~:~·········
....................................................................................................
Class 17. (See Unit r6.)
The subject concord can, of course, also act as a pronoun when
the subject is not overtly mentioned or in the case of the subject
concords of the first, second and third persons, for example:
Ungumfowethu. He is my brother.
Bangabantwana bakaGcina They are the children of Gcina
Mlotshwa. Mlotshwa.
Ngingutishela, ngifundisa I'm a teacher, I teach moths
imathimathiki esikoleni. (imathimathiki) at school.
SingamaZulu thina. We are Zulu people .
II> The identifying copulative prefixes ng(u)- and yi- can also
function with the indefinite meaning it is, for example:
Ngusuku lokuzalwa kwami It is my birthday (usuku

namhlanje. lokuzalwa) namhlanje .
Yisiko lamaZulu. It is a Zulu custom (isiko).
II> The full form of these prefixes is used when they occur (with
an indefinite meaning) before the absolute pronouns (Unit r2)
and demonstrative pronouns (Unit r6). When they occur
before an absolute pronoun the pronoun usually drops its final
syllable. For example:
Before absolute pronouns
1st p. sing. yimi(na) it is I 1st p. pl. yithi(na)

it is us
2nd p. sing. nguwe(na) it is you 2nd p. pl. yini(na)
it is you
Cl. 1 nguye(na) it is he/him!
she/her
Only yi- is found before the absolute pronouns of the other noun
classes, e.g. yibo(na), yizo(na), yiyo(na), etc.
Before demonstrative pronouns
The demonstrative pronouns take yi- only, e.g.
Unlt19 F/11/ngln(orms 241

yila ba bantu it is these people
yilo muntu it is this person, etc.
Insight
The reason why the copulative prefixes are often given with
their vowel in brackets i.e. ng(u) and y(i)- respectively, is
because their complete form (with the vowel) is restricted to
certain environments and their shortened form (without the
vowel) to others.
5.1 Negative of indefinite identifying copulatives: It isn't ...

One way to say it isn't is to put the negative aku- consisting of
the negative morpheme a- and the indefinite concord of Class 17
ku- before the positive form of the copulative. For example:
Yiqiniso na? Is it the truth? Cha, akuyiqiniso. No, it isn't the truth.
Akuyinkinga yami, yinkinga yakhol It is not my problem, it is your

problem!
Akungumuzi wethu lo. It is not our home this one.
6 The enumerative stem -ni? 'what (kind)?'
There are two interrogative stems with the form -ni in Zulu. One
is the interrogative stem -ni? what? (Unit 6) that is used as a suffix
in verbal stems, e.g. Ufunani? What do you want? The other is the
so-called enumerative stem -ni? what (kind)? which is exclusively
used with nouns and which always takes a class prefix that agrees
in form with the (second syllable of the) class prefix of the noun it
refers to, for example:
yimithi mini leyo? What kind of trees are those?

Ufuna zincwadi zini? What kind of books are you looking for?
The enumerative with -ni? always follows the noun it refers to, as
in the examples above. Such nouns normally discard their class
preprefix, i.e. the initial vowel of their class prefix. In its place can
be inserted either a subject concord referring to the subject of the
sentence as in:
Usizwe (< u-(i)sizwe nation) sini wena? What nationality are you?
Or a copulative prefix ngu- or yi- as in:
Yizilwane zini lezo? What (kind of) animals are those?
When the noun questioned by the enumerative is a noun in

Class 9 the enumerative stem -ni? discards its prefix and usually
attaches itself to this noun, for example:
Nikhuluma ngandabani? (< nga-(i)ndaba- yini) What (matter

indaba) are you talking about?
Inhloboni (< i-nhlobo-yini) imoto yakho? What kind (inhlobo) of

car do you drive? (Lit. It is [of] what kind your car?)
When a noun questioned by the enumerative -ni? appears in object

position (i.e. the position following a verb) nothing is normally inserted
in the place of its elided preprefix (see the first example above).
7 Relationship terms in Zulu
To find out how people are related by blood or otherwise to

one another you can use the noun isihlobo blood relation + the
(enumerative) stem -ni? what? and apply the rules given above
concerning the use of the enumerative stem -ni? For example:
Usihlobo sini nawe(na)? What relation (isihlobo) is he/she to

you?/How is he/she related to you?
Usihlobo sini naye(na)? What relation are you to himlher?!How
are you related to him/her?
Usihlobo sini nabo(na)? What relation are you to them?!How are
you related to them?

Or you can ask this in a more neutral way by saying:
Uyini kuwe? What (relation) is he/she to you?!How is he/she related

to you?
Insight
The part that appears with na- and ku- in the examples above
is the abbreviated form of the absolute pronouns (Unit 12).
These pronouns normally discard their final syllable -na when
preceded by formatives, like the associative formative na-
(Unit 17) and the locative formative ku- (Unit II).
This question can be answered by putting ung(u)- he/she is in front

of the relationship term when it starts on an u- and uy(i)-when it
starts on ani-, for example:
Usihlobo sini nawe? Ungudadewethu

(< udadewethu).
What relation is she to you? She is my sister (udadewethu).
Uyini kuwe? Uyindoda yami.
What (relation) is he to you? He is my husband (indoda).
The following are a few relationship terms in Zulu:
umfowethu my brother
udadewethu my sister
umfowabo his brother
udadewabo his sister
umalume my maternal uncle
ubabakazi my paternal uncle
umshana wami my niece/nephew
umyeniwami my husband
umntanami my child
isithandwa sami my sweetheart
intombi yami my girlfriend
isoka lami my boyfriend
244
8 Marital status
There are several verbal stems in Zulu that signify marry. Here are
some of them:
-shad a marry by Christian or civil rites

-ga na/-gcagca/-enda marry by traditional rites
-thatha (umfazi) take (a wife)
An important feature of verbal stems that signify traditional

marriage is that they must be used with the passive verbal
extension -wa (see Unit 24) when they signify the marriage of a
male person and in their basic form (as above) when they signify
the marriage of a female person. In other words, in Zulu culture
a woman marries a man but a man is married by a woman.
All these verbs normally take the stative ending -ile (or -iwe in
the passive) when signifying a current or present state; -e or -we
when signifying a immediate past tense action; and -a or -wa when
signifying a remote past tense action (see Unit 24). Consider the
following examples:
Ulizzie uganiwe na? Is Lizzie married?

Yebo, uganiwe nguPatrick Yes, she is married to Patrik
Hlahla. Hlahla.
Ulizzie uganwe ngubani? Whom did Lizzie marry?
Uganwe nguPatrick Hlahla. She married Patrick Hlahla.
UPatrick waganwa nini? When did Patrick get married?
The verb stem -shruia can be used for both males and females, for
example:
Ushadile na SamueVSophie? Are you married, Samuel/Sophie?
To which the answer can be:
Yebo, ngishadile. Yes I'm married. or: Cha, angishadile. No, I'm
not married.

To find out the marital status of someone in a questionnaire for
instance, you can ask:
Marital status: Okuganana/Okuphathelene nomshado
To which the answer can be any of the following (according to

gender):
-ngaganiwe/-ngashadile unmarried (male)

-ngaganile/-ngashadile unmarried (female)
-ganiwe/-shadile married (male)
-ganile/-shadile married (female)
Umsebenzi
1 To gain admission to a Technicon, students are required to

complete an application form. The administration of the
institution has decided that the questionnaire should also
appear in Zulu and you are given the task of translating into
Zulu the following questions that appear in the English text:
a Full name and surname _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
b IDnumber ________________
c Age _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____
d Date of birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
e Nationality _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____
f Marital status _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
g Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
h Telephone number _______________
Person responsible for (settling) the account
j Home language ________________

k Signature _________________
Fill in the Zulu translation in the spaces provided above.

2 As a nursery school teacher you want to teach your class the
names of some animals. You show them pictures and drawings
of animals and then tell them what each animal is called. How
would you do this with each of the following animals? Start
each sentence with: This is ... (Lokhu ngu- (or wu-) .• ./
Lokhu yi. •••
a elephant (indlovu)
b lion (ibhubesi)
c black rhinoceros (ubhejane)
d white rhinoceros (umkhombe)
e buffalo (inyathi)
f tortoise (ufudu)
g eagle (ukhozi)
h leopard (ingwe)
i cheetah (ingulule).
3 By using the interrogative verb stem -thini? ask the following

questions:
a What's your name?
b What's your ID number?
c What's your full home address?
d What's your mobile/cell phone number?
4 How do you ask someone:

a How old he is
b When (in what year) he was born
c How long he has been married (usushadile)?
5 Ask Felicity how long she has been:

a ill
b in hospital
c doing this work (-enza lo msebenzi)
d looking after (-bheka) her grandmother (ugogo)?
6 How do you tell your friend:

a This (person) is your sister
b This (person) is your husband (umyeni)

c This (person) is your girlfriend
d This (person) is your boyfriend (isoka)?

a It is a problem.
b Is there a problem?
1 How to use the expression isikhathi esingakanani?

2 How to ask someone's age and how to answer this question.
3 How to ask in what year someone was born and the possible
answer to this question.
4 How to use the preposition -na- be with in a positive and
negative sense.
5 How to use the copulative prefixes ng(u)- and y(i)- before
nouns and pronouns when identifying persons and things.
6 The rules regarding the use of the enumerative -ni? what
(kind)?
7 How to ask how people are related by means of the noun
isihlobo.
8 The terms used for different family relations.
9 How to find out people's marital status in questionnaires.
20
Ukubukeza
Revision
1 Imagine you are an employee at the firm Carlton Furnishers.
You receive a telephone call from someone who wants to
speak to the manager (imenenja). You begin by first o stating
the name of your firm and then proceed to ask the caller
b who is speaking. She says that c she is Velaphi. You ask
d Velaphi who? and she says Velaphi Nkosi. You ask e whether
you can help her. f she asks (politely) to speak to the manager.
You inform her that g the manager is unfortunately not
available (=not there/not in) at the momemt (okwamanje).
She asks h when he will be back and you say that i you
don't know. You request her j to please phone again (futhi)
tomorrow (kusasa).
Write a suitable dialogue based on the details given above.
~ C02, TR9
2 Your name is Terence Anderson. You are at home.

The telephone rings and you answer it. How do you:
o say that it is your residence.
b ask the caller who is speaking.
c say who you are.
d ask the caller who he/she wants to talk to.
e tell the caller he/she has dialled the wrong number?
Unit 20 Revision 24 9
o Let us pray.
b Please pass me the butter (ibhotda).
c Everything is fine.
d I don't have a car.
e I have a bicycle (ibhayisikili).
f My dad doesn't have a lot of money (imali eningi).
4 Provide the missing possessive concord:

o izifiselo _mi my best wishes
b izilokho ezinhle _mama my mother's best wishes
c isifo _mntwana the child's illness
d amazinyo _ndlovu ivory (teeth of an elephant)
e amasiko _thu our customs
f a bantu _sedolobheni town/city people (people of/in
the town/city)
g izincwadi _kushayela driver's licence (Lit. books to drive)
h ingozi _mgwaqo road accident
imvume _khe her permission
j amalungelo _besifazane women's rights.
5 You are feeling out of sorts and have decided to see your
doctor. He asks you the questions below.
5.1 Say what the doctor is asking you and then answer him
appropriately in Zulu by using the words given in brackets.
o Uzizwa unjani? (kabi bad)
b Uphethwe yini? (ikhanda)
c Kubuhlungu na? (yebo)
d Uzizwa ushisa umzimba na? (yebo)
e Ukhwehlela kakhulu na? (kancane)
f Uqale nini ukugula? (ngeSonto eledlule last Sunday).
5.2 The doctor then tells you that:

o Ngibona ukuthi uphethwe yimfuluwenza
b Ungayi emsebenzini
c Ulale izinsuku ezintathu
d Ngizokukunqumela umuthi
e Ngifuna ukukubona futhi ngoLwesithathu.
What did he tell you?
6 How will you command the people indicated in brackets

below to do the following:
a come (-za) here (uNomacala)
b keep quiet (abantwana)!
c close the door (umnyango) (uLindiwe)
d switch off the lights (izibane) (uMenzi)
e hurry up (=shesha) (amadoda)
7 You have applied for a loan. You are requested to supply the
following information:
a Ikheli lakho:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
b Inamba yocingo lwasekhaya:._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
c Inamba yocingo lwasemsebenzini: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
d Yisikhathi esingakanani usebenza lapho?_ _ _ _ __
e Uhola (earn) malini ngonyaka?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
f Uneminyaka emingaki ubudala?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
g Okuphathelene nomshado_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Say what information each of the items listed above requires

from you.
.0 C02, TR 9, 01:38
8 By using the interrogative -thini? how will you ask someone:

a what his/her address is
b what his/her telephone number is
c what his/her name and surname is
d what the time is
e what the date is (idethi) today?
Unit 20 Revision 2 5I
21
Ukubhuka indawo yokuhlala
ehhotela
Making a hotel reservation

• how to make a hotel reservation
• how to say from to
• how to ask questions with how many?
• about numerals in Zulu and how to use them
• about the formation and usage of adjectives in Zulu
• how to form strong negatives with nouns
ldayalogi
Simon Hlongwane and his family plan to spend their next holiday
in Durban. In the past they have always rented a holiday flat. This
time, however, they have decided to stay in a hotel. As advance
booking is essential during high season, Simon has decided to
telephone a hotel and make his booking in good time. He speaks
to the hotel's receptionist (mamukeli).
....
0 ..................................................................
a= : Simon Sawubona rnnumzana, ngithanda ukubhuka indawo
1-
N"· yokuhlala.
c : Mamukeli Uyidinga nini?
u •
•
252
.: Simon Ngifuna indawo kusuka kumhla ka-10 kuya kumhla
. ka-21 kuDisemba .
! Mamukeli Ubhukela abantu abangaki?
! Simon Sibathathu, yimina, nenkosikazi yami nomntwana.
.
: Mamukeli Ufuna ikamelo elihlalisa ababili nekamelo elihlalisa
oyedwa.
! Simon Cha, sifuna ikamelo elihlalisa ababili.
! Mamukeli Uneminyaka emingaki umntanakho?
...
: Simon Uneminyaka emihlanu. Singathanda uma ehlala
kanye nathi .
: Mamukeli Kulungile, akunkinga. Awubambe kancane
ngizokutshela masinyane uma kunendawo.
! Simon Ngiyabonga.
...
: Mamukeli Ngiyaxolisa, sesigcwele ngomhla ka-1 0 no-11 kodwa
kusuka kumhla ka-12 indawo izoba khona .
! Simon Ngiyajabula. Yimalini ngosuku?
! Mamukeli Ikamelo yi-R250 ngosuku lapho nihlalisana.
! Simon Le mali ihlangene nemali yebhulakufesi?
! Mamukeli Yebo.
! Simon Kulungile, ngizoyithatha.
! Mamukeli Kulungile. Usithumele idiphozithi elingu-R300.
: Simon Kulungile.
Ukubhuka to book (to reserve)

indawo yokuhlala a place to stay, accommodation
indawo place
Uyidinga (• u-yi-dinga) nini? When do you need it (the place)?
(Lit. You it [the place] need when?)
-dinga need
nini? when?
kusuka kumhla ka-10 from the 10th
kuya kumhla ka-21 to the 21st
kuDisemba in December
-bhukela book for
abantu abangaki? how many people?
-ngaki? how many?
Sibathathu We are three (people)
Unit 21 Making a hotel reservation 253

yimina It is myself
inkosikazi yami my wife
nomntwana and a child
ikamelo elihlalisa ababili Lit. a room that lets stay two (people),
i.e. a double room
ikamelo room
elihlalisa that lets stay, i.e. accommodates
ababili two (people)
ikamelo elihlalisa oyedwa a room accommodating
only one (person)
oyedwa only one (person)
Uneminyaka emingaki? (Lit. He/She is with years that are how
many?) How old is he/she (the child)?
umntanakho your child
Uneminyaka emihlanu (Lit. He/She is with years that are five.)
He/She is five years (old)
uma ehlala kanye nathi if he/she stays with us
uma if
kanye together
nathi(na) with us
akunkinga there is no problem
Awubambe kancane Please hold on a moment
ngizokutshela I will tell you
masinyane soon, quickly
uma kunendawo if there is a place, i.e. accommodation
Ngiyaxolisa I am sorry
sesigcwele ngomhla ka-1 0 no-11 we are already full (i.e. fully
booked) on the 10th and 11th
-gcwele be full
ngomhla ka- on the day of
indawo izoba khona (Lit. place will be there, i.e. there will be room
izoba it (the place) will be
khona there
Ngiyajabula I am glad
Yimalini ngosuku? What is the price per day?
lkamelo yi-R250 ngosuku The room is R250 per day
ngosuku per day
lapho if
254
nlhlallsanayou (pl.) staying together, I.e. sharing
-hlallsana stay together
le mall this money
lhlangene it includes
lmall yebhulakufesl? money (of=) for breakfast?
nglzoylthathai will take it
Uslthumele You must send us
ldlphozlthl ellngu-R300 a deposit of R300 (Lit. a deposit that
is R300)
--- ---
95c
Unit 21 Making a hotel reservation 2 55

Imibuzo

a USimon nomuzi wakhe (his family) bafuna ukuchitha
(spend) kuphi iholide (holiday) labo?
b USimon ufuna ikamelo elihlalisa abantu abangaki?
c Ikamelo yimalini ngosuku?
d Umntwana kaSimon uneminyaka emingaki ubudala?
e USimon uthanda ukubhuka indawo yokuhlala kusuka
nini kufikela nini?
f Imali yekamelo ihlangene nemali yani? (of what?)
g Bafuna idiphozithi lamalini?
. . in~~~ti~·~:·~::::·~·~·~~·~~:·~~~·~~:~:~~·~::~::~·:~·~;~~~·~·::~:·. ·
[....................................................................................................
the possessor is a noun in Class Ia. (See Unit 18.)
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 From to
To say this in Zulu you say: Kusukela (or kusuka) from ... kuya
to ... , for example:
.. If it is a date, you add kumhla ka- (plus day of month), e.g.
Kusukela kumhla ka-s kuya From the 5th to the 8th.

kumhla ka-8.
If you want to mention the month you add ku- to the name of the
month, e.g.
Kusukela kumhla ka-1-4 ku-Apreli From 14th April to 18th May

kuya kumhla ka-18 ku-Meyi
.,. If it is time you say kusukela ku- (plus time in English)
kuya ku- (plus time), e.g.
Kusukela ku-8 a.m. kuya ku-2 p.m. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m .
.,. If it is numbers, you say kusukela ku- (plus number) kuya ku-
(plus number), e.g.
Kusukela ku-50 kuya ku-60 From 50 to 60

Kusukela ku-R10,000 kuya ku- R20,000 From R10,000 to R20tJOO
.,. If it is page numbers in, for instance, a book, you add ekhasini
(< ikhasi page) after both kusukda and kuya, e.g.
Funda kusukela ekhasini 50 kuya Read from page 50

ekhasini 80. to page 80 .
.,. If it is days of the week you say kusukda (plus day of the week
beginning with ngo- or nge-) kuze kube (until/to) (plus day of
the week) e.g.
Kusukela ngoMsombuluko kuze From Monday until Friday.

kube ngolwesihlanu
Kusukela ngeSonto kuze kube From Sunday to Wednesday
ngolwesithathu
.,. To ask distances between places (see also Unit II) you can say:
Kungamakhilomitha amangaki kusukela (+place name) kuya

(+place name), e.g.
Kungamakhilomitha amangaki kusukela eGoli kuya e-Kruger

National Park? How far is it from johannesburg to the Kruger
National Park?
To answer this question one can say:
Kungu-350. It is 350.
or:
Kungamakhilomitha angu-350. It is 3 50 kilometres. (Lit. It is
kilometres that are 350.)

2 Adjectives
Adjectives are words that tell us something about the quality of

a person or a thing. Stated differently, adjectives are words that
qualify other words, especially nouns. For example in: a big apple,
a wicked man, a beautiful girl.
An important difference between adjectives in English and their

counterparts in Zulu is that in English, adjectives normally occur
before the noun they describe (a small child, a big dog) while
in Zulu they always occur after the noun they describe. This is
because in Zulu we cannot say the big apple, a beautiful girl etc.;
we say the apple that is big ihhabhula elikhulu or the girl who
is beautiful intombi enhle, etc. This is also where the adjectival
concords come in because it is the function of these concords which
form an essential part of all adjectives to express concepts like that,
which and who.
Apart from a concord, an adjective also consists of a stem. There

are only a few adjectival stems in Zulu, so it might be useful to
memorize these stems as they are all used frequently. Note that
several of the adjectival stems form contrasting pairs, e.g. big/small;
beautifuVugly. Note also that four numerals occur as adjectival
stems. In total there are 15 adjectival stems in Zulu. The reason
why they form a grammatical category on their own is because of
the unique way in which their concords are formed. (See below.)
Adjectival stems
-hie good, beautiful- bi bad, ugly, evil

-de long, tall, high -fishane short
-khulu big, large -ncane small, few, young
-dala old -sha new, young
-ngaki? how many? -ningi many
-bili two -thathu three
-ne four -hlanu five
-nye other, another
The form of the adjectival concord is identical to that of the class
prefix of the noun the adjective describes except for the difference
in the form of their initial vowels. This difference can be explained
as follows:
a When the initial vowel of the class prefix is u-, the initial
vowel of the adjectival concord is o-, for example:
umfana omkhulu a big boy
ubuhlalu obuhle beautiful beads
ukudla okubi bad food
b When the initial vowel of the class prefix is i-, the initial vowel
of the adjectival concord is e-, for example:
intombi enhle a beautiful girl
izinto ezimbili two things
isikole esikhulu a big/large school
c However, when the initial vowel of the class prefix is a-, the
initial vowel of the adjectival concord is also a-, for example:
abantu abaningi many people
amadoda amathathu three men
in~~~~~~:~~~:~·;:~~:::~·~;·~::~~:~·~·:·~:·~·~·~·~·~~·:=~~ ~:;~·:~···········)
mono-syllabic adjectival stems (e.g. omuhle) and om- before
.
.....................................................................................................
multi-syllabic adjectival stems (e.g. omkhulu) .
For the sake of comparison the adjectival concords are listed in the
table below together with the noun class prefixes from which they
have been derived.
Noun class prefix Adjectival concord
Class 1 um(u)- om(u)-

Class 1a u- om(u)-
Class 2 aba- aba-
Class 2a 0· aba-
Class 3 um(u)- om(u)-
(Contd)
Unit 21 Making a hotel reseiVatton 2 59

Noun class prefix Adjectival concord
Class 4 imi- emi-

Class 5 i(li)- eli-
Class 6 am a- a rna-
Class 7 isi- esi-
Class8 izi- ezin-
Class 9 in- en-
Class 10 izin- ezin-
Class 11 u(lu)- olu-
Class 14 u(bu)- obu-
Class 15 uku- oku-
Note that:
o Classes I a and 2a take the same adjectival concords as Classes I

and 2 and Class 8 takes the same adjectival concord as Class Io.
b The adjectival concords of Classes 5, I I and I4 are derived
from the basic class prefix of these noun classes.
c When the adjectival concords of Classes 8, 9 and IO are
prefixed to the stems. -fishane and -hi, their nasal n > m, i.e.
ezin- > ezim-, en- > em-.
Test yourself:
See whether you can supply the missing adjectival concord in each
of the following examples. Don't forget to note the form of the
noun class prefix. If in doubt, consult the table above.
U(lu) suku __ hlel (Have) a nice day!

Sinabantwana __ bili. We have two children.
Uneminyaka _hlanu. She is five years old.
Kubiza amarandi _hlanu. It costs 5 Rands (R5).
Sicela izinkomishi zetiye __tathu. We would like three cups
of tea, please.
Sifuna i(li)kamelo __khulu. We want a big room.
Kungamakhilomitha __ ngaki? How many kilometres is it?
Ukhuluma isiZulu __ hie! You speak Zulu beautifully!
260
Ungumuntu __hle Stephen. You are a good person, Stephen.
Asifuni ukudla _ningi. We don't want much food.
2.1. Adjectives used predicatively

The only difference in Zulu between expressions such as an old
man and the man is old, a beautiful girl and the girl is beautiful
lies in the form of the adjectival concord. When you want to
say someone/something is old, is ugly, is beautiful, is small (the
predicative usage of adjectives), you simply omit the initial vowel
of the adjectival concord except for Class 9 where the full form
of the noun class prefix is used. (The adjectival concord without
its initial vowel rna y conveniently be referred to as the predicative
form of the adjectival concord, and adjectives with such a concord
as predicative adjectives.) For example:
Class r: umfazi an old umfazi the woman

omdala woman mdala is old
Class 2: a bantu many a bantu the people are
abaningi people baningi many
Class 6: amaqanda five eggs amaqanda the eggs are five
amahlanu mahlanu
Classy: isitolo a large isitolo the shop
esikhulu shop sikhulu is large
Class 9: indlu a large indlu the house is
enkulu house inkulu large
Class ro: izingane how many izingane the children
ezingaki? children? zingaki? are how many?
(how many are
the children?)
2.1.1 Negative of predicative adjectives

Predicative adjectives are made negative by prefixing a negative subject
concord (Unit 9) to the positive form of the adjective, for example:
Class ra: mdala lo marne he/she is old > akamdala he/she is not old
Class 2: baningi a bantu the people are many> ababaningi they are
not many
Unit 21 Making a hotel reservation 2 6I

Class 5: libi ihhashi lakhe his horse is ugly > alilibi it is not ugly
Class 9: inhle intombazane the girl is beautiful > ayiyinhle she is
not beautiful
[ ·····i;;~~i~-=~:::::·:::j·::·~:::·::·~=:~::~·;:~·~::~~l~············
.....................................................................................................
occur after predicative adjectives, as in the examples above .
3 How many?
To ask how many of something, you put the predicative form of

the adjectival concord of the noun concerned before the adjectival
stem -ngaki? how many? For example:
Zingaki izinsuku ku-Oktoba? How many days are in October?

Bangaki abafundi ekilasini? How many students/learners are
in the class?
Mangaki amawindi ephukile? How many windows are broken
(-ephukile)?
[ ·····i;;~~:~~~~~·:::·~·:~·::~·-~:;~=:~-~~·=::~::·~·;·~~~·~:~·~·~·::·::~····
ro is elided before adjectival stems that begin with ann, e.g.
....................................................................................................
ezin-ngaki? > ezingaki?
To say how many there are of something you put the subject
concord plus ngu- before the English numeral if it is more than six.
(See below.) For example:
(abafundi) Bangu-45. They (the students) are 45./There are 45

(students).
(izinsuku) Zingu-3 r. They (the days) are 3 I./There are 3I (days).
If the number is five or less you use the predicative form of the
adjectival prefix of the noun concerned (see above) and prefix to it
the adjectival numeral stem, for instance:
(Mangaki amawindi?) Mathathu. They (the windows) are three./
There are three (windows).
3.1 How many are you?

To ask this, you say Nibangaki? If the answer is any number from
2 to 5, you say siba- plus the appropriate numeral adjective stem.
For example:
Sibabili. We are two (people).

Sibathathu. We are three (people).
When you are more than five, you may say singu- we are plus a
numeral (in English). For example:
Singu-Io, Singu-12, etc.
To say: It is only I or It is only myself, you say: Yimina kuphela.
4 Numerals
4.1 The numeral1

The numeral one is expressed by means of the stem -nye one. To
say, for example, one person, one dozen, one day, etc. you delete
the initial vowel of the accompanying noun and add the second
part of its class prefix to -nye. For example:
(u)muntu munye one person, e.g. Kwafa muntu munye engozini.

One person died (-fa) in the accident.
(i)lidazini linye one dozen, e.g. Ngifuna dazini linye. I want one dozen.
(u)lusuku lunye one day, e.g. Sahlala suku lunye kuphela. We

stayed one day only.
The Class 9 prefix, however, is i(n)- when combining with -nye, for
example:
(i)nkomishi inye one cup, e.g. Ngicela nkomishi inye yetiye. Can I
have one cup of tea please.

4.2 Numerals from six upwards
The numerals from 6 to IO are ordinary nouns in Zulu. They are:
isithupha six
isikhombisa seven
isishiyangalombili eight (Lit. leave two fingers [of the ten] behind)
isishiyangalolunye nine (Lit. leave one finger [of the ten] behind)
ishumi ten
The Zulu way of counting is from left to right, i.e. you begin
counting from the little finger on the left hand (one) and proceed
until you have reached the little finger on the right hand (ten).
This explains the word for seven which is derived from the verb
ukukhombisa to point and implies the forefinger. It also explains
the numerals for eight and nine. Eight implies that only two fingers
(on the right hand) remain after all the others have been taken
away while in the case of nine only one finger remains.
The traditional way of counting from I I to I 9 is equivalent to

the English: ten and one (I I) ten and two ( 12 ), ten and three (I 3),
etc. For 20 to 29: tens that are two (2o), tens that are two and one
(2I), tens that are two and two (22), etc. For 30 to 39: tens that are
three (3o ), tens that are three and one (3 I), tens that are three and
two (32), etc. The same pattern is also followed from a hundred
(ikhulu) onwards.
Here are a few examples of Zulu numerals:
ishumi 10 ishumi nesikhombisa 17

isihumi nanye 11 amashumi amabili 20
ishumi nambili 12 amashumi amabili nanye 21
ishumi nantathu 13 amashumi amathathu
ishumi nane 14 nesishiyagalombili 38
ishumi nanhlanu 15 amashumi amane
ishumi nesithupha 16 nesishiyagalolunye 49
Note: from 2o-99 amashumi ('tens') is used since these numerals

include more than a single 'ten' (ishumi).
Because the traditional way of counting in Zulu is obviously very
long and cumbersome, many speakers prefer to use the English
equivalents for the Zulu numerals from 6 upwards. Such numerals
must, however, be preceded by the following structure:
relative concord (see Unit 22) + ngu- +numeral, for instance:
Class 2: abangu-, e.g. Baqashe abantu abangu-r2. They hired

(-qashe) I2 people.
Class 6: angu-, e.g. Ngikhokhe amarandi angu-roo. I paid
(-khokhe) RIOo.
Class ro: ezingu-, e.g. Ngisebenze izinsuku ezingu-8. I worked
for 8 days.
4.3 Counting from 0 to 10 in Zulu

iqanda nought, kunye one, kubili two, kuthathu three, kune four,
kuhlanu five, isithupha six, isikhombisa seven, isishiyagalombili
eight, isishiyagalolunye nine, ishumi ten.
Try to memorize these numerals. You are bound to impress most

Zulu mother-tongue speakers if you are able to count from o to ro
in their language.
5 Strong negatives with nouns
When you want to say in Zulu that you are no such person or that
something is no such thing you use the negative morpheme a- plus
the subject concord and insert it in the place of the preprefix (initial
vowel) of the noun referring to the person or thing with whom or
with which the comparison is made. In English this construction
is normally translated as I am/he/she is/we are no ... or it is no ... ,
etc. For example:
Angisithutha (< isithutha) uyazi! I'm no fool, you know!
AsimaShangane ( < amaShangane) thina. SingamaZulu thina.

We are no Shangaans (an African tribe). We are Zulus.

Ungakhathazeki. Akunk.inga (< inkinga) Don't worry. It is no
problem (inkinga).
IsiZulu asinsangu (< insangu), asibhenywa. Zulu is no language

to be played with, i.e. Zulu is not an easy language (to learn).
(Lit. The Zulu language is no marijuana, it is not smoked.)
Umsebenzi
1 You and your family are planning to spend a holiday on the

North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. As you prefer to stay in a
hotel and early reservation is essential, you telephone a hotel
to enquire about accommodation.
The receptionist (mamukeli) who answers your call says that a it is

the Elangeni Hotel (see Unit 16) and asks whether b she can help
you. You say that c you want to make a reservation and she tells
you d to hang on a moment, e she will put you through to (see Unit 16)
Reservations (kwabaseReservations). The person answering says:
f 'Reservations (e-Reservations) here, Sally speaking' (Unit 16).
You tell her that g you would like to make a reservation h from
the 3rd to the 12th of July (uJulayi). Sally wants to know i how
many you are and you reply that j you are four (people). Sally
asks k how many rooms you want and you reply that I you want
two rooms. You ask m what the price per day is (it is how much
money per day) and she says that nit is R5oo per day sharing (uma
nihlalisana). (Lit. if you stay together).
Use the above information to create a suitable dialogue between

you, the receptionist and Sally.
2 How do you say the following in Zulu:

a 2 eggs e 5 people
b 1 egg f 1 person
c 3 chairs (izihlalo) g 2 Rand
d 1 chair h 1 Rand
266
3 Rand k 5 Rand
j 4 Rand I 15 Rand
3 Ask Vusi how many of the following he needs (wants):

a glasses i.zingilazi
b knives imimese
c spoons izipunu
d dishes amapuleti
e tickets amathikithi
f people
4 Fill in the appropriate adjectival concord so that the meaning

of each sentence corresponds with its (literal) translation given
in English.
a _ngaki abantwana esikoleni? How many are the children
in the school?
b _ngaki amadamu epulazini? How many are the dams on
the farm?
c _ngaki izinyanga onyakeni? How many are the months
(izinyanga) in a year (unyaka)?
d _ngaki izinsuku evikini? How many are the days in a
week?
e _ngaki izinkomishi etafuleni? How many are the cups on
the table?
f _ngaki amaviki enyangeni? How many are the weeks in
a month (inyanga)?
Note that the above way of speaking is common in Zulu.
5 Answer the questions in (4) above by providing the proper

adjectival or subjectival concord in the sentences below:
a _ne amaviki enyangeni. (They are four the weeks in a
month.)
b _yisikhombisa izinsuku evikini. (They are seven the days
in a week.)
c _yishumi nambili izinyanga onyakeni. (They are twelve
the months in a year.)
d _ngamashumi amabili nane amahora osukwini. (They
are twenty-four the hours in a day.)

6 Provide the missing (predicative) adjectival concord in each of
the followinl!: sentences:
a UMavis _hle kakhulu. Mavis is very pretty.
b IsiZulu _hle kakhulu. Zulu is very beautiful.
c imoto yami _dala kakhulu. My car is very old.
d Onke la mawolintshi All these oranges
(oranges) _bi. are bad.
e Lo muntu _dala kakhulu. This person is very old.
7 Describe the nouns below by providing the missing adjectival

concord: For example: umuntu _dala = umuntu omdala an
old person
a a bantu _bill f indawo _ncane
b umuntu _khulu g umuthi (tree) _de
c imali _ningi h isilwane (animal) _hle
d ikati _ncane ukudla _bi
e intombi _hle j amantombazane _thathu
8 Count in Zulu: one, two, three, four, five six, seven, eight,
nine, ten.
9 Say in Zulu:
a From 9 (a.m. = ekuseni) to 5 (p.m. = ntambama)
b From page 25 to page 50
c From the I2th to the I sth of March (uMashi)
d From Monday to Saturday
e Our teacher (uthishela) is no fool (isilima)
f I'm no stranger (umfokazi) here.
10 Give the opposite of each of the following adjectives by using

the appropriate adjective stem:
a umuntu omuhle
b inja enkulu
c indaba (story) ende
d a bantu abadala.
268
1 How to use the Zulu construction from ... to ... with reference
to time, dates, days of the week, numbers and distances
between places.
2 How the adjectival concords in Zulu are formed.
3 All the adjectival stems in Zulu and their meaning.
4 The difference between the use of adjectives in Zulu and that
of their counterparts in English.
5 The positive and negative form of predicative adjectives.
6 The formation and use of the adjectival numerals 2 to 5
in Zulu.
7 The elision of the preprefix of nouns when used with the
numeral-nye one.
8 How to count from 1 to 10 in Zulu.
9 How the numerals 6 and above are formed and used in Zulu.
10 How to form strong negatives from nouns in Zulu.

22
Esitolo sefenisha
In the furniture store

• Some expressions you can use when buying household
appliances
how to use the conjunctives uma if/when and lapho when
how to use the interrogative bani? what?/who?
how to say there is/are in Zulu
about the so-called relatives in Zulu
ldayalogi
Celani Mthethwa and his wife Sarah are interested in buying a new
refrigerator. They visit one of their local discount stores and talk to
one of the salesmen (mthengisi) in the household appliance section.
~ ............................................................... .
.- : Mthengisi Nginganisiza ngani?
~ : Celani Sicela ukubona arnafriji.
S ~ Mthengisi Wozani ngizonikhombisa amafriji esinawo
u (In the domestic appliances department)
• .
: Celani
Nanka. Nifuna sayizi bani?
Sifuna usayizi ongaka (pointing to a fridge).
: Mthengisi Kulungile. Linjani leli?
: Sarah Usayizi ulungile kodwa angithandi umbala walo.
: Mthengisi Ufuna elimbala muni?
270
.
: Sarah Ngithanda elinombala omhloshana.
: Mthengisi Siyaxolisa nkosikazi, okwamanje asinalo (ifriji)
elinombala onjalo. Kodwa akunkinga, sizoli-oda
• efektrini.
! Celani Lizofika nini?
! Mthengisi Ngiqinisile ukuthi leli viki elizayo lizofika.
: Celani Singakhokha ngamancozuncozu noma sithenge
: ngokheshe?
: Mthengisi Kokubili, kodwa uma ukhokha ngamancozuncozu
sizofaka inzalo.
! Celani Sithola isephulelo uma sithenga ngokheshe?
! Mthengisi Yebo, sizonephulela u-1 0%.
! Celani Niyadiliva na?
! Mthengisi Yebo kodwa lokhu kufuna enye imali.
! Sarah Linegaranti?
! Mthengisi Yebo, nkosikazi. Linalo.
! Celani Liyisikhathi esingakanani?
! Mthengisi Lingunyaka.
: Celani Siyabonga.
...............................................................
Nginganisiza ngani? With what can I help you? (pl.)

Sicela ukubona amafriji Can we see the refrigerators (amafriji)
please
Wozani Come (pl.) (See Commands in Unit 23)
Ngizonikhombisa I will show you (pl.)
amafriji esinawo the refrigerators that we have
Nanka Here they are
Nifuna sayizi bani? What size do you want?
usayisi ongaka? a size like this (one)
-ngaka as big as this
Linjani leli? How is this one?
-njani how? (Relative stem. See this unit)
umbala walo the colour of it
umbala colour
elimbala muni? one that is of which colour?
elinombala omhloshana one that is off-white (Lit. one that is
slightly white)
Unit 22 In the furniture store 27I

-mhloshana (< -mhlophe white) off-white (slightly white)
Siyaxolisa We are sorry/we regret
okwamanje as for now, at present
asinalo we do not have one (a refrigerator)
elinombala onjalo one (refrigerator) that is of that colour
njalo like that
kodwa but
akunkinga it's no problem
sizoli-oda we will order it
efektrini from the factory
Lizofika nini? When will it come(= be here)?
Ngiqinisile I'm certain
ukuthi that
leli viki elizayo this coming week
iviki week
elizayo that comes
-za come
Singakhokha ngamancozuncozu? Can we pay in instalments?
-khokhapay
ngamancozuncozu by way of instalments (amancozuncozu parts)
noma or
sithenge should we pay (see Unit 18)
ngokheshe (< nga-ukheshe) with cash
u kheshe cash
koku bi li both
sizofaka we will include
inzalo interest
Sithola Do we get
isephulelo a discount
umaif
sizonephulela (si-zo-n[i]-ephulela) we will give you (pl.) a discount
-ephulela give a discount
Niyadiliva? (from English deliver) Do you deliver?
lokho kufuna enye imali (Lit. that seeks other money) that is
extra (money)
Linegaranti (Li-na-igaranti) Does it have a guarantee? (from English
guarantee; note the alternative pronunciation of this word: igalanti
(i-ga-lan-tee)linalo it (the refrigerator) has one (guarantee)
272
Liyisikhathi esingakanani? (Lit. it is time that is how much?)
How long is it (the guarantee)?
-ngakanani? how long? (Relative stem. See this unit)
Lingunyaka It (the guarantee) is (for) a year
unyakayear
Imibuzo
o UCelani noSarah bafuna ukuthengani?

b USarah uthanda ifriji elimbala muni?
c lgalanti lefriji liyisikhathi esingakanani?
d Bayoli-oda kuphi ifriji?
e Umthengisi uthe (said) lizofika nini ifriji?
f UCelani uzotholani uma ethenga ngokheshe?
.....................................................................................................
Insight
-ni? what (kind?) in the phrase elim(u)bala muni? is the
enumerative stem and must always take the same prefix as
the noun it qualifies (-mu- in this example). This noun always
discards its preprefix. (See Unit 19.)
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 Is that the cash price?
To find out whether the price of something is the cash price,

you can ask Yintengo kakheshe leyo? Is that (leyo) the cash
price?
or:
Yintengo kakheshe le? Is this (le) the cash price?
Unit 22 In the furniture store 2 73

To this the salesman can for instance reply:
Yebo yiyo. (intengo) Yes, that is it (the price).
or:
Yebo yintengo kakheshe leyo. Yes, that is the cash price.
Cha, akusiyo intengo kakheshe leyo. No, that is not the cash price.
·····in5i 9·1ir····· ·············································································

[ -yo in yiyo and in akusiyo is the abbreviated form of the absolute
pronoun of Class 9 referring to intengo. (See Unit 19). The y(i)-
....................................................................................................
is the copulative prefix that has been often referred to before .
2 Can I pay in instalments?
To find out whether you may pay in instalments you can ask:
N gingakhokha ngamancozuncozu na? May I pay in instalments?

(amancozuncozu fragments, bits)
·····i;;~~~-~!:::~::~:i::·~:::·;:~·~::·:::::~:~·::~:·:~·:~·.······ . . . . ..
[ ....................................................................................................
To find out how many instalments you can use the word izinyanga
months, and ask:
Ngikhokha izinyanga How many instalments do I pay? (Lit. How

ezingaki? many months do I pay?)
The answer to this can, for instance, be:
Ukhokha izinyanga eziyisithupha (or ezingu-6)/izinyanga

ezingu-2.4). You pay (over) six months/24 months (See Unit 21.)
If you have paid a deposit and want to know over how many
months the balance must be paid, you can ask:
Ngikhokha imali eseleyo ezi.nyangeni ezingaki? (Lit. In/over how

many months do I pay the money that remains [-sala])? Over how
many months do I pay the balance?
274
ezinyangeni is the locative form of the noun izinyanga.
(See Unit r r.)
3 Asking for a discount
When you pay cash and you want to know (as many South
Africans often do) whether you are going to get any discount,
you can for instance, ask:
Ngithola (Sithola) isephulelo na? Do I!We get a discount?

Sizothola isephulelo urn a sithenga Will we get a discount if we
ngokheshe na? pay cash?
Or you can ask:
Simalini isephulelo uma sithenga How much (money) is the

ngokheshe? discount if we pay cash?
4 Is it guaranteed?
To ask whether the thing you want to buy is guaranteed, you

can say:
Inegaranti? Is it with a guarantee? (Does it have a guarantee?)
(where the subject concord i- refers to the thing you want to

purchase).
If you are interested in the period of the guarantee, you can

make use of the relative stem -ngakanani? how long? (see below)
and ask:
Yisikhathi esingakanani igaranti? How long is the guarantee?
To this the answer rna y be:
Siyizinyanga ezingu-6. It (the time) is six months.

Singunyaka. It is a year.

····InSi9.ht···················································································
[ si- is the subject concord that refers to the noun isikhathi;
esi- is the relative concord referring to isikhathi and ezi- the
....................................................................................................
relative concord referring to izinyanga. See (8) below .
In the case of cars, where distance as a rule is also guaranteed, you

can say:
Inegaranti elingu- (plus number of kilometres), e.g.
Inegaranti elingu-Io.ooo km. (Lit. It [the car] has a guarantee that

is [for] Io,ooo km.) It has a Io,ooo km guarantee.
····InSi9.ht···················································································
[ eli- is the relative concord referring to the noun igaranti.
....................................................................................................
See (8) below.
5 The conjunctives uma, if and lapho when in Zulu
Both the conjunctives uma and lapho (not to be confused with

the demonstrative lapho) are high frequency words in Zulu,
i.e. they are words that are very frequently used by speakers
of Zulu. What is important about these two words is that they
place certain requirements on the form of the verb that follows.
Two of the most important requirements they exert on the
following verb are:
o the subject concord of Classes 1 (umu-) and Ia (u-) changes

its form from u- toe-; that of Classes 2 (aha-) and 2a (o-)
from ba- to be-; and that of Class 6 (ama-) from a- to e-. (The
form of the subject concords of the remaining classes remains
unchanged.) For example:
Class 1a: Lapho ujosua efika When ]osua comes, tell

mtshele ukuthi him that I want (to see)
ngiyamfuna. him.
Class 2: Uma Ia ba bantu If these people speak
bekhuluma iqiniso the truth (iqiniso)
bangadedelwa. they may be released
(-dedelwa).
Class 6: Qaphelal Uma Look out! (Qaphela!)
amaphoyisa If the police catch
ekubamba (-bamba) you, you will
uzohlawuliswa. be fined (-hlawu1iswa).
b verbs that follow on lapho or uma are negated by the negative

verbal prefix -nga- and non-verbs by -nge-, e.g.
Uma ungabuyi kusasa sizoqasha omunye. If you do not come back

tomorrow we shall hire (-qasha) somebody else (omunye).
Uma ningasheshi sizoshiywa yibhasi. If you (pl.) do not hurry

(-shesha) we will miss (-shiywa) the bus. (Lit. be left behind by
the bus.)
Ungitshele uma icooldrinki yakho ingalungile. You must tell me if

your soft drink is not alright (-lungile).
in~~~!:·~~~~~-~::~=:~~·::;·~:~·~:~:·~-~~:=~-~~:·~·~:: .·········]
.....................................................................................................
example above must end in e-? If you don't, see Unit 14.1.
Note the negative of khona there/here after the conjunctive uma or

lapho:
Class 2: Uma bengekho If they (Class 2) are not

sizohamba ngaphandle there we will leave without
kwabo. (ngaphandle kwa-) them.

6 Questions with the interrogative bani? 'what?/who?'
The interrogative bani? what?lwho? that is derived from the

noun ubani? who? is often used by speakers to question nouns.
It always appears after the noun while the noun in question drops
its preprefix (initial vowel). For example:
Ugqoka (u)sayizi bani wesicathulo Nkosikazi? What size of shoe

(isicathulo) do you wear (-gqoka), madam (Nkosikazi)?
Usho uGeorge? George bani? Do you mean (-sho) George? George

who?
Uhlala kwa(i)namba bani Mnumzane? Lit. At what number do you

stay, sir? (room in a hotel, for instance).
(This expression can also be used to ask: What's your room

number? To which the answer can be: Ngihlala kwanamba 515
I'm in room 5 IJ.)
7 There is ... /There are
For both these expressions you can use kukhona plus a noun
(phrase), e.g.
Kukhona izindawo eziningi ezibukekayo KwaZulu-Natali. There

are many beautiful places (izindawo ezibukekayo) in KwaZulu-
Natal.
Kukhona abantu abaningi abampofu eNingizimu Afrika. There are

many poor (-mpofu) people in South Africa.
....................................................................................................
Insight
Note that KwaZulu-Natali in the first example is strictly
speaking a locative noun meaning (in) KwaZulu-Natal. It
therefore doesn't need a further locative prefix to signify
locality.
8 The so-called relatives in Zulu
In Unit 21 you have learned how a small number of words

known as adjectives in Zulu are formed. These words perform the
same function as adjectives in English. They are, however, not the
only words in Zulu that have an adjectival function. The majority
of the words in Zulu that have the same function as adjectives
in languages such as English are not called 'adjectives', they
are known in Zulu as relatives. Like adjectives, relatives do not
normally occur before the noun they describe. The reason for this
is that the relative concord which all relatives include, expresses the
same meaning as the adjective concord, i.e. that/which/who. As a
result of this, relatives mostly occur in a post nominal position as
in: umuntu omnyama a person who is black, inja ekhonkothayo
a dog that barks, umsebenzi. olula work that is light (-lula), etc.
An important thing to remember about relatives and adjectives
in Zulu is that they are often translated into English by means
of adjectives. So an expression such as um:untu omnyama which
literally means a person who is black will be rendered in
English as a black person; umsebenzi. olula work that is light as
light work, etc.
8.1 The relative concord

Like the adjectival concords, the relative concords are derived from
the class prefix of the noun they describe. Each noun class has its
own relative concord. Relatives differ from adjectives in Zulu in
that their concords have a slightly different form from those of
adjectives. (See the table below.) An easy way to remember the
form of the relative concords of the different noun classes is to
compare their form with that of the noun class prefixes. In this
regard it is useful to distinguish between the so-called nasal and
non-nasal classes. Nasal classes are noun classes that have a nasal
in their class prefix while non-nasal classes have not.
a Relative concords of the non-nasal classes
These relative concords have the same form as the noun class prefix
except that where the noun class prefix begins with a u- the relative

concord begins with an o- and where the noun class prefix begins
with ani- the relative concord begins with an e- as in the table
below:
Class Prefix Relative concord
Class 2 aba-: aba-

Class 2a o- aba-
Class 5 i(li)- eli-
Class 7: isi- esi-
Class8: izi- ezi-
Class 11: u(lu)- olu-
Class 1it: ubu- obu-
Class 15: uku- oku-
b Relative concords of the nasal classes
If the noun class prefix begins with a u- the relative concord is o-;
if the class prefix begins with an i- the relative concord is e-; and if
the class prefix begins with an a- the relative concord is a-, in other
words: u- > o-, i- > e-, a- > a-:
Class prefix Relative concord
Class 1/3: um(u)- o-

Class 1a: u- o-
Class it: imi- e-
Class 6: ama- a-
Class 10: izin- ezi-
[. . .in·~~~~~:~~·~:~:::~:::~·;·~:::~::·~~:::~~--~~-,--~:·~·~:·:·:~········
the same relative concords as those of Classes I 2a and 10
....................................................................................................
respectively .
280
Relative concords of the person classes
1st p. sing. engi-

1st p. pl. esi-
2nd p. sing. o-
2nd p. pl. eni-
8.2 Use of the relative concords

Unlike the adjectival concords that occur with only a limited
number of (adjectival) stems, the relative concords may combine
with most other words and stems. For example:
o With verbal stems
All verbal stems may be used with the relative concord, for example:
Ngifuna umuntu okhuthele I'm looking for someone who is very

kakhulu. diligent (a very diligent person).
Baphi abantu abakwazi Where are the people who are able to!
ukukhuluma isiZulu? can speak Zulu?
Sicela amanzi abandayo. Can we have some water that is cold
(-banda) please (cold water) .
USifiso ushayela imoto Sifiso drives a car that is expensive (an
ebizoyo. expensive car).
~"~i~!·~·:~~-~-~~-~~~==~·:·~:;~~~:~-~~-~~:~:-~:::·~:~·:~:~~~~~~
the suffix -yo is usually added to the verbal stem, as in the
.....1
.....................................................................................................
last two examples above .
The negative of relatives formed with verbal stems
Relative verbs are negated by means of the negative formative -nga-

which is inserted in the verb just after the relative concord while
the verb ends in -i (in the present tense) or -anga (in the past tense) .
For example:
Asimfuni umuntu ongathandi We do not want a person who

ukusebenza kakhulu. does not like to work hard.
Unit 22 In the furniture store 28I

Abashayeli abangahloniphi Motorists (abashayeli) who do not
izimpawu zomgwaqo respect (-hlonipha) road signs
bazohlawuliswa. (izimpawu zomgwaqo) will be
fined.
Ingane engakhali ifela The baby who does not cry
embelekweni dies in (-fela) the carrying-
skin (imbeleko). (Zulu proverb
meaning that if one refrains from
voicing one's grievances it may be
assumed one is satisfied.)
Abantwana abangalaleli Children who do not listen will
bazomila izimpondo. grow horns (izimpondo). (An old
saying.)
b With relative stems
There are quite a lot of non-verbal stems in Zulu, known as

relative stems, that are often used with relative concords. Many of
these stems signify colour terms. Here are examples of a number
of these stems that frequently occur in Zulu speech.
- mnandi pleasant, tasty, e.g. upasta omnandi pasta that is tasty,

i.e. tasty pasta
- bukhali sharp, e.g. ummese obukhali a knife that is sharp,
i.e. a sharp knife
- manzi wet, e.g. indwangu emanzi a cloth that is wet, i.e. a wet
cloth
- ngcono better, e.g. indawo engcono a place that is better,
i.e. a better place
- lula light, e.g. umsebenzi olula work that is light, i.e. light
work
- nzima heavy, difficult, e.g. umsebenzi onzima work that is
heavy/difficult, i.e. heavy/difficult work
Examples of usage:
- qotho honest e.g. UThoko ungumuntu oqotho Thoko is a

person who is honest, i.e. Thoko is an honest person.
- njalo like that e.g. Uthanda (isikibha) esinjalo na? Would you
prefer/like a T-shirt (isikibha) like that (one)?
- njani? of what kind?J of what sort?J what's something or
somebody like? e.g. Izingane zithanda ukulalela izindaba
ezinjani? What kind of stories do children like to listen to
(-lalela)?
- mnene sweetJ kind-hearted, e.g. Uyingane emnene kodwa
umnewabo uyisilwane uqobo. He is such a sweet child
but his elder brother (umnewabo) is a real (uqobo)
monster.
8.3 Subject concord Instead of relative concord

Relative stems can also be used predicatively in which case the
relative concord is replaced by a subject concord, for example:
Iphinathibhatha emnandi tasty peanut butter but Iphinathibhatha

imnandi Peanut butter is tasty.
Abantu abaqotho Honest people but Abantu baqotho The people
are honest.
lphlnathlbhlltha
I,__~~--··
lHustJo.tJon ~ Mr F. Esfl!Thuae.
Unit 22 In the fcmltwe sto~e 2 83

Some more examples of popularly used relative stems that you
should take note of:
-mtoti sweet, pleasant (taste) -makhaza cold

-lukhuni hard, difficult -buhlungu painful
-banzi wide -banda cold
-ngakanani how many; how big -mpofupoor
Relative stems that denote colour:
-mnyama black -mhlophe white -luhlaza green

-zulucwathile blue -li ph uz i yellow -nsom i purple
mhloshana off-white/whitish -bomvana pink
With (associative) adverbs:
Sicela ufake imvilophu enesitembu (< na-isitembu). Please include

(-faka) a stamped envelope (Lit. an evelope that is with a stamp).
Ehlobo siqgoka amayembe anemikhono (< na-imikhono)
emifushane esikoleni. In summer we wear (-gqoka) short-sleeved
shirts (Lit. shirts that are with short sleeves [imikhono] to school).
Lowo muntu ufuye izinja ezi.nolaka (< na-ulaka). That person
keeps (-fuye) ill-tempered (ulaka) dogs. (Lit. dogs that are with a
temper.)
·····inSi9.ht···················································································
[ e- in enesithembu, a- in anemikhono and ezi- in ezinolaka are
....................................................................................................
relative concords that refer to the preceding noun .
Umsebenzi
1 Sibusiso and Nonhlanhla Mbhele are interested in buying

a new washing machine (umshini wokuwasha). They visit a
local store where they are welcomed by one of the salesmen.
Sibusiso tells him that o they are interested in buying a
washing machine. The salesman asks them b what sort of
washing machine they have in mind and Nonhlanhla says
that c they are interested in (want) an automatic washing
machine (umshini wokuwasha ozenzelayo). The salesman
shows them the washing machines they have in stock and
Nonhlanhla finds one that she likes. She asks the salesman
d what price it is. He tells her and she wants to know e what
the quality (-njani?) of the machine is. He says that fit is very
strong (-qinile). Sibusiso then asks whether g they may pay
in instalments (ngamancozuncozu). The salesman says h yes,
they can pay over six months. Sibusiso wants to know whether
i they do deliveries (do they deliver?), to which the salesman
replies that j they will deliver it (the machine) tomorrow or
on Thursday.

between the people concerned.
2 Translate the following by using the appropriate relative

concords and relative stems:
a A red skirt (isikhethi) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
b A pink dress (ilokwe) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
c A white lion (ibhubesi) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
d An honest witness (umfakazi) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
e A difficult job _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
f A nice holiday (iholide) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
g A painful matter (indaba) _ _ _ _ _ _ __
h Diligent (-khuthele) people _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Cold weather (izulu) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
j Hot (-shisayo) coffee _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3 You are interested in buying a new stove (isitofu). How would

you ask the salesman:
a whether it has a guarantee
b how long the guarantee lasts
c whether you will get a discount if you pay cash
d whether you can pay it off over six months
e whether they deliver?

4 a Someone tells you that he lives in Brampton Street. How
will you ask him at what number?
b A customer wants to buy a new tyre for his car. How will
you ask him what size of tyre (ithaya) he wants?
c If someone says his name is Moses, how will you ask him:
Moses who?
5 Complete the following sentences by providing the missing

relative concord:
a Abantu _hlala lapha bampofu kakhulu. The people
who reside here are very poor (-mpofu).
b Sicela u(lu)bisi _bandayo. Can we have some cold milk
please.
c Ikilasi lethu libhale isivivinyo _lukhuni namhlanje. Our
class did (-bhale) a difficult test (isivivinyo) today.
d Ngizohlangana nawe esitolo _dayisa izitsha
zasekhishini. I'll meet you at the shop that sells
kitchenware (izitsha zasekhishini).
e Uqaphele ngalowo mese _bukhali. You must be careful
with that sharp knife (umese).
f UMeshack wazithengela ibhuleza _zulucwathile.
Meshack bought himself a blue blazer.
g Nguwe Abraham _vilaphayo, hhayi mina! It is you
Abraham who are lazy, not mel
6 Give the correct negative form of the words in brackets:

a Abantwana bagangile lapho uthishela wabo (ekhona)
ekilasini. The children are mischievous when their teacher
is not in the classroom.
b Uma abashayeli bezimoto (bebambelela) emikhawuleni
yejubane, kungaba khona ukukhula esibalweni sezingozi
zezimoto. If motorists do not stick to (-bambelela) the
speed limits there will be an increase in the number of car
accidents.
c Uma imoto yakho (ifuna) ukuduma kusho ukuthi ibhetri
ingaphelelwa amandla. If your car does not want to start
(-duma), it means the battery could be flat.
286
d Ngeke uphumelele uma (usebenza) ngokuzikhandla.
You will never succeed if you do not work very hard
(ngokuzikhandla).
e Ngibheka izinja zawomakhelwane (< omakhelwane)
bethu lapho (bekhona). I look after our neighbours' dogs
when they are not there.
1 How to ask what the cash price of something is.

2 How to ask whether you can pay in instalments.
3 How to ask whether you get a discount if you pay in cash.
4 How to use the conjunctive uma and the changes it governs
in the form of the subject concords of some of the noun
classes.
5 How to use the interrogative bani? what?lwho? and the elision
of the preprefix of the noun to which it refers.
6 The meaning and use of the word kukhona.
7 The formation, meaning and use of the relative concords.
8 The predicative use of relative stems.
9 The negative form of verbal and non-verbal relatives.
10 All the non-verbal relative stems referred to in this unit.

23
Ngifuna ukubika ukugqekezwa
I want to report a burglary

• how to report a crime
• how to say that you have or don't have something
• how to use the instrumental formative nga- with/by means
of/inion
how to ask questions using at what time?
how to express commands in Zulu
how to use the conjunctive ukuthi that
how to say if there is no and there is no
how to express the continuous recent past tense in Zulu
ldayalogi
lvor van Rensburg's house has been burgled. As is required by law
he has to report the incident at the local police station.
~ ............................................................... .
.- Ivor Uxolo Phoyisa, ngibuza ishantshi.
iCIIi:
1- Phoyisa Yenyuka ngalezi zitebhisi bese uqhubeka ngephaseji.
S Ekugcineni kwephaseji ujikela ngakwesokudla. lshantshi
u lingakwesobunxele.
9 (Eshantshini In the charge office)
Ivor Ngifuna ukubika ukugqekezwa kwendlu yami.
Phoyisa Kwenzeke nini?
288
.: Ivor Kwenzeke izolo ebusuku.
: Phoyisa Benikuphi izolo ebusuku?
: Ivor Besivakashele abangane bethu.
: Phoyisa Bebile na?
.: Ivor Yebo. Bebe imoto yenkosikazi yami, izingubo, nevideo
recorder.
: Phoyisa Bangene kanjani endlini abagqekezi?
Ivor Baphule ifasitele ekamelweni lokuhlala.
Phoyisa lbikuphi imoto?
Ivor lbisegalajini.
Phoyisa Belikhiyiwe na igalaji?
Ivor Yebo, belikhiyiwe.
Phoyisa Baphule ingidi na?
Ivor Yebo.
Phoyisa Inesihlabamkhosi le moto?
Ivor Yebo, inaso.
Phoyisa Inhloboni?
Ivor lyi-Toyota Corolla 1600.
Phoyisa Imubala muni?
Ivor Iluhlaza.
Phoyisa Ingeyamuphi unyaka?
Ivor Ingeka-1992.
Phoyisa Kusekhona okunye na?
Ivor Cha, yilokho kuphela.
Uxolo Phoyisa Excuse me (Mr) Policeman

ngibuza ishantshi where is the charge office?
ishantshi charge office
Yenyuka Go up
ngalezi izitebhisi these steps
bese and then
-qhubeka proceed, continue
iphaseji passage
Ekugcineni kwephaseji At the end of the passage
ujikela ngakwesokudla you tum to your right
ngakwesokudla right-hand side
lingakwesobunxele it (the charge office) is on your left
ngakwesobunxele left-hand side
Unit 23 I want to report a burglary 2 89

-bika report
ukugqekezwa kwendlu yami the burglary of my house
-gqekeza burgle
Kwenzeke nini? When did it happen?
-enzeka happen
ebusuku in the evening, at night
Besivakashele We were visiting
Bebile (ba-ebile) na? Have they stolen (anything)? (See also
Unit 13 for vowel verbs)
-eba steal
inkosikazi yami my wife
-ngena enter
kanjani? how?
endlini in the house
abagqekezi burglars
Baphule ifasitele They broke a window
-aphula break (something)
ikamelo lokuhlala lounge
ibikuphi imoto? where was the car?
ibisegalajini it was in the garage
Belikhiyiwe na igalaji? Was the garage locked?
ingide lock
isihlabamkhosi burglar alarm
inaso (Lit. it [the car] is with one) it has one
Inhloboni? What kind is it (the car)?
Imubala muni? What colour is it?
Iluhlaza It is blue
Ingeyamuphi unyaka? What model is it? (Lit. it is of which year?)
Ingeka-1992 It is (of the year) 1992
lmibuzo
1 Phendula imibuzo elandelayo:
a Ulvor ubikeni emaphoyiseni?

b Abagqekezi bebeni (< ba-ebe-ni) endlini ka-Ivor?
c Inhloboni imoto yenkosikazi ka-lvor?
d Abagqekezi bangene kanjani egalajini?
e Abagqekezi bayithole kuphi endlini i-video recorder?
f Ulvor ubike kuphi ukugqekezwa kwendlu yakhe?
Insight
The -ku- in ukubike is the object concord of Class 15
referring to the infinitive object noun ukugqekezwa burglary
in (f) above and is essential here because the object noun is
separated from the verb by the interrogative kuphi? where?
See also Unit 7.
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 I have .. ./1 have not ...
In Unit 17 you have learned how to use the associative formative

na- be with when you want to say that you (or somebody else)
possess (own) or do not possess (own) a certain thing and that this
concept is normally rendered in English by the verb have or has
as in: I have a dog, she has a car, etc. You have also learned that
when -na- combines with a noun the sound rules a + u > o, a + i > e
and a+ a> a apply. For instance:
Unemali (u-na-imali) na? Do you have money? (Lit. are you

with money?)
Unezincwadi (u-na-izincwadi) Do you have/possess a driver's
zokushayela na Thoko? licence, Thoko?
When you want to answer questions such as the a hove in full you
need not repeat the name of the thing you are asked about, you can
use its (abbreviated) absolute pronoun (Unit 12) instead in which
case the sound rules referred to above obviously do not apply. For
example:
Unemoto na Nomusa? Do you have a car, Nomusa?

Yebo, nginayo/Cha, anginayo Yes, I have (one)JNo, I do not have
(< a-ngi-na-yo(na) (one).
Unit 23 I want to report a burglary 29I

USolmon unezincwadi Does Solmon have a driving licence
zokushayela na? (izincwadi zokushayela)?
Yebo, unazo/Cha, akanazo. Yes, he has (one)!No he hasn't.
Note that whereas one can say in English I have/(s)he has

etc. without the pronoun ane, we cannot do so in Zulu. The
abbreviated absolute pronoun must always be used as is shown
in the examples above.
[. . .in~~~tiai~·~:::~::·~:~:~::~·::~:::·~~:·::·:~~-:~~·:::~~··········
refers to the noun imali and -zo in the second example refers
.....................................................................................................
to izincwadi •
2 I want to report ...
If you want to report a matter at a police station you say Ngifuna

ukubika ... I want to report ... plus noun (plus possessive), for
example:
Ngifuna ukubika: I want to report:

ingozi yemoto a car accident (Lit. the accident
of a car)
icala an offence, a crime
ukwebiwa kwemoto yami the theft of my car
ukugqekezwa kwendlu yami the burglary of my house
3 The formative -nga- 'with/on/in/about/by means of'
The so-called instrumental formative -nga- which normally

combines with nouns and pronouns has a variety of significances
that are illustrated below. When -nga- combines with a noun
the sound-change rules that you should probably know by now
apply, i.e. a+ i > e, a+ u > o, a+ a> a. When -nga- combines with
absolute pronouns the pronoun drops its final syllable -na. (See
examples below.)
i -nga- =by means of, by, with
Ngiya emsebenzini ngemoto. I travel to work by car.

(< nga-imoto).
Sizobathumela isimemo We will send an invitation
ngeposi. (isi memo) by post.
Uvule umnyango ngokhiye He unlocked (-vula) the door with
oyisipele. a spare key (ukhiye). Lit. a key
that is a spare (isipele).
in~~~~~:~::·~:::~:·:~·=~·:~~:~::i~:·~:~::~:·:·~~~~~-:~;·~~~~:~~~~·········)
.....................................................................................................
to ukhiye, the copulative prefix y- and the noun isipele •
ii -nga- =about
Ngikutshelile ngaye (< nga-yena). I have told you about her.

Sikhuluma ngawe (< nga-wena) We are talking about you,
losefa. Joseph.
Umphakathi uyakhala The public (umphakathi) are
ngohlelo (< nga-uhlelo) olubi complaining about the poor bus
lwamabhasi. service.
iii -nga- =inion
Halala ngosuku lwakho Congratulations on your birthday,

lokuzalwa Lizbeth. Lizbeth.
Isisulu sashona ngolwesihlanu The victim (isisulu) passed away
(< nga-ulwesihlanu) (-shona) on Friday.
Siya phesheya ngoNovemba We are going overseas in
(< nga-uNovemba). November.
4 At what time?
To ask the time at which something happened or will happen, you

use ngasiphi isikhathi? For example:
Ufike ngasiphi isikhathi (At) What time did you come,

Johanna? Johanna?

Ibhasi lisuka ngasiphi isikhathi (At) What time does the bus leave
kusasa? (-suka) tomorrow(kusasa)?
5 The conjunctive ukuthi 'thaUin order that'
As the conjunctive, ukuthi is one of the most frequently used words

in the Zulu vocabulary, it is important to take note of some of the
verbs that very often precede it. They include verbs with stems such
as: -tshela tell, -azi know, -cabanga think, -zwa hear, -(e)themba
hope, trust, -cela request/ask.
Consider the usage of ukuthi in the following examples:
Ngethemba ukuthi umama I hope that your mother will get

wakho uzophola masinya Vusi. well (-phola) soon, Vusi.
Ngicabanga ukuthi iqembu I think that the English team
lase-Engilandi lizodlala kahle will perform (play) well in the
eNdebeni Yomhlaba ezayo. forthcoming World Cup.
Ngimtshele ukuthi uzofeyila uma I told him that he is going to
engenyusi ( < e-nga-enyusi) fail (-feyila) if he doesn't
amasokisi akhe. pull (-enyusa) his socks
(amasokisi) up.
Ngizwe ukuthi izisebenzi I have heard that the workers
ziyoteleka kusasa. are going on strike (-teleka)
tomorrow .
.....................................................................................................
Insight
Note that after the conjunctive uma if, when (Unit 23) the
subject concord of Class r changes to e and that verbs that
follow the conjunctive uma- are negated by means of the
verbal prefix -nga- as in the verb engenyusi above, =e-ng(a)-
enyus-i.
6 Some more strong negatives
6.1 If there is/are no

This conditional phrase is expressed in Zulu by: uma kungekho
where ku-is the indefinite subject concord, -nge- the negative of
294
non-verbs following on uma (see Unit 22) and -kho the abbreviated
form of the absolute pronoun of Class 17 khona. Nouns following
on this word normally omit their initial vowel in order to signify a
strong negative. (See also Unit 2 1.) Consider the following examples:
Siyokwenzenjani uma kungekho What are we going to do

(a)manzi? (-enzenjani) if there is no water?
Singazigeza kanjani izitsha How can we wash the dishes if
uma kungekho (i)nsipho there is no washing up liquid
yokugeza? (insipho) to wash (the dishes
izitsha)?
Asikwazi ukupheka uma We cannot cook if there is no
kungekho (u)gesi electricity (ugesi)
Lezi zingane zizokwazi kanjani How will these children be able to
ukufunda uma kungekho (u) read if there is no one here who
muntu lapha ongabafundisa? can teach them?
6.2 There is/are no

To say this in Zulu you use: Akuna- there is/are no ... plus noun
minus its initial vowel. For example:
Akunamuntu (< umuntu) lapho. There is no one/nobody there.

Akunamanzi (< amanzi) There is no hot water in the
ashisayo endlini yokubhavela. bathroom (indlu yokubhavela).
Akunazikole (< izikole) ezizimele There are no private schools
kithi. (izikole ezizimele) in our area
(kithi).
Note also the following popular expressions with akuna-:
Akunankinga (< inkinga). (There's) no problem.

Akunandaba(<indaba) It doesn't matter.
Insight
The reason why a- is the negative morpheme in the examples
above and not -nge- as in paragraph 6.1, is because the latter
forms part of words that follow on the conjunctive urn a
while the words with a- above do not.
Unit 23 I want to report a burglary 295

7 Expressing 'was/were' in the recent past tense in Zulu
To express the English auxiliaries was and were in Zulu you use
the auxiliary stem -be followed by a complementary verb or non-
verb. When referring to (uncompleted) actions that were taking
place in the reamt past or to conditions that were prevailing at
that time, -be usually combines with the following complementary
word, whether a verb or a non-verb to (orthographically) form a
single word. (See examples below.) The complementary word that
follows -be, whether it's a verb or a non-verb, always begins with a
subject concord. The subject concord of -be and the subject concord
of its complement refer to the same subject noun and therefore
have, with only a few exceptions, exactly the same form. Some very
important conditions regarding the use of subject concords with the
auxiliary stem -be apply here. They concern the subject concord of
-be itself and the subject concord (of the complementary word) that
immediately follows -be. These conditions can be outlined as follows:
The subject concord of -be is elided when it consists of more

than a vowel. (See examples below.)
ii -be- only takes subject concords that consist of a vowel only.
(See examples below.)
iii When the subject concord that follows -be consists of a vowel
only, it replaces the-e of -be. (See examples below.)
iv The subject concord of Classes r, ra and 6 change to e- while
that of Classes 2 and 2a change to be- when appearing after -be.
7.1 -be without a subject concord

This occurs with for instance the following subject concords:
rst p. sing. (ngi)bengi- e.g.
Bengiphathekile (< (ngi)be ngiphathekile) izolo. I was feeling

unwell (-phathekile) yesterday.
2nd p. pl. (si)besi- e.g.
Besi.vakashele (< (si)be sivakashele) abangane ngesikhathi sizwa lezi

zindaba. We were visiting (-vakashele) friends at the time we heard
the news (izindaba).
Class 2.: (ba)bebe-, e.g.
Abadlali bethu bebedlala (< (ba)be bedlala) kabi
esizini lonke. Our players were playing poorly the
entire season (esizini lonke).
Class 17: (ku)beku-, e.g.
Izolo bekubanda (< (ku)be kubanda) kabi kakhulu
kodwa namhlanje izulu lihle. Yesterday it was terribly
cold but today the weather (izulu) is fine (-hie).
7.2 -be with a subject concord (that consists of a vowel only)

In this instance the subject concord of the word following -be
replaces the vowel -e of -be, as in the examples below.
2nd p. sing. ubu-, e.g.
Ubukuphi ( < ub(e) ukuphi) ebusuku bayizolo Pearl? Where were

you last night (ebusuku bayizolo), Pearl?
Class 1: ube-, e.g.

Ubephethwe (<ub(e) ephethwe) yini umfazi wakhe?
What was his wife (umfazi wakhe) suffering from?
Class 6: abe-, e.g.
Onke amantombazana abesekhaya (< ab(e)
esekhaya) lapho iqala ukuna. All the girls were at
home when it started to rain (-na).
Class 9: ibi-, e.g.
Ibipakwe (< ib(e)-ipakwe) kuphi imoto yakho ebusuku
bayirolo? Where was your car parked last night?
.....................................................................................................
Insight
Note that the adverbs last night and the entire season in the
above examples are expressed in Zulu by locative adverbs, i.e. as
ebusuku bayizolo during last night and esizini lonke during the
entire season while in English no locative-preposition is used.

7.3 I was here/there; (s)he was here/there; we were
here/there; etc.
To say this you combine the auxiliary -be as explained above with
the adverb khona here/there to form a single word. Note that when
a locative noun follows khona, khona is not translated. For example:
Besikhona ekhonsathini We were (there) at the concert

(< ikhonsathi) ebusuku last night.
bayizolo.
Bengikhona ekhaya izolo. I was (here) at home yesterday.
Ubekhona (< ub(e) ekhona) She was (there) at work the
emsebenzini ilanga lonke. whole day.
Abazali bami bebekhona My parents were (there) in Cape
(< babe-bekhona) eKapa Town during that time.
ngaleso sikhathi.
When these sentences are put in the negative, a negative formative

-nge- is inserted before khona and khona drops its second syllable
-na. For example:
Bengingekho. I wasn't there.

Besingekho izolo. We weren't here yesterday.
Ubengekho esikoleni She wasn't at school (for) the
iviki lonke. whole week.
Umsebenzi
1 Your car radio (irediyo yemoto) has been stolen. You are
at your local police station to report the theft. The police
sergeant (usayitsheni) on duty asks if a he can help you. You
answer b 'Yes, please'. You tell him that c you want to report
the theft of your car radio (ukwebiwa kwerediyo yemoto
yami). He enquires d when did it happen and you inform him
that e it happened last night. He asks f where the car was
(uma) when the radio was stolen (irediyo itshontshwa/yebiwa)
and you tell him that g it was at your house. He also wants to
know h what your address is and i what your ID number is
and then tells you to j 'please sign here'.
Create a suitable dialogue between you(= mina I) and the police

sergeant (Sayitsheni) based on the information given above.
2 By using the auxiliary verb -be and the interrogative kuphi?

where? how would you express the following in Zulu:
a Where were you (sing.) last night?
b Where were you (pl.) last night?
c Where was he last night?
d Where were they (Class 2) last night?
3 Say in Zulu:
a I was at home (ekhaya).
b We were at home.
c They were at home.
d The men were at a function (umcimbi).

a I'll see you on Saturday.
b I'm going (-ya) to town by bus.
c I told them (-tshela) about the accident (ingozi).
d The old lady (isalukazi) walks with a walking-stick
(udondolo).
e I spoke to him on the phone (ucingo).
5 Ask Maria:
a what time did she leave (-hambe) yesterday
b what time she knocks off work (finishes work for the
day = -shayisa)
c where she was yesterday
d where Raymond was yesterday
e where the car keys (izikhiye zemoto) were
6 Answer the questions. Do not repeat the nouns in bold type.

Use each one's (abbreviated) absolute pronoun instead:
a Unesithuthuthu na James? Cha, a- __
Do you have a motorbike, james?
Unit 23 I want to report a burglary 299

b Indlu yenu inesihlabamkhosi. na? Yebo, i- __
Does your house have a (burglar) alarm (isihlabamkhosi)?
c Unemali George? Cha, a- __
Do you have any maney, George?
d Unesi.khashana manje Mandla? Yebo, ngi- __
Do you have (Lit. a little time) a moment to spare now,
Mandla?
e Unelayisense na? Yebo, ngi- __
Do you have a licence?
7 Answer in the negative. Begin each answer with Cha.

a UChris ubekhona na? Was Chris here?
b Ubukhona emhlanganweni na? Were you at the meeting?
c Benikhona enkonzweni na? Were you at the (church)
service?
d Amaphoyisa abekhona na? Were the police there?
1 The use of the abbreviated absolute pronouns in answers to

questions with the associative formative -na- be with.
2 The use and different meanings of the instrumental formative
-nga-.
3 How to express at what time? in Zulu.
4 The variant form of the subject concord of Classes I and I a
after the conjunctive ukuthi that.
5 The variant form of the subject concord of Classes I, Ia
and 6 after the conjunctive uma if, when.
6 The use of the conditional phrase uma kungekho if there is
no ... and the elision of the prep refix of the following noun.
7 Which subject concords can be used with the auxiliary stem
-be and which ones cannot.
8 The replacement of the vowel of the auxiliary stem be by
the following subject concord.
9 How to say in Zulu I was, (s)he was, we were etc.
10 How to say you want to report a crime (icala).
300
Umnumzane Maphumulo
useposihhovisi
Mr Maphumulo at the Post Office

• some useful expressions to use when doing business at the
Post Office.
what to say when sending certain sms-messages
how to use the infinitive prefix uku- to in Zulu
how to express dates in Zulu
the Zulu names for the months of the year
how to express the preposition to in Zulu
the (ormation, meaning and usage of passive verbs in Zulu
ldayalogi
Mr Maphumulo has several things to do at the Post Office this
morning. He speaks to the Post Office counter clerk (owaseposini).
................................................................. ~
: Maphumulo Sawubona Mnumzana. Ngifuna ukuthumela le • ;

ncwadi eMelika. Yimalini? I-
Owaseposini lhambe ngesikebhe noma ngendiza? N
Maphumulo Ngendiza. .
(Contd) :
.9 c
u
Unit 2Lj Mr Maphumufo at the Post Office 30 I

.
: Owaseposini Mangiyikale. (After having weighed the letter.)
Yi-RS.SO.
! Maphumulo Ngithanda ukuposa leli phasela.
: Owaseposini Gcwalisa leli fomu (handing Mr Maphumulo the
required form)
! Maphumulo Ngiyabonga.
! Owaseposini Yilokho kuphela?
! Maphumulo Cha, ngisathanda ukurejista le ncwadi.
: Owaseposini Kulungile (after having registered the letter)
Yi-R3.75. Nanti irisidi lakho.
! Maphumulo Ngiyabonga. Amathelegilamu ashaywa kuphi?
! Owaseposini Ashaywa ekhawunda 7.
~ Maphumulo Ngiyabonga.
.. (At counter 7)
! Maphumulo Ngicela ukushaya ithelegilamu.
! Owaseposini Usugcwalise ifomu na?
! Maphumulo Cha, akuphi amafomu ethelegilamu?
: Owaseposini Asemashalofini emuva kwakho. Amafomu
amhlophe asebenza kwelakithi, aluhlaza aya
phesheya. Ungakhohlwa ukubhala igama nekheli
. lakho enzansi kwethelegilamu.
: Maphumulo Kulungile.
useposihhovisi (Mr Maphumulo) he is at the Post Office (Unit 14)

ukuthumela to send to
le ncwadi this letter
eMelika America
i
~
ihambe must it go (Unit 18)
ngesikebhe by ship, i.e. overseas mail
nomaor
i ngendiza by plane i.e. by airmail
mangiyikale (ma-ngi-yi-kale) Let me weigh it (Unit 17)
ukuposa to post
leli phasela this parcel
Gcwalisa Complete/Fill in
leli fomu this form
302
yilokho kuphela? is it all?
ngisathanda I still(= also) would like/want to
ukurejista (< English register) to register
nanti irisidi lakho here is your receipt
irisidi receipt
amathelegilamu ashaywa kuphi? (Lit. Telegrams are hit= sent off
where?) Where is the telegram counter?
amathelegilamu telegrams
ekhawunda 7 (< ikhawunda) at counter 7
ukushaya ithelegilamu to send a telegram
usugcwalise ifomu? have you already completed/filled in a form?
ifomuform
amafomu ethelegilamu telegram forms (Lit. forms of a telegram)
nanko there they are (i.e. the telegram forms)
Asemashalofini They are on the shelves (Unit 1t.)
amashalofu shelves
emuva kwakho behind you (See Relational concepts, Unit 17)
emuva behind
amafomu amhlophe white forms
-mhlophe white (Relative stem, see Unit 22)
-sebenza work, function
kwelakithi in ours (country), inland
aluhlaza the green ones (forms) (See Relative stems, Unit 22)
-yago
phesheya overseas
ungakhohlwa you must not forget (Unit 17)
ukubhala write (down)
igama nekheli name and address
ikheli address(< English care of)
enzansi below, at the bottom
lmibuzo
a UMaphumulo waya ukwenzani eposihhovisi? Yisho izinto

ezimbili.
Unit 2Lj Mr Maphumufo at the Post Office 30 3

38 The Manager for the U.K.
South African Airways
251/9 Regent Street in Oxford Circus
London W1 R7AD
Eerstevlug ·First flight Boeing 747-300

b UMaphumulo wafuna ukuthumela kuphi incwadi yakhe?
c Incwadi kaMaphumulo izohamba ngani?
d UMaphumulo wakhokha (paid) malini ukurejista incwadi
yakhe?
e Owaseposini uthe uMaphumulo angakhohlwa ukwenzani?
f Amafomu ethelegilamu amhlophe asebenza kuphi?
Ulimi nezohlelo
1 A few useful expressions to know when

visiting the Post Office
Ill> N gicela ukurejista le ncwadilleli phasela. I want to register

this letter/this parcel, please.
Ill> Ngithanda ukufaka leli phasela entshuwalense. I want to
insure this parcel. (Lit. I want to put this parcel in insurance
[intshuwalense])
• Ngicela ukukhokha i-akhawunti yami yocingo. I want to pay
(-khokha) my telephone account, please.
Ill> Leli phasela lifuna izi.tembu zamalini? This parcel needs
stamps for how much money?
Ill> N gifuna ukuthumela Ieli phasela phesheya ngendiza. Kubiza
malini? I want to send this parcel overseas by airmail
(ngendiza). How much will it be?
Ill> Ngicela amaposikadi amane (angu-4). Can I have four
postcards please.
Ill> Ngicela izitembu ze-R2o. Can I have Rzo's stamps please.
Ill> Le ncwadi iya eNgilandileJalimane/e-HollandleMelika.
Ngifake izi.tembu zamalini? This letter is going to England/
Germany/Holland/America. Stamps for how much money
must I put on (it)?
2 SMS-messages
What used to be telegram messages have nowadays probably been

replaced by SMS-messages. Here are a few examples of messages
that you might send on your mobile phone:
..,.. Birthday wishes:

Ngikufisela okuhle kodwa I wish you only the best on your
ngosu ku lokuzalwa kwakho. birthday.
Halala ngosuku lokuzalwa. Congratulations on your
Ngikufisela unwele olude! birthday. I wish you everything
of the best. (Lit. I wish for you
long hair).
(See Unit 7 for further possibilities.)
..,.. FuneraVDeath notices

Ugogo ushone izolo. Grandmother passed away
Umngcwabo ungomGqibelo yesterday. Funeral Saturday
ngo-10 e-Melmoth at 10 o'clock in the Anglican
eSontwenilaseSheshi. Church (iSonto LaseSheshi)
in Me/moth. (Town in Northern
KwaZulu-Natal).
Ulames Skosana ushone James Skosana died in car
engozini yemoto accident on Tuesday.
ngolwesibili .
..,.. Sympathy
Sizwelana nani ngokushona We sympathize (-zwelana na-)
kukababa wenu. with you (pl.) re. the passing
away of your father.
.····in5i~ilir· ······ ······ ······ ······ ······················································· ···

[ kuka- is a possessive concord used when the possessor is
a noun in Class Ia (ubaba in the example above) and the
.....................................................................................................
possession is a noun in Class 15 (ukushona in this instance) .
.,. Emergency
Umama ugula kabi Mother is seriously ill. Come
kakhulu. Buyela ekhaya home as soon as possible
ngokushesha. (ngokushesha with speed) .
.,. Congratulations
Halala! Uwine umklomelo Congratulations! You have won
wokuqala emncintiswaneni first prize (umklomelo) in our
wethul competition (umncintiswano).
Halala ngokuzuza Congratulations on obtaining
(obtaining) iziqu ze-Master your Master's degree/Doctor's
(iziqu zobudokotela/iziqu degree/Bachelor's degree).
zika-BA.) Mana njalo! Live for ever. (Mana njalo!)
(Exclamation of praise) .
.,. Wedding
Halala ngomshado wenu. Congratulations on your wedding.
Sinifisela okuhle kodwa. We wish you everything of the
Unwele oludel best. May you (both) live long!
(unwele olude).
3 The infinitive prefix uku- 'to'
To say to as in to work, to read, etc. as in I want to work, I like to

read, etc. you put the prefix uku- of Class 1 5 before a verb stem, e.g.
Ukusebenza to work, ukuthumela to send, ukuhamba to walk/

go/travel, etc.
Verbs with uku- are called infinitive verbs and very often appear
after the auxiliaries -funa want(< -funa look for) and -thanda like
(< -thanda love), as in:
Ngifuna ukuhamba manje. I want to go now.

Sithanda ukuthenga amathikithi We would like to buy four
amathathu. tickets.
Bafuna ukuthengisa indlu yabo. They want to sell (-thengisa)
their house.

(Note that most speakers prefer to pronounce -funa uku- as
-fun'uku-.)
4 Dates in Zulu
4.1 How to say on which day of the month an

event takes place
In order to express this you can say ngomhla ka- on the day of
followed by the day of the month on which the event takes place,
for example:
Ngikhumbula usuku lokuzalwa kwami ngomhla ka-s. My

birthday, is on the 5th. (Lit. I remember my birthday on the 5th.)
If you want to include the name of the month you add ku- plus the
name of the month, for example:
Ngikhumbula usuku lokuzalwa My birthday is on the 5th of

kwami ngomhla ka-5 November.
kuNovemba.
Sigubha uSuku Lwabesifazane We celebrate (-gubha) Women's
ngomhla ka-9 ku-Agasti. Day on the 9th of August.
Also note the following examples:
USuku Lokubuyiselana Reconciliation Day (uSuku

lungomhla ka-16 kuDisemba. Lokubuyiselana) is on the 16th
of December.
Usuku Lwentsha lungomhla ka- Youth Day (uSuku Lwentsha) is on
16 kuluni. the 16th of June.
If you want to include the day of the week as part of the date you
omit the ngo- in ngomhla and for example say:
Sivala ngolwesine mhla ka- We close on Thursday the 22nd

22 kuDisemba bese sivula of December and re-open on
futhi ngolwesibili mhla ka-3 Tuesday the 3rd of January.
kulanuwari.
4.2 What's the date today?
To ask what the date is you can say:
Ngolwesingaki namhlanje? What day (of the month) is it today?
To answer this question you can say zingu- plus the numeral
(preferably) pronounced in English. The subject concord zi- refers
to izinsuku days: For example:
Ngolwesingaki namhlanje? What is the date today?
Zingu-17, Zingu-23, Zingu 29, etc., It is the I7th, the 23rd, 29th etc.
If you want to add the month you say ku plus the month, e.g.
Zingu-11 kuMashi It is the 11th of March
4.3 Months of the year in Zulu

In the following list are the months of the year with first their
'borrowed' names followed by their traditional Zulu names.
January ulanuwari uMasingana

February uFebruwari uNhlolanja
March uMashi uNdasa
April u-Apreli uMbasa
May uMeyi uNhlaba
June uluni uNhlangulana
July ululayi uNtulikazi
August u-Agasti uNcwaba
September uSeptemba uMandulo
October u-Oktoba uMfumfu
November uNovemba ulwezi
December uDisemba uMasingana
5 Passive verbs in Zulu
Passive verbs in Zulu are verbs that include the so-called

passive verbal extension -w- or -iw-. Such verbs normally end

in -wa, -iwe (sometimes -iwa) or -we as in the following
examples:
-sizwa be helped (by) (cf. -siza help)

-fundiswa be taught (by) (cf. -fundisa teach)
-lunyiwe be bitten (by) (cf. -luma bite)
-bhaliwe be written (by) (cf. -bhala write)
-phiwa be given (by) (cf. -pha give)
-shaywe had been hit (by) (cf. -shaya hit)
The passive extension signifies that the action or process expressed

by the verb is performed by an agent and not by the subject itself,
in other words, it signifies that the subject is acted upon by an
agent. The agent is mostly implied and when it is expressed, it
takes the form of a copulative noun or pronoun. (See Unit 19.) In
such instances the copulative prefixes ng(u)- and y(i)- are translated
into English by means of the preposition by. For example:
lnja yethu yashayiswa yimoto. Our dog was hit by a car.

Le ncwadi yabhalwa ngu-MM This book was written by
Masondo. MM Masondo.
lsiZulu sifundiswa esikoleni sethu Zulu is taught in our school by
yiNkosasana Rosalind Mfeka. Miss Rosalind Mfeka.
Uxolo. Ngikhohliwe. Sorry, I have forgotten.
Ngiyaxolisa, ngikhohlwe yigama I'm sorry, I have forgotten your
lakho, mfowethu. name, my brother.
[·····in~~~ti!~~~·~~~=~·~:~~~~~=·~~~·~:~·~~~=·~·~~·:::~·:~:~::~·········
stems in that they include the passive extension -iw- and -w-
.....................................................................................................
respectively but have an active significance, i.e. (to) forget •
5.1 Passive verbs in public notices

Passive verbs together with the indefinite subject concord ku- are
often used idiomatically in public notices that forbid the public to
do certain things, for example:
AKUBHENYELWA LAPHA No smoking allowed in here

AKUNGENWA No entry
310
AKUPAKWA LAPHA No parking here
AKUTHULULWA LAPHA No dumping here
AKUBHUKUDWA LAPHA No swimming here
Insight
Notice the difference between akubhenywa lapha no smoking
allowed here and akubhenyelwa lapha no smoking allowed
in here. This difference in meaning is caused by the applied
verbal extension -el-. (See also Unit I2.)
5.2 Rules regarding the passive

o When passive verbs signify a state the verb ending is always
-iwe, e.g. -anelisiwe be satisfied, -vuthiwe be ripe (as fruit).
(See also Unit I 3.)
b When the agent is a noun or a pronoun and is mentioned after
the passive verb in a sentence, its English translation must
always be preceded by the preposition by.
c When passive verbs appear in the negative their endings never
change as in the examples shown in 5. I above.
d Mono-syllabic verb stems and dissyllabic vowel verb stems
always take the passive suffix -iwa-, e.g. -akhiwa be built
(-akha build), -dliwa be eaten(< -dla eat).
e Nouns take the copulative prefix ng(u)- or y(i-) when
signifying the agent after passive verbs.
f Absolute pronouns always take the full prefix ngu- or yi- when
appearing after passive verbs. Demonstrative pronouns always
take a yi- after passive verbs.
5.3 Sound changes in passive verbs

When the final (or pre-final) syllable of a verb stem begins with b,
m, mb or ph, the following sound changes occur when such verbs
appear in the passive:
ph > sh, e.g. -hlupha worry, irritate> -hlushwa be annoyed/

irritated (by), e.g. Sahlushwa kakhulu yilo muntu.
We were very irritated by this person.
m > ny, e.g. -luma bite> -lunywa be bitten (by), e.g. Umntwana
wami walunywa kabi yile nja. My child was badly
bitten by this dog.
Unit 2Lj Mr Maphumufo at the Post Office 3I I

b > tsh, e.g. -hlaba stab> -hlatshwa be stabbed (by), e.g. lsisulu
sahlatshwa ngegotshwa. The victim was stabbed
with a pocket-knife (igotshwa).
mb > nj, e.g. -bamba catch > -banjwa be caught, e.g. Impala
yabanjwa yibhubesi. The impala (antelope) was
caught by a lion (ibhubesi).
Insight
Note that all the passive verbs in the above examples
appear in the remote past tense which is why their subject
concords all contain the remote past tense marker -a.
(See Unit I 3.)
Umsebenzi
1 You need to pop into the Post Office.

a How would you ask a passer-by where the Post Office is?
b You are told iposihhovisi ise-Pick and Pay Shopping
Centre. What did the passer-by tell you?
c You need to buy Rio's worth of stamps at the Post
Office. How do you ask for them politely?
d You want to send a letter overseas. How do you ask the
clerk: How many stamps for must I put on (it)?
e You also want to register a letter. How do you tell the
clerk what you want to do?
2 You are unable to attend your best friend's wedding. Send

him/her a SMS message in which you congratulate the couple
on their wedding and wish them all the best for the future.

a You want to go
b You want to go to ]ohannes burg today
c The boys like playing football outside (phandle)
d She wants to buy new clothes (izingubo)
e You want to resign from your job (-esula emsebenzini)
312
4 How is the following said in Zulu:
o His birthday is on the 5th of November.
b The match (umdlalo) will be played on the 11th of June.
c Women's Day is on the 9th of August.
d What day is it today? (with -ngaki?)
e Today is the 9th of January.
5 Do you still remember the Zulu names for the first four
months of the year? If you do, write them down below:
January: February:
March: April:
6.1 Provide the missing subject concords of the 1st p. sing., 1st p.
pl., Classes 1, Ia and 2 in the following text.
lgama lami nguThemba. o (I) _hlala kubazali bami

nodadewethu Igama likadadewethu nguThandi. b (We)
_hlala eDandi. UThandi nami sisahamba isikole (still
attend school). Mina c _funda ibanga lesibili uThandi yena
d _funda ibanga lesine. Ubaba e _sebenza eGoli. Umama
f _sebenzi. g _bheka (look after) ugogo nathi (and us).
Ubaba h a _yi (go) emsebenzini namhlanje ngoba kuyiholide
(holiday). Banke a bantu baseDandi i _jabula kakhulu.
6.2 Now that you have filled in the necessary subject concords, try to
translate the text. (Make your translation as literal as possible.)
7 Write the following public notices in Zulu:

No swimming (-bhukuda) here
No smoking in here (-bhemela)
No entry (-ngena)
8 Give the passive form of the following verb stems and also
give the meaning of each passive stem.
o -thumela send
b -khomba show
c -hlupha worry, irritate
d -dweba draw (a picture)
Unit 21t Mr Maphumuto at the Post Office 3I 3

1 Some of the expressions that can be used when doing business

at the Post Office.
2 The wording of possible SMS messages given as examples in
this unit.
3 The meaning and use of the infinitive prefix uku-.
4 How dates are expressed in Zulu.
5 How to ask what the date is and possible answers to this
question.
6 The Zulu names for all the months of the year.
7 The form and use of the passive verbal extension.
8 The different sound changes in verbs triggered by the passive
verbal suffix/extension.
9 Rules regarding the use of the passive verbal extension.
10 The Zulu wording of the public notices given as examples in
this unit.
Ukubukeza
Revision
1 You have to attend a business meeting in Johannesburg.
You go to a local Travel Agency to make the necessary flight
arrangements and you speak to one of the consultants whose
name is Nomusa. She asks a what she can do for you and
you tell her that b you want to make a reservation (-bhuka
indawo) on a flight (indiza) to Johannesburg (that goes to
Johannesburg). She asks you c for when? (when do you plan
(want) to go (-hamba)? And you say d (for=) on Tuesday the
4th of February. She asks e at what time do you want to leave
and you ask f whether (ngabe) there is a flight that leaves at
7 o'clock in the morning and she says g no, there isn't but that
there is a flight that leaves at 6.15 a.m. You say that h that
will be OK and that you'll take it. She asks i how many people
(passengers) you are and you say thatj it is only (for) yourself.
She asks k when you are coming back (-buya) and you say
that I you will be coming back on Thursday. m She asks how
(kanjani) you would like to pay (-khokha). You answer that
n you will pay by credit card (i-credit card).
Create a suitable dialogue between yourself and the consultant

Nomusa based on the information given above.
2 You are interested in buying a second-hand car. You visit a

second-hand car dealer and speak to one of the salesmen, say
Vusi. He asks you a what type of car (nhloboni yemoto) you
are looking for (want). You say that b you are interested in
Unit 25 Revision 3I 5
(-thanda) a Toyota Corolla. The salesman asks c what price
range you are interested in (how much money you would like
to spend) and you tell him that d anything (noma ma1ini) from
Rso,ooo to R6o,ooo will be OK. He says e he has a white
Toyota Corolla for(= that costs [-biza]) R55,ooo. You say
that fyou would like to see it and he shows you the car. You
ask g how much deposit (idiphozithi) they want (a deposit of
how much money) and he replies that h they want a deposit
of R2o,ooo (that is R2o.ooo). You ask i whether (ngabe) the
car is guaranteed (is with a guarantee igaranti) and he tells you
thatj it has a guarantee for (elingene be equal to) Io,ooo km
or (noma) 6 months.

between yourself and the salesman, Vusi.
3.1 The father of a close Zulu-speaking friend of yours has passed

away. Say how you would offer your condolences for the loss
of their father.
3.2 Write a message in which you congratulate your friend

(Meshack) on obtaining his/her Master's degree at university.
Begin your message with: Meshack othandekayo Dear Meshack.
4 How would you say that you came by:

o car b bus c train d plane
5 Someone wanted to see you yesterday but could not find you
at home. How do you tell him that you were:
o in town
b at work
c visiting (-vakashela) a friend
d playing golf (-dlala igalofu)
6 You are going away on holiday. How do you tell your family
and friends that you:
o are going to return (-buya) on the 14th of April.
b will arrive at Cape Town Airport (esikhumulweni
sezindiza saseKapa) on Sunday at 8 p.m.
7 Count from 1-12 in Zulu using the traditional Zulu names
for the respective numerals.
8 By using the strong negative form of the nouns given in

brackets how do you say the following in Zulu:
a Don't worry (-khathazeka). It is not a problem (inkinga).
b Pm not stupid (isilima). I'll never do a thing like that!
(Ngeke ngenze (< ngi-enze) into enjalo!)
9 By using the interrogative bani? How do you say the following

in Zulu:
a What is the time now?
b What size (trousers) do you wear (-gqoka)?
c Desmond who are you looking for? (You are looking
for Desmond who?)
10 Say in Zulu that:

a you want to buy a light truck (iveni) but that you don't
have the money.
b you may not (-nge-) drive a car (-shayela) because you
haven't got a driver's licence.
11 Complete the sentences below by filling in the missing relative

concord:
a Ufuna umsebenzi _njani? What kind of work do
you want?
b A __duba umsebenzi bazoxoshwa. Those (people) who
strike (-duba umsebenzi.) will be dismissed (-xoshwa).
c UNkosikazi Zuma ungumuntu __ qinile kakhulu.
Mrs Zuma is a very strict person.
d Ingane _ngakhali ifela embelekweni. A child who does
not cry dies on its mother's back. (Zulu proverb.)
e Ngiyohamba ngesitimela __suka ngo-8 am. I am
leaving on the 8 o'clock train (the train that leaves at
8 o'clock).
f Udadewethu uneminyaka _ngu-16. My sister is
I 6 years old.
Unit 25 Revision 3I 7
12.1 Complete the sentences below by filling in the missing
adjectival concords.
Ngikufisela I wish (for) you:
a usuku __hle a nice day
b unyaka __ sha n_hle a prosperous new year
(a year that is new and that is prosperous)
c impilo __de a long life
12.2 Lowo muntu That person (is):

a _dala old
b __hle good/beautiful/attractive
c __fishane kakhulu very short
13 How do you say in Zulu you work from:

a 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
b Monday to Friday
c the roth to the 2oth?
Key to the exercises
Unit 1
Umsebenzi 1 a Yebo. b Ngikhona. Wena unjani? c Hamba kahle.
2 a Sanibona/Sanibonani madoda. b Ninjani? c Ngiyaphila/
Ngikhona. 3 a Sawubona mnumzana. b Sawubona Mandla/Buti
Mandla/Sawubona mfowethu. c Sawubona nkosikazi. Sawubona
Ma. d Sawubona mfowethu. e Sawubona dade/sisi. f Sawubona
baba/• .t. a Sala kahle Bheki. b Salani kahle. 5 au- b ngi- c ni-
d si- e ni- f si-. 6 a Sakubona/Sawubona dadewethu. Good day
(my) sister. b Salani kahle bafana. Go well boys. c Siyaphila. We
are fine/well.
Unit 2
Umsebenzi 1 a Yebo. b Ngikhona/Ngiyaphila. c Yebo (ngisaphila).
d Ngingu- (plus your name)/(lgama lami) Ngu- (plus name)/
Lingu- (plus name). e Ngingu- (plus your surname)/(lsibongo sami)
Ngu- (plus surname)/Singu- (plus surname) f Sala kahle. g Ngingu-
(plus your name (and surname). 2 a Ngingu-Joseph Gumede
igama lamii(Igama lami) ngu-Joseph Gumede. b Ngubani igama
lakho?/Lithini igama lakho? uvelaphi? c Uphumaphi? d Ngiphuma
uvelaphi? Ngivela (plus place name). e Sala kahle/Hamba kahle.
3 a abelungu/imizi b amabhasikidi/amawashi c izitolo/amadoda
d abantwana/imikhonto e izimoto/obaba .t. a umuntu/isinkwa
b irandi/inkomo c ummese/umSuthu d ikamelo/intombazana
5 a Where do you come from? b I come from KZN c What is your
name? d Thank you 6 a Hamba kahle Simon b Igama lami (li)ngu-
Sally c isibongo sami (si)ngu-Peters d Sawubona baba e Ngiyaphila
f Ungubani wena? 7 Sithini isibongo sakho Desmond? Sithini
isithakazelo sakho Desmond? 8 Ngivela: a eMelika b e-Australia
c ejalimani d eNgilandi e e-Europe.
Unit 3
Umsebenzi 1 a Ungumhlobo b NgingumZulu c Uvela d Ngivela
e Nikhulumani f Sikhuluma g Sikhuluma isiNgisi h ngiyasazi
Key to the exercises 3I 9

2 Uyakwazi ukukhuluma a isiBhunu b isiXhosa c isiPedi?
3 Ngiyasazi a isiNgisi b isiZulu c isiSuthu/Angisazi d isi]alimani
e isiVenda f isiBhunu• .t. Ngiyaxolisa kodwa angiqondi kahle usho
ukuthini. 5 a Ngubani igama lakho, mfowethu? b NginguMzilikazi
(igama lami) c Mzilikazi bani? d Uvelaphi? e Ngivela eGoli.
f (Wena) Uvelaphi? g Ngivela eMlazi h Usifundephi isiZulu?
i Ngisasifunda j Ngisazi kancane isiZulu.
Unit .t.
Umsebenzi 1 a Sawubona mnumzana. Nkosikazi. b Ngingakusiza
ngani? c Ngifuna uhlaza (imifino) nezithelo. d Ufunani? e Ngifuna
amazambane nobhontshisi nobhanana. f Yimalini amawolintshi?
g Yi-Rro usakazana. h Kukhona okunye na? i Yilokho kuphela.
ngiyabonga. 2 a nebothela b noFikile c namaXhosa d nekhofi
e nopelepele. 3 Ngingajabula./Cha, ngiyabonga . .t. a Ngibonga
usizo lwakho. b Ngibonga isinkwa esithosiwe. c Ngibonga impatho
efudumele. 5 a abelungu b amathikithi c amarande d abafundisi
e izitolo f izinkomo g izintaba. 6 a umuntu b inja c isikole
d umntwana e indoda f iqanda g umfula h ibhodlela i indawo
j intombazana.
Unit 5 (Revision)
1 a Sawubona (plus your own name). b Unjani? c Ngiyaphila/
Ngikhona. d Unjani wena? e Nami ngiyaphila(Ngikhona).
f Uyaphi manje? g Ngiya ekhaya/Ngibuyela ekhaya h Hamba
kahle. 2 a Ngingu- (plus your name) (igama lami). b Ngubani
igama lakho?/Lithini igama lakho? c Uvelaphi? d Ngivela eThekwini
(mina). 3 a Ngingakusiza ngani? b Ngingajabula. Ngifuna ushizi
nebhotela c Yimalini/Kubiza malini d Yi-Rr5 e Kukhona okunye
f yilokho kuphela g Ngiyabonga . .t. a abantwana b izindlovu
c omalume d izitimela e amatafula f izimemo g imizi h amayembe/
amahembe. 5 a umlungu b isilwane c indoda d iNgisi e Irande
f ingane g umfula h uphopho. 6 a I don't know Zulu b Can/Do
you speak English? c What's your name? d Is that all? e Can I help
you? fAre you still in good health? g Who are you? h I'm a teacher
i I would be grateful. 7 a Sawubona Denise b Sawubona Nkosikazil
Mama c Sawubona baba d Sawubona ndodalbaba e Sanibonani
madoda f Sawubona Mnumzane g Sawubona mfana. 8 a Salani
320
kahle bafowethu b Hamba kahle baba c lgama lami nguNorman
d Ngiyasazi isiZulu e Angisazi isiBhunu kakhulu f Ngiyabonga
g Yimalini ubhanana? h Ngivela KwaZulu-Natali 9 o Ngiyabonga
b Ngingajabula c Unjani?/Ninjani? d Cha, ngiyabonga e Yimalini?
f Ngubani igama lakho:/Lithini igama lakho? 10 o Awuphinde,
angiqondi kahle usho ukuthini b Awukhulume kancane, angiqondi
kahle 11 o uhambisa b balambile c Siyahamba d lisuka e iyabiza
f ayabila g zivula h iyadayisa i luyakhala 12 o uphayinaphu
b amazambane c ubhanana d amawolintshi e ikhukhamba
f utamatisi g amahabhula h uletisi i u-anyanisi.
Unit 6
l:mibuzo o Yebo, yiqiniso. b Yebo, yiqiniso c Cha, akuyiqiniso
d Cha, akuyiqiniso e Cha, akuyiqiniso.
Umsebenzi 1 o Ngingakusiza ngani, mnumzana? b Ngifuna
uphetroli. c Wamalini? d Awuthele uphetroli we-RI5o/ka-R150.
e Awuhlole amanzi nowoyela. f Ngihlole amathaya?
g Ngingajabula/Ngingathanda. h Kukhona okunye na? i Cha,
yilokho kuphela. Ngiyabonga j Nasi isipho sakho. 2 o u- b i-
c si- d lu- eli-fi-g a- h ku- i si- j ngi- k si-1 i- m li- 3 o Ufunani?
b Yimalini lokhu?/Kubiza malini lokhu? c Kukhona okunye na?
d Ngubani igama lakho?/Lithini igama lakho? e Wenzani?
fNikhuluma/Ukhuluma isiNgisi ekhaya na? g Awuvule umnyango
h Ngiyabonga i Ngingangena manje? j Uyasizwa isiNgisi na?
4 o Ngicela unginikeze usawoti. b Ngicela unginikeze amanzi.
c Ngicela unginikez eupelepele. d Ngicela uninikeze ubisi. e Ngicela
unginikeze ushizi. 5 o ama peni b a bafana c amadoda d izimoto
e izitolo 6 o umuntu b inja c umfula d irandi e isitsha 7 o UNomsa
uphekani? b Abantwana bafundani? c Amantombazana agezani?
d Intombazane ibhalani? e Isalukazi sithungani? 8 o Ngicela uvale
umnyangoNala umnyango ngiya(ku)cela b Ngicela uhlale phansi/
Hlala phani ngiya(ku)cela c Ngicela ukhulume isiNgisi/Khuluma
isiNgisi ngiyacela d Ngicela uvule i-TVNula i-TV ngiyacela.
Unit 7
Imibuzo 1 o Ukhumbula usuku lokuzalwa (kwakhe) b Umfisele
impilontle nempilonde c Umfisele unwele olude d Bamlethele isipho
(esincane) e Wathola isipho esincane.
Key to the exercises 32 I

Umsebenzi 1 Mary othandekayo, Halala ngokukhumbula usuku
lokuzalwa kwakho. Ngikufisela impilontle nempilonde (unwele
olude). Yimi Umngane wakho (your name). 2 a Mehlomadala!
b Wei c Hhayiboi/Hhayil d Nxephel Uxolo 3 a Uyangifuna
b ngiyakufuna c Bayasibiza d bayanibiza e Uyangazi f ngiyakwazi
g Ngingakusiza h Usangikhumbula i ngilakukhumbula. 4 a -li-
b -yi- c -si- d -ba- e -zi- f -wu- g -si- h -zi-. 5 Ngikufisela uKhisimuzi
omuhle nonyaka omusha omuhle. 6 ngi-, si-, li-. 7 a Awungilethele
itiye, Jacob b Awuvule isango, Jacob c Awu(m)bize uJoseph, Jacob
d Awuvale umsakazo, Jacobe Awungisize lapha, Jacob. 8 a amabhasi
b izitimela c izinkomo d izipho e izimoto f abelungu. 9 a isinkwa
b iqanda c umbhede d into e isihlalo, umlungu.
UnitS
Imibuzo a Kuyiqiniso. b Cha, uNomsa ufuna ushintshi
we-R5o/ka-R5o. c Cha, uNomsa ucela i-cooldrinkiliStoney.
d Kuyiqiniso. e Cha, uNomsa ukhokhe R2.oo.
Umsebenzi 1 a malini b angiphethe, ngiphethe c ukhona d akekho
e ukhona. 2 a Ngiyasebenza. b Ngi(ya)sebenza namhlanje.
c Ngiyagula. d Ngiyaya. e Ngiyabonga baba Nene. 3 a Lukhona
ucingo lapha?/Ukhona udokotela lapha?/Sikhona isibhedlela lapha?
b Ngicela ubhiya. c Uphethe ushintshi we-R2olka-R2o na? 4 a Cha,
alukho. b Cha, alikho. c Cha, awekho. d Cha, ayikho. e Cha,
awukho. 5 a Uphi umnumzana Clayton? b Siphi isikhwama semali
sami? c lphi inja ka-Leonard? d Uphi iwashi lami? e Uphillphi
ipolisiteshi? 6 a Nanga b Nasa c Nanso d Nanto e Nanso/Nanto
7 a Izitolo zivaliwe namhlanje. b Amasupamakethe avuliwe
namhlanje.
Unit9
Imibuzo a Cha, uGodfrey u-ode uwiski onamanzi. b Cha,
uGodfrey usebenza eThekwini. c Kuyiqiniso. d Cha, uGodfrey
usebenza e-Holiday Inn. e Kuyiqiniso.
Umsebenzi 1 a Awuhlale phansi, Sally. b Cha, ngiyabonga
c Ngijahile d Nginomcimbi e ligamenxe ihora leshumi f angithandi
ukuphuza ukufika g Usebenzani? h Ngingumamukeli e-Protea
Hotel i Usebenzani wena? j Nginguthishela k Ngiyaxolisa
322
I ngifanele ukuhamba m Usale kahle. 2 o Ngiyakubonga. b Ngi(ya)
kubonga kakhulu. c Ngibonga usizo lwakho. 3 o Ngiyabonga
b Siyabona c Ufunani? d Ufuna imali? 4 o Cha, uGodfrey akaphuzi
ubhiya. b Cha, ujames akasebenzi eGoli. c Cha, uMartin akafuni
i-Coca-Cola. d Cha, asikhulumi isiZulu. e Cha, abafuni ukubaleka.
f Cha, alishisi kakhulu. g Cha, akubizi. 5 o Ngicela i-akhawundi.
b Ngifuna ukuphumula kancane. c Ngifuna ukudla manje. d Ngifuna
utamatisi no-anyanisi. e Ngifuna ukuya edolobheni. 6 o ba- b u-
c zi- d zi- e a- fa- g li-. 7 o Ihora leshumi nambili nqo b Ihora
lesithupha nqo c Imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu ngaphambi kwehora
lesishiyangalombili d Ngemizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu lishayile ihora
lokuqala e ligamenxe ihora lesishiyangalolunye. 8 o Nginguthisha.
b Ngingumabhalane. c Ngingunjiniyela. d Ngingummeli e Ngingunesi
9 o ngibulale/ngephule isitsha b ngiselwe c ngiphuze ukufika.
Unit 10 (Revision)
1 Baba nomama abathandekayo. Ngiyanihalalisela Halala
ngokukhumbula usuku lokushada kwenu. Nginifisela impilontle
nempilonde izilokoth ezinhle Yimi, indodana/indodakazi yenu (plus
your name) 2 o You: Uphethe ushintshi na mfana? b He: Wamalini.
c You: We-R so/Ka-R 50. 3 Sifiso/Thandeka othandekayo. Ngikufisela
uKhisimuzi omuhle nonyaka omusha omuhle/onenjabulo.
4 o Ngifuna uphetroli. b Wamalini? c We-R2oo/Ka-R2oo. d Likhona
ithoyilethe lapha na? e Yebo, likhona. f Ukuphi? g Nanto.
h Uvuliwe na? i Cha. Livaliwe.j Siphi isikhiye? k Nasi (isikhiye)
5o UNohlanhla ukhona na?/Ukhona na uNonhlanhla? bAkhona
na amanzi abandayo?/Amanzi a banda yo akhona na? c Inyuziphepha
likhona na?/Ukhona na inyuziphepha? d Imali ikhona na/lkhona
na imali? 6 o Yebo, ukhonaJCha, akekho. b Yebo, akhonaJCha,
awekho. c Yebo, likhonaJCha, alikho. d Yebo, ikhona./Cha,
ayikho. 7 o Yebo, ngiyasikhuluma. b Yebo, ngiyamazi. c Yebo,
ngiyawuthanda. d Yebo, ngiyayidla. e Yebo, ngiyayibhema. fYebo,
ngiyayifuna. g Yebo, ngiyamthanda. h Yebo, ngiyawuthanda.
i Yebo, ngiyazesaba.j Yebo, ngiyalifunda. 8 o Abaisebenzi namhlanje.
b Angiyi edolobheni. c Abaihlali eGoli. d UNomusa akahlali
eThekwini. e Ugogo akaguli kabi. f Abantwana abayi esikoleni
namhlanje. g La madoda awasebenzi kakhulu. h lbhantshi lakhe
Key to the exercises 32 3

alibizi i Angizwa. 9 o Ngikhuluma isiNgisi. b Ngiyafuna. c U-Esther
usebenza edolobheni. d UJohannes ulalela irediyo yakhe. e Inja
yakhe iyaluma. f Ngiyezwa. g Ngizwa kahle (Alt. Ngiyazwisisa).
h Abantwana bayaganga. i Sithanda ibhola. 10 o Awunginikeze
usoso katamatisi b Awunginikeze umasitadi. 11 Ufunani?
12 o Ngifuna umsebenzi b Ngifuna imali c Ngifuna itiye/Ngifuna
inkomishi yetiye. 13 o That's all. b May I have the milk, please.
c Here is Jabulani. d Thank you very much. e What does Sharon
do for a living? (What kind of work does she do?) fWhat time is
it now? g Sorry/1 beg your pardon. h What are you doing now?
i Cheers! 1.t. o Imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu phambi kwehora lesibili
b Ligamenxe ihora lesikhombisa c Imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu
lishayile ihora lesishiyangalolunye d ihora lesihlanu nqo e ihora
leshumi nqo 15 o Half past six (o'clock) b Quarter past five (o'clock)
c Quarter to one (o'clock) 16 o emini be bade b kusihlwa c ekuseni
d ntambama.
Unit 11
Imibuzo 1 o Akusilo iqiniso. URon uphuma eMelika. b Akusilo
iqiniso. EMnambithi kuse-KZN. c Kuyiqiniso. d Kuyiqiniso.
2 o NguRon b USam uphuma eMnambithi. c URon ujabulela
ukwazi uSam. d UNeil wethule uRon naBob kuSam.
Umsebenzi 1 o (i) Kevin mangikwazise/mangikwethule kumngane
wami u-Lucas. (ii) Lucas nguKen lo (iii) Kevin, nguLucas lo
b Ngijabulela ukukwazi, Lucas. c Nami ngijabulela ukukwazi
d ULucas uvela/uphuma eThekwini e Wena uvelaphi/uphumaphi,
Kevin? f Ngivela/Ngiphuma/Sakhe eBhayi g Mina ngivela/ngiphuma
ePitoli h Uxolo, ngubani-ke igama lakho?/Lithini-ke igama lakho?
i lgama lami nguKevin/NguKevin igama lami. j Kevin bani? k Kevin
Sharp I Ngiyabonga. 2 o Iphi imimese? Isediloweni. b Uphi ubaba?
Usemsebenzini. c Uphi ushukela? Usetafuleni. d Baphi abantwana?
Basesikoleni. e Iphi inyama? Isefrijini. f Iphi isuphamakethe?
Ise-Long Street. g Ziphi izincwadi? Zisebhokisini. 3 o Sawubona,
mama. Sawubona Vincent, mfowethu. b Mama, mangikwazise/
mangikwethule kuSheila. c Ngijabulela ukukwazi, mama.
d Ngumfowethu lo, uVincent. e Kumnandi ukukwazi, Vincent.
fUvelaphi/Uphumaphi/Nakhephi mntanami (my child)? g Ngivela
e-Howick!Ngiphuma e-Howick, Ngise-Howick. h Kukuphi
e-Howick? i Kuse-KZN/KuKwaZulu-Natali. 4 o UMoses ukhona
na?/Cha, akekho. b Umlungu ukhona?/Cha, akekho. c Abelungu
bakhona?/Cha, abekho. d Ikhemisi likhona?/Cha, alikho.
e Isibhedlela sikhona?/Cha, asikho. f Udokotela ukhona?/Cha,
akekho. 5o Sikude kangakanani isiqiwu sase-Kruger National Park
kusukela eNelsproto? b Ikude kangakanani i-FNB kusukela ehotela?
c Ikude kangakanani inxanxathela yezitolo kusukela lapha?
d Isikhumulo sezindiza u-0 R. Tambo sikude kusukela ePitoli na?
6 o Kungamakhilomitha angu-6o. b Cishe kungamakhilomitha
angu-90. 7 o izinto b izibane c abelungu d amabhayisikili e amaBhunu
f izinyoni g ophayinaphu h imizi. 8 o Ngivela eThekwini
b eMgungundlovu c eKapa d ePitoli e eLandani f e-New York.
Unit 12
l:mibuzo 1 o Akuyiqiniso. Banesipesheli senhlanzi namhlanje.
b Akuyiqiniso. USipho uthanda iwayini. c Kuyiqiniso.
d Akuyiqiniso. Akubhenyelwa lapho. 2 o Uweta uphakamisa
i-pepper steki. b USipho nekosikazi yakhe bafuna ukuphuza
iwayini. c Isipesheli yinhlanzi namhlanje d Badlela erestorenti
e 1-pepper steak ivuthwe kancane kodwa ingavuzi igazi.
Umsebenzi 1 o Sawubona ntombazana/dade. b ngicela imeniyu/
Awungilethele imeniyu. Uphakamisani namhlanje? c Imnandi na?
d Kulungile. Ngizoyithatha. e/Ngithanda livuthwe kakhudlwana.
f Ngingathanda amashibusi. g Ngingajabula. h Ngingathanda
ubhiya. i Ngingabhemela lapha na? j Ngingathanda ukuphinda
ubhiya. 2 You: Ngingapaka lapha na? Att.: Cha, Ungepake
lapha, mnumzane. You: Kungani na? Att.: Le ndawo ibekelelwe
odokotela. You: Ngingapaka kuphi? Att.: Ungapaka laphaya.
You: Kulungile. Ngiyabonga. Att.: Ukhuluma isiZulu? You: Yebo.
Att.: Uvelaphi/Uphumaphi? You: Ngivela/Ngiphuma KwaZulu-
Natali 3 o Mina ngithanda ikhofi kodwa yena akalithandi.
b Thina sihlala eNingizimu Africa kodwa bona bahlala phesheya.
4 o abathengisi b amahhashi c izipunu d izinyoni e amakati
f othisha. 5 o indoda b umuntu c imfologo d izinyo e isibhamu
f umuthi. 6 o isitsha b ummese c inyama d igama lami e isibongo
sami f isiZulu g ubisi h ushukela i isinkwaj usawoti k irayisi
I ibhotela. 7 Ngifuna: o ukuya manje. b ukubukela i-lV c ukukhuluma
nomngane wakho d ukudlala ibhola e ukufundela ubudokotela.

Unit 13
l:mibuzo a USipho uthanda iwayini emhlophe ebabayo. b lgama
lenkosikazi kaSipho nguLindiwe. c USipho ucele ukuthi inyama
ingavuzi igazi d USipho uthe babuyisele inyama ekhishini.
e Cha, Ulindiwe akakhethanga iwa yini.
Umsebenzi 1 a Ngikunike i-Rso. b Sifike ngebhasi. c Ngikutshelile
ukuthi angizi kusasa. d Ngimtshelile ukuthi isivivinyo sihlehlisiwe.
e Sicele itiye, hhayi ikhofi. f Abantwana bahambile. g Utheni Moses?
2 a Ngikhathele kakhulu/Angikhathele kakhulu. b Wanke utamatisi
uphelile/Awuphelile. c Umlenze wakhe ulimele/awulimele d Uphethe
imali na/Angiphethe imali. e Somile kakhulu/Asomile kakhulu.
f Itangi ligcwele/aligcwele. g Silambile/Asilambile. h Kulungile.
Akulungile. i Zonke izingane zithokozile/azithokozile kakhulu.
3 a alikoranga. b ababalekanga. c awabophanga. d ayibulalanga.
4 a Awungiphathele b Ngizokubizela c Ngizokukwenzela
d ukumtholela. 5 a ngejwayele b samukele c lomile d yale
ekomile.
Unit 1-4
Imibuzo 1 a UThemba ufuna ukuposa incwadi. b UThemba ubuze
iposihhovisi kumfana c Umfana usize uThemba d UThemba upose
incwadi yakhe esigxotsheni seposi. e Umfana uthe uThemba ajikele
esitobhini.
Umsebenzi 1 a Uhamba ngalo mgwaqo uze (until) ufike esitobhini.
b Lapho ujikele ngakwesobunxele. c bese uqonda ngqo uze ufike
emarobhothini. d Lapho ujikele ngakwesokudla. e Uzobona ibhodi
elikhomba umgwaqo oya e-Athlone. 2 Uxolo, mnumzana (baba,
dade, etc.), ngicela umgwaqo oya emgungundlovu. 3 a Ngibize iteksi
na? b Ngixolise kuye na? c Ngigqoke isudi emcimbini wokumvalelisa
na? d Ngithele uphetroli ongakanani? 4 a Linda, ungakhohlwa
ukuletha amacwecwe. b Ungafiki emva kwesikhathi kusasa, Linda.
c Ungakhathazeki Linda, konke kuzolunga. d Ungahlali kuze
kube ngu-2 Linda. Ungahamba manje. 5 a Yini ndaba ungabizanga
amaphoyisa? b Yini ndaba ungagibeli ibhasi? c Yini ndaba
ungangitshelanga? 6 a Thatha ubisi bese ulubeka efrijini. b Funda
imiyalo bese ugcwalisa amafomu. c Vula umnyango bese ukhanyisa
izibane. d Geza izitsha bese uzibeka ekhabetheni. 7 lsitolo sempilo
a siseceleni kwe-Woolworths. b siseduze ne-FNB bank. c sibhekene
nela bhulali.
Unit 15 (Revision)
1 a Moses, mangikwazise kubangane bamiJMoses, mangikwethule
kubangane bami. Ngu-Mark lo, ngu-Judy lo. b Mark: Ngijabulela
ukukwazi. Judy: Nami ngijabulela ukukwazi. Moses: Nami
ngijabulela (uku-ni-azi =) ukunazi. 2 a Ngicela/Sicela imeniyu.
b Ngingathanda i-rump steki kodwa ivuthwe kakhudlwana.
c Ngicela ingilazi yewayini emhlophe. d Konke kulungile na?
e Kukhona okunye na? fYilokhu kuphela. Ngiyabonga. 3 a Uxolo
(pardon) nkosikazi, ngibU7a iStandard Bank/iStandard Bank ikuphi?
b Uxolo mnumzana, i-Elangeni Hotel ikuphi?/ngibU7a i-Elangeni
Hotel c Uxolo dade (sister) ngibU7a i-Aquarium/i-Aquarium ikuphi?
d Mangibuze (may I please ask) mfowethu, amalisho akuphi?
e Uxolo ndoda, ukuphi umgwaqo oya ekundleni yezindiza?
4 a Kungani na ungathandi ukulalela izindaba erediyo/kwiredivo?
b Kungani ungathandi ukubukela ibhola? c Kungani na ungathandi
ukugqoka izikibha? 5 a Yebo, ngilivalile. b Yebo, ngimbonile. c Yebo,
ngiyigezile. d Yebo, ngizicimile. e Yebo, ngisitholile. fUsithole kuphi?
6 a Cha, angilivalanga. b Cha, angimbonanga. c Cha, angiyigezanga.
d Cha, angizicimanga. e Cha, angisitholanga. 7 a EHluhluwe
kungamakhilomitha amangaki kusukela eThekwini. b Cishe
kungamakhilomitha angu-250. 8 a No smoking allowed in here.
b No entry. c No parking allowed. 9 a One way only. b Speed limit.
c Stop. d Danger. 10 a Ningathanda itiye noma ikhofi? b Ningathanda
ukuphinda itiye noma ikhofi na? 11 a Uqonde ngqo ngalo mgwaqo
bese. b ujikela ngakwesokudla lapho esitobhini samalambu.
Uzobona u(lu)phawu olukhomba ukuthi uMnyango Wethrafikhi
ukuphi. 12 a Uyephi. b Ngibatshelile. c Ngenze iphutha. d Ngishilo.
e Ubaba wesule emsebenzini ngonyaka odlule. 13 a Ngiyasebenza.
b Ubaba Mabuya ukhulume amanga. c UMaDlamini uhola imali
eningi. d Ugogo washona ngonyaka ka-2003. 14 a Cha, akekho.
b Cha, umsebenzi awukho. c Cha, inja ayikho. d Cha, awekho
amanzi a banda yo. 15 a ushizi usefrijini. b ibhotela lisefrijini.
c imimese isediloweni. d URaymond usekhaya. e UMajorie
usekamelweni lakhe. 16 a sugar broad c path/way d ask/request/
please e ask (a question) f call g go h turn (towards) i like/love.
Unit 16
l:mibuzo 1 a Akuyiqiniso. UMark uhlala ePitoli. b Akuyiqiniso.
URoy akekho ehhovisi lakhe. c Akuyiqiniso. URoy uye elantshini.

d Akuyiqiniso. URoy uyayazi inombolo yocingo lukaMark
e Akuyiqiniso. lsibongo sika-Roy nguThwala. 2 a UMark ufonele
uMnumzana Thwala/URoy Thwala. b Uye elantshini. c Ithi 420
2493. d UMark ukhulume nomabhalane/nonobhala (ka-Roy).
e URoy usebenza e-H&H Publishers.
Umsebenzi 1 a Ngicela ukukhuluma noJulia. b Ngubani okhulumayo?
c NguNkosikazi Dlamini. d Ngeshwa ujulia akekho. e Ngingathatha
umyalezo na? fNgingajabula. g Mtshele u-Julia ukuthi. akangifonele
h Kuyaphuthuma i Ithini inombolo yocingo lwakho? j UJulia
uyayazi. 2 a UNkosikazi Kelly akekho. b Lento ayibizi. c USusan
akapasanga. d Alishisi kakhulu. e Akubandi. f Izingubo zami
azihlanzekile. g UNomusa akafikanga. 3 a bungcolile b sedukile
c uqinile d kuphelile e iyindlala fbayakhohlisa • .t. a Awubambe
kancane. b Ngizokwedlulisela kumphathi. c UMnumzana Smith
akekho. d Awufone futhi emva kwemizuzwana eyishumi (= ro).
5 a Ngubani ongathanda icooldrinki? b Ngubani ongathanda
ukubukela umdlalo webhola ku-TV? 6 a Mtshele uDudu ukuthi
ngiyamkhonza. b Mtshele uThandi ukuthi ngizophuza ukufika.
c Mtshele uMuzi angakhohlwa ukukhiya umnyango. d Mtshele
uJabulani makaphuthume. 7 a lob lesi c leyo d labo e lezi.
Unit 17
Imibuzo a NguSibongile. b USibongile ucele usawoti nopelepele
kuDoreen. c ULindiwe uthe umasitadi usefrijini. d uLindiwe.
e Ngoba (because) akungamamenazi (< amamenazi manners)
amahle. f Uthe uLindiwe upheke ukudla okumnandi kakhulu.
g NguSfiso noDoreen.
Umsebenzi 1 a Awuhlale lapha, Florence. b Themba, awuhlale
lapho. c Masithandaze. d Ningathanda ukuphuzani?
e Ngingathanda ngilazi yewa yini emhlophe. f Mina ngingathanda
i-cooldrinki. g Awunginikeze usawoti nopelepele. h Kunjani
ukudla? i Kumnandi kakhulul j Nami ngiyavuma. k Ngiyabonga.
I Ningathanda ikhofi na? m Cha, siyabonga. n Nihambe kahle.
o Nilale kamnandi. 2 a wakho b sethu c lwama bhasi d yakho
e amaZulu fyethu g yabo h enu i lwakhoj Yomhlaba k lesiZulu
I sokuhamba m sikaFana n kaFana 3 a asivumi b abaphili
c akasasebenzi d azisebenzisani e awabili f alithandi g ayihlakaniphile•
.t. a Masithandaze b Konke kulungile c Awuvale umnyango
d Awuhlole amathaya. 5 a Ngisaphila. b Izitolo zisavululiwe.
c Ophethe usekhona. 6 a Ngicela ubisi. b Izitolo zisavuliwe.
7 a Nginenja b Anginanja c Nginoshintshi d Anginashintshi
e Nginomsebenzi f Anginamsebenzi.
Unit 18
Imibuzo 1 a UGavin uye kudokotela. b UGavin uqale izolo
ukugula. c UGavin wakhumula ihembe. d Udokotela uthe uGavin
uphethwe yimfuluwenza. e Udokotela ufuna ukumbona futhi
ngoLwesithathu.
Umsebenzi 1 a Uphethwe yini, Mnumzane Khathi?/Unani
Mnumzane Khathi? b Angazi, Dokotela. c Unethemperesha na?
d Yebo, Dokotela. e Uphethwe yikhanda na? fYebo, ngiphethwe
yikhanda ngesinye isikhathi Dokotela. g Yisikhathi esingakanini
ugula? (Uqale nini ukugula?) h Ngiqale kuthangi ukuzizwa kabi.
i Awukhumule ibhantshij ngoba ngifuna ukuthatha umfutho
wegazi lakho. k Umfutho wegazi lakho ulungile. I Uzizwa ushisa
umzimba na? m Yebo, dokotela. n Ngibona uphethwe
wumkhuhlane. o Ngizokukunqumela/-lohela umuthi. 2 a UGavin
akayanga esibhedlela. b UGavin akaguli kakhulu. c Udokotela
akajovanga uGavin. 3 a Sobonana ngoMsombuluko, ngoLwesibili,
ngomGqibelo. b kule mpelasonto. c kwimpelasonto ezayo.
4.1 a Hlalani phansil b Sukumanil c Thulanil d Valani amehlol
e Wozani laphal 4.2 a Ubeke efrijinil b Babizel c Nginike imalil
d Yibhale phansil 5 a I do as I please b I am suffering from flu
cHow do you feel today? d Behave yourself! e When will we see
each other again? 6 a Uphole masinya. b Uhambe kahle. c Usale
kahle. e Ulale kamnandi. 7 a Awuvule i-TV/umabonakude, Rachel.
b Awuvale umsakazo, Rachel. c Awulethe ushukela, Rachel.
d Awubize uJonathan, Rachel. 8 a UNkosikazi Sibiya ukhona.
b Siyakhala. c Ibhasi lifikile. d Umama ulambile. e Laba bantu
bakhuluma isiZulu. 9 a w- b si- c u- d ni- e b- f ngi- g si-, s-.
Unit 19
Imibuzo a Umamukeli ukhuluma noMenzi lapha. b Isibongo
sikaMenzi nguZondo. c Igama lesihlobo sikaMenzi nguStanley.
d Elinye igama likaMenzi nguPatience. e UMenzi uhlala
eSikhawini.

Umsebenzi 1 a Amagama aphelele nesibongo. b l-ID namba/
mamba, inombolo yomazisi. c Ubudala. d Idethi lokuzalwa.
e lsizwe. f Okuphathelana nomshado/okuganana. g Ikheli leposi.
h Inombolo yocingo. i Igama lomuntu ozokhokha. i-akhawundi.
j Ulwimi lwasekhaya. k Isayini. 2 a Lokhu (ku)yindlovu b Lokhu
(ku)yibhubesi c Lokhu (ku)ngubhejane d Lokhu (ku)ngumkhombe
e Lokhu (ku)yinyathi f Lokhu (ku)ngufudu. g Lokhu (ku)ngukhozi
h Lokhu (ku)yingwe i Lokhu (ku)yingulule. 3 a Lithini igama lakho?
b Ithini inamba yomazisi wakho?/ye-ID yakho? c Lithini ikheli
eligcwele lasekhaya? d Ithini inamba yomakhalekhukhwini wakho?
4 a Uneminyaka emingaki ubudala? b Wazalwa ngamuphi unyaka?
c Yisikhathi esingakanani usushadile? 5 a Yisikhathi esingakanani
ugula, Felicity? b Yisikhathi esingakanani usesibhedlela, Felicity?
c Yisikhathi esingakanani wenza lo msebenzi, Felicity? d Yisikhathi
esingakanani ubheka ugogo, Felicity? 6 a Ngudadewethu lo.
b Ngumyeni wami lo. c Yintombi yami lo (muntu). d Yisoka lami
lo (muntu). 7 a Kuyinkinga. b Kukhona inkinga na?
Unit 20 (Revision)
1 a Kuse-Carlton Furnishers lapha. b Ngubani okhulumayo?
c NguVelaphi okhulumayo. d Velaphi bani? e Ngingakusiza na?
f Ngicela ukukhuluma nemenenja. g Ngeshwa imeneja ayikho
okwamanje. h uzobuya nini? i Angazi. j Awufone futhi
kusasa. 2 a Kukwa-Anderson lapha. b Ngubani okhulumayo?
c NguTerence okhulumayo. d Ufuna ukukhuluma no bani? e Uxolo,
wedukile/uswayelekabi. 3 a Masithandaze. b Awunginikeze ibhotela.
c Konke kulungile. d Anginamoto. e Nginebhayisikili. f Ubaba
akanamali eningi. 4 a sami b sikamama c somntwana d endlovu
e ethu fbasedolobheni g zokushayela h yomgwaqo i yakhe
j abesifazane. 5.1 a How do you feel? Ngizizwa kabi. b What ails
you? /What is the matter with you? Ngiphethwe yikhanda. c Does
it hurt?/Is it painful? Yebo, kubuhlungu. d Do you feel feverish?
Yebo, ngizizwa ngishisa umzimba. e Do you cough a lot? Cha,
ngikwehlela kancane. fWhen did you start to feel ill? Ngiqale
ukugula ngeSonto eledlule. 5.2 a I see/think that you suffer from
influenza. b You musn't/shouldn't go to work. c You must/should
stay in bed for three days. d I'll prescribe (some) medicine for you.
e I want to see you again on Wednesday. 6 a Woza/Yiza lapha
Nomacala. b Thulani bantwanal c Vala umnyango Lindiwe. d Valal
330
Cima izibane Menzi. e Phuthumani/Sheshani madoda. 7 a My address.
b My home telephone number. c My telephone number at work.
d How long I have been employed there. e My annual income (How
much money I earn per year). f My age. g My marital status. 8 Lithini
ikheli lakho? b Ithini inamba yocingo lwakho? c Lithini igama lakho?/
Sithini isibongo sakho? d Sithini isikhathi? e Lithini idethi namhlanje?
Unit 21
Imibuzo 1 a USimon nomuzi wakhe bafuna ukuchitha iholide labo
eThekwini. b USimon ufuna ikamelo elihlalisa abantu ababili.
c lkamelo yi-R250 ngosuku. d Umntwana kaSimon uneminyaka
emihlanu ubudala. e U-Simon uthanda ukubhuka indawo yokuhlala
kusukela kumhla ka-ro kufikela kumhla ka-21 kuDisemba. f !mali
yekamelo ihlangene nemali yebhulakufesi. g Bafuna idiphozithi
elingu-R 3oo/idiphozithi lamakhulu amathathu amarandi.
Umsebenzi 1 a KuseLangeni Hotellapha. b Ngingakusiza na?
c Ngithanda ukubuka indawo yokuhlala. d Awubambe kancane.
e Ngizokwedlulisela kwabase-Reservations. f Kuse-Reservations
lapha. Ngu-Sally okhulumayo. g Ngingathanda ukubhuka indawo
yokuhlala. h kusuka (kusukela) kumhla ka-3 kufika/kufikela
kumhla ka-r2 kujulayi. i Nibangaki? j Sibane. k Ufuna amakamelo
amangaki? I Sifuna amakamelo amabili. m Ikamelo yimalini
ngosuku? n Yi-R5oo ngosuku nihlalisana. 2 a amaqanda amabili
b qanda linye c izihlalo ezintathu d sihlalo sinye e a bantu abahlanu
f muntu munye g amarandi amabili h randi linye i amarandi
amathathuj amarandi amane k amarandi amahlanu I amarandi
ayishumi nanhlanu. 3 Vusi, ufuna: a izingilazi ezingaki? b imimese
emingaki? c izipunu gezingaki? d amapuleti amangaki? e amathikithi
amangaki? fa bantu abangaki? 4 a ba- b rna- c zi- d zi- e zi-
f rna-. 5 a rna- b zi- c zi- d a-. 6 a muhle. b sihle- c indala d mabi
e mdala 7 a ababili b omkhulu c eningi d elincane e enhle f encane
g omude h esihle i okubij amathathu 8 kunye r, kubili 2, kuthathu
3, kune 4. kuhlanu 5, isithupha 6, isikhombisa 7, isishiyagalombili
8, isishiyagalolunye 9, ishumi ro. 9 a Kusukela ku-9 ekuseni
kuya ku-5 ntambama. b Kusukela ekhasini 25 kuya ekhasini 50.
c Kusukela kumhla ka-r2 kuya kumhla ka-15 kuMashi. d Kusukela
ngoMsombuluko kuu kube ngoMgqibelo. e uthishela wethu
akasilima. f angimfokazi lapha mina. 10 a om ubi b encane
c emfishane d abasha.
Key to the exercises 33 I

Unit 22
Imibuzo 1 a Bafuna ukuthenga ifriji. b USarah uthanda ifriji
elinombala omhloshana. c lgalanti lingunyaka. d Bayoli-oda efektrini.
e Uthe lizofika iviki eli:zayo. f UCelani uzothola isephulelo.
Umsebenzi 1 a Sithanda ukuthenga umshini wokuwasha.
b Nifuna umshini onjani? c Sifuna umshini wokuwasha ozenzelayo.
d Yimalini lo mshini? e Unjani lo mshini? f Uqinile kakhulu.
g Singakhokha ngamancozuncozu na? h Yebo. Ningakhokha
izinyanga ezingu-6. i Niyadiliva na? j Sizowudiliva kusasa noma
ngoLwesine. 2 a isikhethi esibomvu b ilokwe elibomvana
c ibhubesi elimhlophe d umfokazi oqotho e umsebenzi olukhuni
f iholide elimnandi g indaba ebuhlungu h a bantu abakhuthele
i izulu elibandayo j ikhofi elishisayo/eshisayo. 3 a (lsitofu)
Sinegaranti na? b (lgaranti) Liyisikhathi esingakanani? c Sithola
isephulelo na uma sithenga ngokheshe/sikhokha/ngokheshe na?
d Singakhokha/izinyanga ezingu-b eziyisithupha na? e Niyadiliva
na? l! a Uhlala kwanamba (< kwa-inamba) bani? b Ufuna sayizi
bani? c Moses bani? 5 a abahlala b olubandayo c esilukhuni
d esidayisa e obukhali f elizulucwathile g ovilaphayo. 6 a engekho
b bengabambeleli c ingafuni d ungasebenzi e bengekho.
Unit 23
Imibuzo 1 a U-Ivor ubike ukugqekezwa kwendlu yakhe
emaphoyiseni. b Abagqekezi bebe imoto, izingubo ne-video
recorder. c lyi-Toyota Corolla. d Abagqekezi baphule ingidi
yegalaji. e Abagqekezi bayithole ekamelweni lokuhlala. f U-lvor
ubike ukugqekezwa kwendlu yakhe emaphoyiseni.
Umsebenzi 1 a Ngingakusiza na? b Yebo, ngingajabula. c Ngifuna
ukubika ukwebiwa kwerediyo yemoto yami. d Kwenzeke nini?
e Kwenzeke ebusuku bayizolo. f Ibikuphi imoto uma irediyo yebiwa
(< i-ebiwa) (itshontshwa)? g Ibisekhaya (< ib(e)-i-sekhaya). h Lithini
ikheli lakho? i Ithini inombolo yomazisi wakho/ye-I.D. yakho?
j Awusayine (< -sayina) lapha. 2 a Ubukuphi (< ub(e)-u-kuphi)
ebusuku bayizolo? b Benikuphi ebusuku bayizolo? c Ubekuphi
(< ub(e)-e-kuphi) ebusuku bayizolo? d Bebekuphi (< (ba)-be-be-kuphi)
ebusuku bayizolo? 3 a Bengisekhaya b Besisekhaya c Bebesekhaya
d Onke amadoda abesemcimbini.l! a ngizokubona (ngizokukubona)
332
ngoMgqibelo. b Ngiya edolobheni ngebhasi. c Ngibatshelile
ngengozi. d Isalukazi sihamba ngodondolo. e Ngikhulume
naye ngocingo. 5 a Uhambe ngasikhathi bani izolo? b Ushayisa
ngasikhathi bani? c Ubukuphi izolo? d URaymond ubekuphi izolo?
e Bezikuphi izikhiye zemoto? 6 a anginaso b inaso c anginayo
d nginaso e nginalo. 7 a Cha, ubengekho. b Cha, bengingekho.
c Cha, besingekho. d Cha, abengekho.
Unit 2-4
l:mibuzo 1 a UMaphumulo waya eposihhovisi (eposini) ukuyoposa
iphasela nokurejista incwadi yakhe/nokushaya ithelegilamu.
b UMaphumulo wafuna ukuthumela incwadi yakhe eMelika.
c Incwadi yakhe izohamba ngendiza. d Wakhokha R3.75
e Angakhohlwa ukubhala igama nekheli lakhe enzanzi
kwethelegilamu. f Asebenza kwelakithi (ezweni lakithi).
Umsebenzi 1 a Ngibuza iposihhovisi, maldade/sisi. b The Post Office
is in the Pick and Pay Shopping Centre. c Ngicela izitembu ze-elo.
d Ngifake izitembu zamalini? e Ngifuna ukubhalisalukurejista
incwadi. 2 Halala ngomshado wenu. Sinifisela okuhle kodwa.
Unwele olude! 3 a Ngifuna ukuhamba. b Ngifuna ukuya eGoli
namhlanje. c Abafana bathanda ukudlala ibhola phandle. d Ufuna
ukuthenga izingubo ezintshawami. e Ngifuna ukwesula emsebenzini.
4 a Usuku lokuzalwa kwakhe lungomhla ka-5 kuNovemba.
b Umdlalo uzodlalwa ngomhla ka-1 1 kuJuni. c Usuku Lwabesifazane
lungomhla ka-9 ku-Agasti. d Ngolwesingaki namhlanje. e Namhlanje
zingu-9 kuJanuwari. 5 January: uMasingana, February: uNhlolanja,
March: uNdasa, April: uMbasa. 6.1 a ngi- b si-c ngi- du-e u-
f aka- g u- h -ka- i ba-. 6.2 My name is Themba. a I stay (at=) with
my parents and my sister. My sister's name is Thandi. b We stay/live
in Dundee (place in northern KZN). Thandi and I still attend school.
c I study (in) Grade 2. Thandi on the other hand (=yena) d studies (in)
Grade 4· My father e works in Johannesburg. My mother f does not
work. g She looks after my grandmother and us. My father h isn't
going to work today because it is a holiday. All the people (everyone)
in Dundee i are very happy. 7 Akubhukudwa lapha, Akubhenyelwa
lapha. Akungenwa lapha. 8 a thunyelwa be sent to b -khonjwa be
shown c -hlushwa be irritated d -dwetshwa be drawn.

Unit 25 (Revision)
1 a Ngingakusiza ngani, Mnumzana? b Ngithanda ukubhuka
indawo endizeni eya eGoli. c Ufuna ukuhamba nini? d Ngolwesibili
mhla ka-4 kuFebruwari e Uthanda ukuhamba ngasiphi isikhathi?
f Ngabe ikhona indiza esuka ngo-7 ekuseni? g Cha, ayikho
kodwa kukhona indiza esuka ngo-6.r 5 ekuseni. h Kuzolunga,
ngizoyithatha. i Nibangaki? j Yimina kuphela. k Ubuya nini?
I Ngizobuya ngoLwesine. m Ungathanda ukukhokha kanjani?
n Ngizokhokha nge-credit Card. 2 a Uthanda nhloboni yemoto,
Mnumzana? b Ngithanda i-Toyota Corolla. c Ungathanda
ukukhokha malini, Mnumzana? d Noma malini kusukela ku-
R5o ooo kuya ku-R6o ooo kuzolunga. eNgine-Toyota Carolla
emhlophe ebiza R 55 .ooo. f Ngingathanda ukuyibona. g Nifuna
idipozithi lamalini? h Sifuna idipozithi elingu-R2o.ooo. i (lmoto)
Inegaranti? j Yebo. Inegaranti elilingene amakhilomitha angu-
ro.ooo noma izinyanga eziyisithupha (ezingu-6). 3.1 Sizwelana
nani ngokushona kukababa wenu. 3.2 Meshack othandekayo,
Halala ngokuzuza iziqu ze-Master zakho. Mana njalo! l! Ngifike
(Ngize) a ngemoto b ngebhasi c ngesitimela d ngendiza.
5 a Bengisedolobheni. b Bengisemsebenzini. c Bengivakashela
umngane wami. d Bengidlala igalofu. 6 a Ngiyobuya ngomhla
ka-14 ku-Apreli. b Ngiyofika esikhumulweni sezindiza
saseKapa ngeSonto ngo-8 ebusuku. 7 kunye, kubili, kuthathu,
kune, kuhlanu, isithupha, isikhombisa, isishiyagalombli,
isishiyagalolunye, ishumi, ishumi nanye, ishumi nambili.
8 a Ungakhathazeki. Akunkinga. b Angisilima mina. Ngeke
ngenze into enjalo! 9 a Yisikhathi bani manje? b Ugqoka sayizi
bani? c Ufuna Desmond bani? 10 a Ngifuna ukuthenga iveni
kodwa anginamali. b ungeshayele imoto ngoba awunazo izincwadi
zokushayela/awunazincwadi zokushayela. 11 a onjani b abaduba
c oqinile d engakhali e esisuka f e-ngu-r6. 12.1 a oluhle b omusha
nomuhle c ende. 12.2 a mdala b muhle c mfishane. 13 Ngisebenza
a kusukela ku-8 a.m. kuya ku-5 p.m. b kusukela ngoMsombuluko
kuze kube ngoLwesihlanu. c kusukela kumhla ka-ro kuya kumhla
ku-20.
334
Further Reading
Dent, G. R. & C. L. S. Nyembezi Scholar's Zulu Dictionary

(English-Zulu, Zulu-English), Shuter & Shooter, Pietermaritzburg
De Schryver, G-M, N. Sibiya, A. Wilkes, et al. 2010. Oxford

Bilingual School Dictionary: Zulu and Englishflsichazamazwi
Sesikole Esinezilimi Ezimbili: IsiZulu NesiNgisi, Oxford University
Press, Cape Town
Doke, C. M. Textbook of Zulu Grammar, Maskew Millar/

Wits University Press, Johannesburg
Doke, C. M.; D. M. Malcolm; J. M. Sikakana; B. W. Vilakazi,

English-Zulu, Zulu-English Dictionary, Wits University Press,
Johannesburg
Nyembezi, C. L. S. Learn More Zulu, Shuter & Shooter,

Pietermaritzburg
Nyembezi, C. L. S. Zulu Proverbs (A very useful book on Zulu

proverbs together with their meaning and usage), Wits University
Press, Johannesburg
Elliot, A. Sons of Zulu (Beautifully illustrated survey of Zulu life

and customs), Collins, London
Ritter, E. A. Shaka Zulu, Allen Lane/Penguin Books, London
Morris J; B. Levitas South African Tribal Life Today, College

Press, Cape Town
Glossary
Use of glossary: All words that have stems (e.g. verbs, nouns and
adjectives/relatives) are listed under their stems. Class 9 nouns are
for the sake of convenience listed under the nasal of their class
prefix.
-akha build -barnba hold

-akhawundi (i[li]·, arna-) account -barnbekile be busy
-akharnuzi citizen, resident -banda be cold
-ala refuse -bane (isi-, izi-) light
-alukazi (is-, iz-) old women -banga (i[li]-, arna-) school
-arnbulela (is-, iz-) umbrella standard
arnehloeyes -bani? (u-, o-) who?
-arnukela accept -beka put, place
-arnukeleka be acceptable bese and then
-arnukeli (urn-, ab-) receptionist -bhala write
-arnukelwa be accepted -bhala (i[li]-, arna-) wheelbarrow
-andla (is-, iz-) hand -bhalisa register, make a
-anele be enough reservation
-anelisiwe be satisfied (by) -bharnu (isi, izi) gun
-anelisekile be satisfied -bhanana (u-, o-) banana
-anti (u-, o) auntie -bhange (i[li]·, arna-) bank
-anyanisi (u-, o-) onion -bhanselo (urn-) small
-aphula break something(= tip)
-Apreli (u-) April -bhantshi (i[li]·, arna-) jacket
-ayina iron -bhasi (i[li]·, arna-) bus
-ayiskhrirnu (u-, o-) ice cream -bhasikidi (i[li]·, arna-) basket
-azi know -Bhayibheli (i[li]·, arna-) Bible
-azisa introduce -bhayisikili (i[li]·, arna-) bicycle
-bhayisikobho (i[li]-, arna-) cinema
-baba be dry (of wine) -bhede (urn-, irni) bed
-baba (u-, o-) (my/our) father, sir -bhedlela (isi-, izi-) hospital
-bala (urn-, irni-) colour -bhejane (u-, o-) black rhinoceros
-baleka run away -bheka look after
-bhekana na- be opposite -bukeza revise
-bherna smoke -bukhali be sharp
-bhetri (i[li]·, arna-) battery -buko (izi-) spectacles
-bhishi (i[li]·, arna-) beach -bulala kill
-bhisikidi (i[li]·, arna-) biscuit -busisa bless
-bhiya (u-, o-) beer -busiso (isi-, izi-) blessing
-bhodi (i[li]-, arna-) board -buthuntu be blunt
-bhodlela (i[li]·, arna-) bottle -buya return
-bhokisi (i[li]·, arna-) box -buyisela return to
-bhola (i[li]·, arna-) ball, soccer -buza ask
-bhontshisi (u-, o-) bean -buzo (urn-, irni-) question
-bhotela (i[li]·, arna-) butter
-bhubesi (i[li]·, arna-) lion -cathula toddle, learn to walk
-bhuka book (accommodation) -cathulo (isi-, izi-) shoe
-bhuku (i[li]·, arna-) book -cela request (verb), please
-bhukuda swim -cele (i[li]·, a rna-) side, edge
-bhulakufesi (i[li]·, arna-) -celo (isi-, izi-) request (noun)
breakfast chano
-bhulukwe (i[li]·, arna-) trousers -cirna switch off, put out fire
-Bhunu (i[li]·, arna-)Afrikaner -cirnbi (urn-, irni-) engagement,
-Bhunu (isi) Afrikaans function
-bhuti (u-, o-) brother -ci nene be congested (chest)
-bi bad -cingo (u[lu]-) telephone
-bi (izi-) dirt -cishe about, nearly
-bika report (verb) -cwecwe (i[li]·, arna-) CD
-bila boil
-bili two -dade (u-, o-) sister
-bili (isi-) second -dadewethu (u-, o-) my sister
-bisi (u[u]-) milk -dadewabo (u-, o-) his/her sister
-biza call, be expensive -dala (ubu-) age, old
-boleka borrow, lend -daleka occur
-bornvu brown, red -darnu (i[li]·, arna-) dam
-bona see -dayisa for sale (e.g. house), sell
-bongo give thanks, say thank you -dazini (i[li]·, arna-) dozen
-bopha tie, bid, arrest -de (adj) long, far
-bongo (isi-, izi-) surname -debe (u[lu]-, izin-) lip
-buhlungu be painful, be sore -dethi (i[li]·, arna-) date
-bukela watch -diliva deliver
Glossary 33 7
-dilowa (i[li]·, ama-) drawer eKapa Cape Town
-dina (i[li]·, ama-) dinner ekugcineni at the end
-dinga need ekuseni in the morning
-dinwa be (physically) tired elandani London
-diphozithi (i[li]·, am a-) deposit -elula stretch (the legs)
-Disemba (u-) December emahlukandlela at the
-diza (in-, izin-) aeroplane crossroads
-dizili (u-) diesel (fuel) eMelika America
-dla (uku-) food eMgungundlovu/eMalitzboko
-dlala play Pietermaritz burg
-dlala ibhola play football emini bebade midday, noon
-dlali (urn-, aba-) player eMnambithi Ladysmith
-dlula pass em uva behind
-dlulisela put (telephone call) emva kwa- after
through to eNatali Natal
-dokotela (u-, o-) doctor -enda marry
-dokotela (ubu-) medicine (degree) eNgilandi England
-dokotela wamazinyo dentist entambama in the afternoon
-dolo (i[li]·, ama-) knee -enyuka ascend
-dolobha (i[li·]·, ama-) town -enza do
-donsa umoya inhale -enzansi at the bottom
-duba umsebenzi strike -enzeka happen
-duni (i[li]·, ama-) hijacker -ephukile be broken
-ephula break
-eba steal -ephulelo (is-) discount
-eBhayi Port Elizabeth ePitoli Pretoria
-edlula pass by -eqa cross a street, trespass
-edlulisela put (telephone call) eqinisweni in fact
through to -esaba be afraid of
-eduka stray, get lost esitobhini at the halt/stop street
eDukathole Germiston -esula wipe off, resign (from work)
eduze near -esuthi be satisfied with food
eGoli Johannesburg eThekwini Durban
-ehlukene differ from one another -ethemba trust, hope, believe
-ehla descent -ethula introduce to
-ehlukile be different
-ehluleka fail, be unable to -fa die
elalimani/eGermany Germany -faka put in
-ejwayele be accustomed to -fana (urn-, aba-) boy
-fanele be fitting, must -galofu (i[li]·, arna-) golf
-fasitele (i[li]·, arna-) window, -garna (i[li]·, arna-) name
windscreen -garnanxa lean over from middle
-fastela (i[li]·, arna-) window, part
windscreen -gana marry (by customary rites)
-fazi (urn-, aba-) married women -garanti (i[li]·, arna-) guarantee
-Februwari (u-) February -gazi (i[li]·) blood
-fektri (i[li]·, arna-) factory -gcagca marry
-feyila fail (e.g. in examination) -gcina come to an end
-fika come, arrive -gcina preserve
-filirnu (i[li]·, arna-) film, movie -gcinwa be kept
-fisa desire, wish -gcwalisa make full, fill up, fill in,
-fisela wish for complete a form
-fiselo (isi-, izi-) good wish -gcwele be full, be engaged
-futho (urn-) wegazi blood (e.g. telephone line)
pressure -gebengu (izi-, izi-) thug, robber,
-fornu (i[li]·, arna-) form thief, gangster
-fonela phone (for) someone -gesi (u-) electricity
-fowabo (urn-, aba-) his brother -geza wash
-fowethu (urn-, aba-) my brother -gibela ride
-friji (i[li]·, arna-) fridge -gogo (u-, o-) grandmother
-fuba (isi-, izi-) chest -goli (i[li]·, arna-) goal-keeper
-fudu (u[lu]-, izirn-) tortoise -gqekezi (urn-, aba-) burglar
-fudurnele be warn -gqekezwa be burgled
-fula (urn-, irni-) river -gqoka wear
-Fulentshi (i[li]-, arna-) Frenchman -gubha celebrate
-Fulentshi (isi-) French language -gula be ill
-funa want, look for -gundwane (i[li]·, arna-) mouse
-funda read, team -gwaqo (urn-, irni-) road
-fundisa teach -gwaqo (urn-) onguthela
-fundisi (urn-, aba-) minister wayeka highway
of religion -gwayi (u-) tobacco
-futha inflate -gxobo (isi-) seposi post box
-futhi again, once more
-futho wegazi (urn-, irni-) blood -habhula (i[li]·, arna-) apple
pressure -hafu (u-) half
halala! congratulations/
-gadi (in-, izin-) garden -halalisela congratulate
-galaji (i[li]·, arna-) garage someone
Glossary 3 39
-harnba leave, walk, go -hlobo (urn-, irni-) kind,
-harnba (uku-) to travel, nationality
travelling -hlola inspect, examine, check-
hawu interjection of surprise ·hlolwayo (o-, aba-) examination
-hernbe (i[li]-, arna-) shirt candidate (Lit. the one who is
-hhash (i[li]·, arna-) horse examined)
hhayi/hhayibo interjection of -hlonipha respect
dissent -hlupheka suffer
-Hholandi (urn-, aba-) -hola earn (money)
Dutchman -holide (i[li]·, arna-) holiday
-hhotela (i[li]·, arna-) hotel -holo(i[li]·, arna-) wage
-hhovisi (i[li]·, arna-) office -hora (i[li]·, arna-) hour
-hitha(i[li]·, arna-) heater -hulurneni (u- o-) government
-hla (urn-, irni-) day
-hlaba stab, slaughter i-ID narnba identity number
-hlabarnkhosi (izi-, izi-) burglar
alarm -jabula be happy
-hlabelela sing -jahe be in a hurry
-hlakaniphile be intelligent -jaladi (i[li]·, arna-) yard
-hlala sit, stay -lalirnane (i[li]·, arna-) German
-hlalisana share -lalirnane (isi-) German
(accommodation), language
accommodate -jarnu (u-)jam
-hlalo (isi-, izi-) chair -jeziswa be punished, be
-hlangana meet prosecuted
-hlangano (urn-, irni-) meeting -jikela turn to
-hlangene na- include -jika (i[li]-, arna-) corner
-hlangothi (u[lu]-, izin) side -jinjabhiya (i-) ginger beer
-hlanu (adj) five -jova give an injection
-hlanu (isi-) fifth -jovo (urn-, irni-) injection
-hlanzekile be clean -lulayi (u-) July
-hlaza (u-) vegetables -luni (u-) June
-hie (adj) good, pretty, -jusi (u-) juice
beautiful
-hlehlisiwe be postponed kabi badly,
-hlelo (u[lu-], izin-) grammar kabili twice
-hlezi be sitting kabusha afresh, anew
-hlo (i[li]·, arne-) eye kahle well
-hlobo (isi- izi-) blood relation kakhulu very much
340
-kala weigh -kherothi (i[li]·, arna-) carrot
-karnelo (i[li]·, arna-) room -kheshe ( u-) cash
karnelo (i[li]-) lokudlela dining -khetha choose
room -khethini (i[li]·, arna-) curtain
karnnandi nicely, sweetly -khilo (i[li]·, arna-) kilogram
kancane a little -khilornitha (i[li]-, arna-) kilometre
kangaka so much -khipha take out
kangakanani how much -khishi (i[li]·, arna-) kitchen
kanjalo in that manner, thus -Khisirnuzi (u-) Christmas
kanjani how?, in what -khiya lock
manner? -khiye (u-, o-) key
-kantolo (in-, izi-) court -khiye (isi-, izi-) key
kanye together with, once -khiyiwe be locked
-kati (i[li]·, arna-) cat -khofi (i[li]-) coffee
-kebhe (isi-, izi-) ship -khohlisa deceive, cheat,
-khabethe (i[li]·, arna-) mislead, be dishonest
cupboard -khohlwa forget
-khadi (i[li]·, arna-) card -khokhapay
kahlehle very- well -kholifulawa (u-, o-) cauliflower
-khala cry-, complain -kholwa believe
-khaliphile be sharp -khornbe (urn-, irni-) white
-khalo (isi-, izi-) complaint, rhinoceros
grievance -khornbisa show
-khanda (i[li]·, arna-) head -khornbisa (isi-, izi-) seven
-khandla overstrain, tire out khona there, here
-khasirnende (i[li]-, arna-) -khona (i[li]-, arna-) comer
customer (of street)
-khathazeka be worried -khonkotha bark
-khathele be tired -khonsathi (i[li]·, arna-)
-khathi (isi-, izi-) time concert
-khashana (isi-) a little while -khonto (urn-, irni-) spear
-khawunda (i[li]·, arna-) counter -khonzela convey greetings
-khaya (i[li]·, arna-) home -khozi (u[lu]-, izin-) eagle
ekhaya at home -khuhlane (urn-, irni-)
-khefi (i[li]·, arna-) I common cold
-khehla (i[li]·, arna-) old man -khukharnba (i[li]·, arna-)
-khekhe (i[li]·, arna-) cake cucumber
-kheli (i[li]·, arna-) address -khulelwa grow up in
-khernisi (i[li]·, arna-) chemist -khulurna speak
Glossary 34 I
-khurnbi (i[li]·, arna-) combi -Ianda fetch
(car) -landela follow after
-khurnbi (urn-, irni-) boat -Iango (i[li]·, arna-) sun, day
-khurnbula remember -lantshi (i[li]·, arna-) lunch
-khurnula undress, take off lapha here
-khurnulo (isi-, izi-) sezindiza laphaya over there
airport lapho there
-khuphashe (isi-, izi-) crayfish -layela show the way
-khuphula raise -lenze (urn-, irni-) leg
-khuthele be diligent -letha bring
-khwarna (isi-, izi-) small -letisi (u-, o-) lettuce
(money) bag, purse -lirnala get injured
-khwehlela cough -lirnaza injure, hurt
-khwela climb -lirni (u[lu]-, izi-) language
-kibh (isi-, izi-) T-shirt -arri wait
-kilasi (i[li]·, arna- class -lingana fit
-klornelo (urn-, irni-) prize -lisho (i[li]·, arna-) rickshaw
kodwa but -listi (i[li]·, arna-) list
koku bi li both -lobela write for (someone)
-kale (isi-, izi-) school -lokotho (izi-) good intentions
-Koshi (isi-, izi-) Scotsman -lokwe (i[li]·, arna-) dress, lady's
kude far gown
kungani why? -luhlaza green
kuphela only -lui a be light, easy
kuphi where? -lurna bite
kusasa tomorrow -lukhuni difficult, hard
kusihlwa at dusk, at night -lunga be correct
(in the early even in g) -lunga (i[li]·, arna-) member
kuthangi day before yesterday -lungelo (i[li]·, arna-) right,
-kwatapheya (u-, o-) avocado privilege
pear -lungile be fine/OK
KwaZulu Zululand -lungisa put right, make tidy,
correct
-lahlekile be lost -lungu (urn-, abe-) white person
-laka (u-) temper, vicious lutho nothing
-lala go to sleep -lwandle (u-, izi-) sea
-lalela listen to -lwane (isi-, izi-) wild animal
-larnbile be hungry -lwela fight for
342
-rna stand -mfuluwenza (i-) influenza, flu
-mabhalane (u-, o-) clerk -mhlophe white
-mabonakude (u-, o-) TV, -mhloshana off-white
television mina I (emphasized)
-makhaniki (u-, o-) mechanic -mini (i-, izi-) day time
-makhaza be cold -mnandi tasty, nice
-makhalekhukhwini (u-, o-) -mnyama black
cell/mobile phone -mosa waste
-makhelwane (u-, o-) neighbour -moto (i-, izi-) car
-makhonya (u-, o-) boss -moya (u-) wind, air
-malaleveva (u-) malaria -mpahla (i-, izim-) goods
-mali (i-) money -mpala (i-, izi-) species of small
-malume (u-, o-) uncle antelope
-mama (u-,o-) (my/our) mother -mpatho (i-) treatment
-marne (u-, o-) madam -mpelasonto (i-, izi-) weekend
-mamukeli (u-, o-) receptionist -mpilontle (i-) a good life
-mango (u-, o-) mango -mpilonde (i-) a long life
manjenow -mpofu poor
-manzi be wet -mpumelelo (i-) success
-Mashi (u-) March -mungumungwane (isi-)
masinya soon measles
-masipala (u-, o-) municipality -mvume (i-) permission
-masitadi (u-) mustard
-mathimathiki (i-) maths -namba (i-, izi-) number
-mazisi (u-, o-) ID document namhlanje today
-mayela (i[li]-, ama-) mile nami I also
-mba Ia muni what colour? nangu (CI1) here he/she/it is
-meli (urn-, aba-) lawyer nanka (CI 5) here they are, here
-memo (isi-, izi-) invitation it is
-menazi (ama-) manners nanku (CI 3) here it is
-menenja (i[li]·, ama-) manager nansi (CI9) here it is
-meniyu (i[li]·, ama-) menu nanti (CI 5) here it is
-mentshisi (u-, o-) match nantu (CI 11) here it is
-mese (urn-, imi-) knife nasi (CI 7) here it is
-Meyi (u-) May -ncane (adj) small, few
-mfalakahlana (i-) small change -nceda help
-mfiva (i-) fever -ncintiswano (urn-, imi-)
-mfologo (i-, izi-) fork competition
Glossary 34 3
-ncwadi (in-, izin-) book, letter -nganekwane (i-, izi-) fairy tale
-ndaba (i-, izi-) affair, news ngani? with what?
-ndawo (i-, izi-) place, area -ngcolile be dirty
Ndebele (i[li]·, arna-) Ndebele -ngcono better
speaking person -ngcwabo (urn-, irni-) funeral
-Ndebele (isi-) Ndebele -ngena enter
language ngenhlanhla fortunately
-ndeni (urn-, irni-) relatives, family ngenxa ya- because of
-ndla (arna-) power, strength ngeshwa unfortunately
-ndlakusihlwa (i-) supper ngeSonto (on) Sunday
-ndlala (i-) scarcity(offood), -ngidi (i-, izi-) padlock
famine -ngilazi (i-, izi-) glass
-ndlarnini (i-, izi-) lunch -Ngisi (i[li]·, arna-) Englishman
-ndlebe (i-, izi-) ear -Ngisi (isi-) English language
-ndlela (i-, izi-) road, way -Ngisi (urn-, aba-) Englishman
-ndlovu (i-, izi-) elephant ngoba because
-ndlu (i-, izi-) house ngokushesha quickly
-ndodana (i-, izi-) son ngolwesibili (on) Tuesday
-ndoda (i-, arna-) man, guy ngolwesihlanu (on) Friday
-ndodakazi (i-, arna-) daughter ngolwesine (on) Thursday
-ndololwane (i-, izi-) elbow ngolwesithathu (on)
-ndwangu (i-, izi-) cloth Wednesday
-ne (isi-) fourth ngoMgqibelo (on) Saturday
-nesi (u-, o-) nurse ngoSornbuluko (on) Monday
-nga (arna-) lie (noun) ngovivi early dawn
ngabemaybe -ngozi (i-, izin) danger, (car)
-ngaka as big as this accident
ngakanani? How big, how -ngubo (i-, izi-) clothes
many? -ngulube (i-, izi-) pig
-ngaki? how many? -ngulule (i-, izi-) cheetah
ngakwesobunxele left-hand side -ngwe (i-, izi-) leopard
ngakwesokudla right-hand side -nhlanhla (i-, izi-) good fortune
ngale kwa- across -nhlanzi (i- izi-) fish
ngarnalengiso with distinction -nhloli (i-, izi-) hedgehog
ngarnancozuncozu in -nikeza pass on, hand over
instalments/parts -nina (u-, o-) their mother
-ngane (urn-, aba-) friend nina you (pl.) (emphatic)
-gane (ubu-) friendliness nini? when?
-ngane (i-, izi-) child -ningi many, much
344
-Ningizirnu (i-) Afrika South Africa -nto (i-, izi-) thing
-nja (i-, izi-) dogs -ntongornane (i[li]·, arna-)
-njabulo (i-) happiness peanut
njalo so, like that -ntornbazane (i-, arna-) girl
-njani? how? -ntornbi (i-, izi-) grown-up girl,
-nje like this sweetheart
njengani? as what? -ntu (ubu-) human nature
-njiniyela (u-, o-) engineer -ntu (urn-, aba-) person
-nkarnpane (i-, izi-) company -ntwana (urn-, aba-) child
-nkinga (i-, izin-) problem -nurnzane (urn-, aba-) sir
-nkorno (i-, izin-) beast, cattle -nwabu (u[lu]-, izi-) chameleon
-nkosazana (i-, arna-) miss -nwele (u[lu]-, izin-) hair
-nkosi (i-, arna-) king, chief -nxanxathela yezitolo (i-, izi-)
-nkosikazi (i-, arna-) wife, shopping centre
madam nxephe! sorry!
-nkosikazi (u-, o-) madam, Mrs -nyaka (u-) year
-nkukhu (i-, izi-) fowl (chicken) -nyarna (in-) meat
-Nkulunkulu (u-) God -nyanga (in-, izin-) month, moon
-nkwa (isi-, izi-) bread -nyango (urn-, irni-) door,
-nobhala (u, o-) secretary department
nokho nevertheless -nyathi (i-, izi-) buffalo
nornaor -nyawo (u[lu]- izi-) foot
-nornbolo (i-, izi-) number -nye one
-nqarnula walk -nyeni (urn-, aba-) husband
nqo of being upright, of being -nyoni (in-, izin-) bird
straight -nyuziphepha (i[li]·, arna-)
-nqurnela decide for, prescribe newspaper
for(as medicine) -nzalo (i-) interest (money)
-nsangu (i-) cannabis -nzi (arna-) water
-nshuwarensi (i-) insurance -nzirna difficult, heavy
-nsipho (i-, izin) soap
-nsizwa (i-, izin-) young man -oda order (v)
-nsundu brown -oda (i[li]·, arna-) order (n)
-ntaba (i-, izi-) mountain -Oktoba (u-) October
ntarnbarna (i-) afternoon okunye anything else
-ntarnbo (i-, izi-) line, string okwarnanje presently, at the
-ntanakho (urn-, aba-)yourchild moment
-ntanarni (urn-, aba-) my child -ornile be thirsty
-ntengo (i-, izi-) prize onke (CI 6) all
Glossary 34 5
-owaseposini post office official -phelele be complete
-owoyela (u-/i-) oil -phelile be finished
-phendula answer
-paka park (v) -phepha (i[li]·, arna-) paper
-pasipoti (i[li]·, arna-) passport -phephandaba (i[li]·, arna-)
-Pedi (i[li]·, arna-) Pedi-speaking newspaper
person phephisa sorry (interjection)
-Pedi (isi-) Pedi (Northern Sothi) phesheya across, overseas
language -phethe hold/have on you
-pelepele (u-) pepper -phethwe suffer from
-peni (i[li]·, arna-) pen -phetroli (u-) petrol
-arried (i[li]·, arna-) pencil -phezulu above, high
-pentshisi (i[li]·, arna-) peach phezu kwa- on top of
-pesheli (isi-, izi-) special -phi?/kuphi? where?
-phakarna be raised -phikisa deny
-phakarnisa recommend, -phila live
propose, suggest, raise -philisi (i[li]·, arna-) pill
-phakathi (urn-) public -phirnbo (urn-, irni-) throat
phakathi kwa- inside/between -phinda do again, repeat
-phakela dish out for -phinifo (i[li]·, arna-) pinafore
-phakethe (i[li]·, arna-) packet -phiwa be given
pharnbi kwa- before -pho (isi-, izi-) gift
pharnbili in front -phola get well
-pharnbuka leave the main road, -phopho (u-, o-) paw-paw
deviate -phosisa make a mistake, err
phandle outside -phosiso (isi-, izi-) mistake
phansi beneath, down -phoyisa (i[li]·, arna-) policeman
phansi kwa- under, below -phurna come from, come out
-phaseji (i[li]·, arna-) passage -phurnelela succeed
-phasela (i[li]·, arna-) parcel -phurnula rest
-phasile passed -phutha (i[li]·, arna-) mistake
-phatheka be unwell -phuthini (u-, o-) pudding, sweets
-phathela bring for -phuthurna hurry, be urgent
-phathi (urn-, aba-) manager, -phuza drink (verb)
person in charge -phuza ukufika come late
-phawu (u[lu])-, izirn-) sign, marl< -phuzo (isi-, izi-) drink
-phayinaphu (u-, o-) pineapple -poki (isi-, izi-) ghost
-phazarnisa bother -polisiteshi (i[li]·, arna-) police
-pheka cook station
-popola examine with stethoscope -randi (i[li]·, arna-) Rand (money)
-posa post -rayisi (i-) rice
-posi (i[li]·, arna-) mail, post -rediyo (i[li]·, arna-) radio
-posihhovisi (i[li]·, arna-) post -rejista register
office -restorenti (i[li]·, arna-)
-posikhadi (i[li]·, arna-) postcard restaurant
-pularnu (i[li]·, arna-) plum -risidi (i[li]·, arna-) receipt
-pulazi (i[li]·, arna-) farm -robhothi (i[li]·, arna-) traffic
-puleti (i[li]·, arna-) dish light
-punu (isi- izi-) spoon
-sa (urnu-) kindness
-qala (uku-) the beginning, -sakazana (u-, o-) (sugar) pocket
the first -sakazo (urn-, irni-) radio
-qala begin, start -sala stay, remain
-qagela guess -saladi (i[li]·, arna-) salad
-qanda (i[li]·, arna-) egg -sango (i[li]·, arna-) gate
-qaphela be careful -sawoti ( u-) salt
-qasha hire -sayina sign (signature)
-qeda complete, finish -sayini (i[li]·, arna-) signature
-qernbu (i[li]·, arna-) group, team -sayitsheni (u-, o-) sergeant
-qeqeshi (urn-, aba-) trainer -sayizi (u-, o-) size
-qgoka wear -sebenza work
-qhebeza kude (isi-, izi-) remote -sebenzi (isi-, izi-) worker
control (instrument) -sebenzi (urn-, irni-) work (noun)
-qhenya show pride -sebenzisa use
-qhiyarna sit up straight -selwa oversleep
-qhubeka carryon, continue -sendiwishi (i[li]·, arna-)
-qhuqho (u-) malaria sandwich
-qinile be hard, be tough, be -sha (adj) new, young
strict -shada marry
-qinisile be correct, be true, be -shado (urn-, irni-) wedding
certain -shalofu (i[li]·, arna-) shelf
-qiniso (i[li]·, arna-) truth -shanela sweep
-qiwu (isi-, izi-) game reserve -shantshi (i[li]·, arna-) charge
-qonda understand office
Qonda ngqol Go straight ahead! -shaya hit, strike
-qotho be honest -shayela drive (a car)
-qwernbe (u[lu]-, izin-) (wooden) -sheke (i[li]·, arna-) cheque
board, meat tray -shesha hurry
Glossary 34 7
-shibusi (arna-) (potato) chips -sudi (i[li]·, arna-) suit
-shini (urn-, irni-) machine -suka go off, depart from
-shintshi (u-) change (money) -sukela depart from
-shisa be hot, -suku (i[li]·, izin-) day
-shisa urnzirnba feel feverish -suku (ubu-) night (later than
-shiya leave behind kusihlwa)
-shiyangalolunye (isi-, izi-) nine -sukurna stand up
-shiyangalornbili (isi-, izi-) eight -sula wipe off
-shizi (u-) cheese -sulu (isi-, izi-) victim
-shomean -suparnakethe (i[li]·, arna-)
-sho (urnu-, irni-) sentence supermarket
-shona die, pass away -suthi be satisfied with food
-shukela (u-) sugar -Suthu (isi-) (Southern) Sotho
-shurni (i[li]·, arna-) ten language
-shwa (i[li]·, arna-) misfortune -Suthu (urn-, abe-) (Southern)
-sika cut Sotho-speaking person
-siko (i[li]·, arna-) custom -Swati (isi-) Swazi language
-sindisi (uM-) Redeemer -Swati/-Swazi (i[li]·, arna-)
-singatha host Swazi-speaking person
-sinki (u[lu]-, izin-) wash-basin -swidi (i[li]-, arna-) sweets
-sisi (u-, o-) sister
-sistela (i[li]·, arna-) nursing -tafula (i[li]·, arna-) table
sister -tarnatisi (u-, o-) tomato
-siza help -tanki (i[li]·, arna-) tank
-sizini (i[li])-, arna- season -tebhisi (isi-, izi-) step
-sizo (u[lu]-) help, assistance -teksi (i[li]·, arna-) taxi
-sizwa (in-, izin-) young man -teleka strike
-so (ubu-) face -ternbu (isi-, izi-) post office stamp
-soda (u-) soda water -teshi (isi-, izi-) station
-sola blame, suspect -thakathi (urn-, aba-) wizard,
-soka (i[li]·, arna-) boyfriend witch doctor
-solwazi (u-, o-) professor -thakazelo (isi-, izi-) praise name
-sornabhizinizi (u-, o-) -thanda like
businessman -thandaza pray
-sondo (i[li]·, arna-) wheels -thandekayo be likeable, dearest
-Sonto (i[li]·, arna-) Sunday, -thandwa (isi-, izi-) sweatheart
church -thatha take
-soso (u-) sauce -thathu (adj.) three
-su (isi-, izi-) stomach -thathu (isi-) third
-thaya(i[li]·, arna-) tyre -tsha (isi-, izi-) dish
-thela pour, put in {liquids) -tshela tell
-thelo (isi-, izi-) fruit -tshipisi (arna-) chips
-thernperesha (i-) temperature -tshudeni (isi-, izi-) student
-thenga buy -tshwala (u[bu]-) traditional beer
-thengisa sell -Tsonga (isi-) Tsonga language
-thengisi (urn-, aba-) salesman -Tsonga (urn-, arna-) Tsonga-
-thenisi (i[li]·, arna-) tennis speaking person
-thetho (urn-, irni-) law -Tswana (isi-) Tswana language
-thi say -Tswana (urn-, abe-) Tswana-
-thi (urnu-, irni-) tree speaking person
-thi (urnu-, irni-) medicine -tubhe (isi-, izi-) pavement
-thikithi (i[li]·, arna-) ticket
thina we (emphatic) ukuqala first
-thini (i[li]·, arna-) tin ukuthi (so) that
-thisha (u-, o-) teacher urna if, when
-thishela (u-, o-) teacher urnfutho wegazi blood pressure
-thokozile be happy urnshini wokuwasha
-thola get, find (ozenzelayo) (automatic)
-thongo (ubu-) sleep washing machine
-thonsela (arna-) tonsillitis usuku lokuzalwa birthday
-thosi (u-, o-) toast
-thosiwe be toasted -vakashela visit
-thoyilethe (i[li]·, arna-) toilet -vakashi (isi-, izi-) visitor
-thuba (i[li]·, arna-) opportunity -vala close, switch off (e.g. radio)
-thula be silent, quiet -valelisa say goodbye to
-thulula dump -valiwe be closed
-thurnela send to -vela come from, appear
-thunga sew -Venda (isi-) Venda language
-thupha (isi-) sixthuthuthu -Venda (urn-, arna-) Venda-
(isi-, izi-) motorbike speaking person
-thuthwane (isi-) epilepsy -veni (i[li]·, arna-) light delivery
-tirnela (isi-, izi-) train van
-tiye (i[li]·) tea -viki (i[li]-, arna-) week
-tobhu (isi-, izi-) halt, stop street -vilapha be lazy
-tobhu sarnalarnbu (isi-, izi-) -vivinyo (isi-, izi-) test, examination
traffic light -vota vote
-tofu (isi-, izi-) stove -vuka wake up
-tolo (isi-, izi-) store -valiwe be closed
Glossary 34 9
-vul open -yalo (urn-, irni-) instruction
-vurna agree yeboyes
-vurnelekile be allowed -yernbe (i[li]·, arna-) shirt
-vunyelwa permitted, allowed yena he/she (emphatic)
Ukubherna akuvunyelwa -yeni (urn-, aba-) husband
Smoking not allowed yonke (CI 9) all
-vuthiwe be ripe, be done -yunivesithi (i[li]·, arna-)
(of food) university
-vuthwe kakhudlwana be -yunivesi (i[li]·, arna-)
medium-done university
-vuthwe kancane be under-
cooked, under-done -za come
-vuthwe kakhulu be well-cooked, -zagiga (u-) mumps
well-done -zali (urn-, aba-) parent
-vuza leak -zalwa be born
-zarna try
-washi (i[li]·, arna-) watch -zarnbane (i[li]·, arna-) potato
-wayini (i-) wine -zi (urnu-, irni-) homestead,
wenayou (emphatic) village, family
-weta (u-, o-) waiter -zirnba (urn-, irni-) body (of a
-wina win person)
-windi (i[li]·, arna-) window -zinyo (i[li]·, arna-) tooth
-wiski (u-) whisky -zolo (i-) yesterday
-wolintshi (i[li]·, arna-) orange -zoso (i[li]·, arna-) barbecue
-zu (i[li]-) zoo
-xaba obstruct (view) -zuza gain, obtain
-Xhosa (i[li]·, arna-) Xhosa- -zulu (i[li]-) weather, heaven
speaking person -Zulu (isi-) Zulu language
-Xhosa (isi-) the Xhosa language -Zulu (urn-, a rna-) Zulu-speaking
-xolela pardon, forgive someone person
-xolisa ask for pardon -zuzu (urn-, irni-) minute, short
-xolo (u[lu]-) pardon (me), while
excuse (me), sorry -zwa hear, understand, feel
-xosha dismiss -zwe (i[li]-, arna-) country
-zwe (isi-, izi-) nation
-yago -zwelana na- sympathize with
-yalezo (urn-. irni-) message -zwisisa understand very well
350
"Global scale" of the Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR)
Can und erstand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can
summari se information from different spoken and written sources,
N
u recon structing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.
--' Can express him / herself spontan eously, ve ry fluently and precisely,
~QI >
Ul differentiating finer shad es of meaning even in more complex situations.
> --'
"' a:
--' u.
>- UJ
1-- U
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and re cogni se

impli cit meaning. Can express him /herself flu ently and spontan eously
~
u without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language

--' flexibly and effectively f or soci al , academi c and professional purposes.
~QI >
Ul Can produce clear, well -stru ctured , detailed text on complex subject s,
> --' showing controlled use of organisational patterns, conn ect ors and
"' a:
--' u.
>- UJ cohesive devices.
1-- U
Can und erstand the main id eas of complex text on both concrete
and abstract topi cs, including techni cal discussion s in his/her field of
speciali sation. Can interact with a degree of fluen cy and spontaneity that
makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible with out
strain for either party. Can produce clear, detai led text on a wide range of
subject s and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving th e advantages
and disadvantage s of variou s options.
Can und erstand th e main points of clear standard input on familiar

matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal
with m ost situation s likely to arise whi lst travellin g in an area where th e
language is spoken. Can produce simpl e conn ected text on topi cs which
are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events,
dreams, hopes and ambition s and bri efly give reasons and explanations
for opini ons and plans.
Can und erstand sentences and frequ ently used expressions related to
w
"" Vl
areas of most imm ediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family
Nu information, shopping, local geography, employment). Ca n communi cate
< lCJ
--' c in simpl e and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
N UJ O
_ > o:: ; information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple term s
"' UJ 0
> --' u aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in
"' a: c
--' u. :::J
>- UJ O areas of immediate need.
.....
u ~
Can understand and use familiar everyday expression s and very basic
phrases aimed at the sati sfaction of need s of a concrete type. Can
:;t introdu ce him/ herself and others and can ask and an swer qu esti ons
--' about personal detail s such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows
~ UJ
_QI >
UJ and thing s he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other
> --' person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
"' a:
--' u.
>- UJ
1-- U
© Cound l of Europe. www.coe.int/lang.

Extract reproduced with the permission of the Coundl of Europe, Strasbourg

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Teach •

1 ,,,lure lltf(l·n..·nt ~omh \frt\.:.111 langua!\c' (page 2 )

.lt .t ptlrul '-Cr\ Kt! \[.ltiUU (p.1~(! 47)

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Meet the authors iv

Nicholias Nkosi is a former lecturer in Zulu in the Department of

Professor Arnett Wilkes is an emeritus professor at the University

In 1992 he received the prestigious South African Journal of

Front cover: © rod brown- Fotolia.com

Back cover and pack:© Jakub SemeniukliStockphoto.com,

the mother tongue of South Africa's largest ethnic group,

the amaZulu, of whom the majority reside in the province

of KwaZulu-Natal. It is the sister language of three other

Nguni languages spoken in South Africa, namely Xhosa,

Swazi and Ndebele all of which are mutually intelligible.

Historians trace the origin of the Zulu people

back to about 1670, to a chieftain, Malandela, who was

the father of Zulu, regarded as the progenitor of the Zulu

nation. It is from his name that the word amaZulu or

uZulu which means 'The Zulu People' has been derived.

The modern Zulu population is fairly evenly

distributed in both urban and rural areas. Although

KwaZulu-Natal is still their heartland, large numbers

of them have been attracted by the relative economic

prosperity of the province of Gauteng where, in fact,

they constitute the biggest language group. Indeed,

of all the indigenous languages spoken in South Africa,

often used as a sort of a lingua franca in urban areas

where mixed population groups reside.

One of the most outstanding features of the

Zulu language is the grouping together of nouns into

noun classes according to the form of their prefix.

Fifteen such noun classes are distinguished in Zulu.

Its phonemic inventory includes 12 click sounds,

all of which are of Khoi-San origin. It has a distinctive

range of word classes that consists of categories such as

'ideophone', 'enumerative' and 'copulative'

Another striking feature is its con cordial

agreement system whereby all words that are

grammatically related to a noun such as verbs, pronouns

and adjectives, show agreement with that noun by means

of a concord that is formally related to the class prefix of

An advantage that Zulu has over most of the other African

Zulu was the third African language in South Africa to be

A characteristic feature of Zulu is that it is written conjunctively,

Usalele =one word

African languages spoken in South Africa

South Africa's population comprises many distinctive peoples or

Although some salient phonetic and grammatical differences exist

The Nguni languages

In the northern part of this territory (consisting of KwaZulu-

The Sotho languages

Venda and Tsonga

Tsonga is spoken in the Umpopo province as well as inMpumalanga.

To acquire the correct pronunciation of Zulu, it is recommended

The first important rule to remember regarding pronunciation

Ngisafunda isiZulu I am still learning (to speak) Zulu

A wide variety of vowel elisions occur in Zulu, too many to treat

isikole > iskole school

a is pronounced somewhat as in bark; e.g. ubaba (father)

y is pronounced as in yes; e.g. yebo (yes)

Only those consonants that may cause pronunciation problems

f is pronounced as in fall; e.g. ifu (cloud)

c To pronounce this sound: