Table Of Content

Sifunda isiZulu Francisco José Lesson 1 Sawubona! - Greeting Greetings are based on acknowledging the presence of the other person using the verb ukubona (to see) and enquiring after health and well-being using the verb ukuphila (to be well) ukubona to see ukuphila to live = be well ukujabula to be glad, be happy ukuzwa to hear ukukwazi to know njani? how? yebo yes Singular Sawubona hello Yebo, sawubona hello Unjani? How are you? Kunjani? How’s it going? Uphila njani? How are you? Usaphila (na)? Are you still well? Ngikhona Me, I'm well wena unjani? and how are you? Kulungile It's okay kunjani kuwe? how's it with you? Ngisaphila I'm still well wena uphila njani? you, how is it with you? Ngiyaphila I'm well wena usaphila? are you still well? or ngicela kini? how's yours = how's the family Nami ngikhona Me, I'm fine Nakimi kulungile It's okay with me (... on my side) Nami ngiyaphila Me, I'm well Nami ngisaphila Me, I'm still well Nami Me too Kulungile Okay Ngiyathokoza ukukwazi I am pleased to know you Ngiyajabula uma uyaphila I'm glad (if) you are well Ngiyajabula ukuzwa ukuthi usaphila I am glad to hear that you are well Ngiyajabula ukuzwa loko I am glad to hear that Ngijabulela ukukwazi I'm glad to know you Ngiyajabula I'm glad Nami ngiyajabula I also am glad Kumnani ukukwazi It is nice to know you Nami me too Plural Sanibonani [say Sabonaan'] Hello Yebo, sanibonani Hello Ninjani How are you? Kunjani kini? How’s it going? Niphila njani? Are you well? Nisaphila (na)? Are you still well? Sikhona We’re well nina ninjani? and how are you? Kulungile It's okay kunjani kini? how’s it with you ? Sisaphila We are still well nina niphila njani? and you, are you well? Siyaphila We are well nina nisaphila? are you well too? or sicela kini? how’yours? = how’s your family Nathi sikhona Us, we’re fine Nakithi kulungula It’s okay with us ( …on our side) Nathi siyaphila Us, we're well Nathi sisaphila We are still well Nathi Us too Kulungile It's okay Siyathokoza ukukwazi We are pleased to know you Siyajabula uma niyaphila We are glad (if) you are well Siyajabula ukuzwa ukuthi niyaphila We are glad to hear that you are well Siyajabula ukuzwa lokoWe are glad to hear that Sijabulela ukukwazi We are glad to know you Siyajabula We're glad Nathi siyajabula We also are glad Kumnani ukuwazi It is nice to know you Nathi Us too Lesson 2 Hamba kahle - Departing Saying goodbye is based on leaving or staying using the verbs ukuhamba (to leave) and ukusala (to stay) ukuhamba to go, leave ukushiya leave behind ukuwehlukena differ = go apart mange now kulungile ok Hamba kahle Good bye (when person is leaving = go well) Hambani kahle pl. Sala kahle Goodbye (when person is staying = stay well) Salani kahle pl. Usale kahle You stay well Nisale kahle pl. Uhambe kahle You go well Nihambe kahle pl. Sengiyahamba I am going now Mangihambe Let me go = I'm going Mangikushiye Let me leave you = I'm going Masahlukane Let us part = I'm going Ngifenele ngiyahamba I must go Uyahamba na? You are leaving now? Kulungile Ok masiyahambe let's go now Sobonana futhi? We will see each other again soon? Ubuya nini? You come back back when? Ngibuya .. I return ... eg Ngizokubuya ngoLwesine I will come back on Thursday Ngiyabuya masinyane I'm coming back soon Bekumnandi ukuhlangana nawe It was good to have met you Kumnandi ukuhlangana nawe It's good to know you Ngisendleleni I'm on my way now Lesson 3 Wena ungubani? - What’s your name? You ask a person's name using -bani? (who?) and ukuthi+ni (to say+what) See also interrogatives, introducing people -bani? who? ungubani? who are you? igama name (ama- pl.) isibongo surname - (izi- pl.) isithakazelo praise name (izi- pl.) Wena ungubani? You, who are you? Ngubani igama lahko? What is your name? Lithini igama lahko? What is your name? = it says what your name Igama lami My name is Igama lami ngu- My name is called ... Ngingu- I am called ... Ngubani isibongo sakho? What is your surname? [First name]-bani? (Name) who? = ask a surname Sithini isibongo sakho? What is your surname Isibongo sami ngu- My surname is ... Ngingu- I'm ... (isibongo sami my surname) or just Singu- It's... Ngubani isithakazelo sakho? What is your praise name? Sithini isithakazelo sakho? What is your praise name? = what says your praise name Singu- It's...Isithakazelo sami ngu- My praise name is .. Lona kuMatthew This is Matthew Igama lakhe nguMatthew His name is Matthew Isibongo sakhe Williams His surname is Williams Mangikwetule ku- or Manginethule ku pl. Let me introduce you to ... Mangikwazise ku- or Manginazise ku pl. let me make know to you ... NguMatthew lo This is Matthew (to introduce one person of many already named) Surnames and Praise Names Cele - Ndosi Dlomo- Mhkabela Buthelezi - Shenge Nkosi - Dlamini Ndovu - Gatsheni Ntuli - Mphenba Khumalo - Mntungwa Lesson 4 Usebenzani? - What do you do? To ask what someone does (for a living) - use the verbs ukusebenza (to work) and ukukwenza (to do) plus the interrogatives -ni (what) and -phi (where) ukusebenza to work ukuwenza to do (it) ukufunda to study -ni? what? -phi? where? nginu- ngiyi- I am njenga, njenge- njengo- as njenjani? as what? Usebenzani? What is your work? Usebenzaphi Where is your work Usebenza kuphi? You work where? Ngisebenza e- I work at ... as... Ngingu- ngiyi- I am eg ngiyiVet or ngingumfundisi Ngisebenza e- ... njenja- I work at .../as ... eg ngisebenza eFleet Street njengeGrantmaker or ngisebenzela iSainsburys I work for Sainsbury's Wena wenzani? What do you do? = you, you do what Wenzani ngokusebenza? You do what for a living? Nami ngisebenza etc Ngizosebenza I will work Ngifanelene ngisebenze kakhulu I must work very hard Angisebenzi I am not working Ngingasebenza I can work Ngingathanda ukusebenza I would like to work Ngiyafunda I am studing Ufunda kuphi? or Ufundaphi? Where are you studying? Ufundani (lapho?) What are you studying (there?) Angifundi I'm not studying Ngifunda I study eg Ngifunda isiZulu I study Zulu Ngifunda eDeptford College I study at Deptford College Lesson 5 Uhlalaphi? - Where are you from? Asking where people live and where they come from is done using the verbs ukuhlala (to stay), ukuphuma, ukuvela (to come from), ukdabuka to come from originally and the interrogative -phi (where) -phi?, kuphi? where ukuhlala to stay = live ukuphuma to come from = lit. appear ukuvela to come from ukudabuka to come from originally kodwa but isizwe nationa(ality) Uhlalaphi? You stay where now? or Uhlala kuphi? Where is it you stay? Ngihlala e- I stay at ... Uphumaphi? You come from where? Ngiphuma e- I come from ...eg ngihlala eNew Cross kodwa ngiphuma eDeptford live in New Cross but I come from Deptford Ungowakuphi ? Where are you from = belong Ungowasiphi isizwe? What is your nationality = you are of it where Ngingu- ngiyi- [country] I'm [nationality] eg ngiyiNgisi I'm (an) English(man) or ngingumZulu I'm a Zulu Ngigowase ... I belong ... eg ngigowaze eBristol I belong in Bristol Udabukaphi? You come from where originally? Ngidabuka (eBristol) I come from (Bristol) originally Nivelaphi? Where do you come you from? Sivela eNgilandi We come from England Ukuphi ngokuhlala? Your home is where? SiseLondon We are from London Bakuphi ngokuhlala? Where do they reside? BaseLondon ngokuhlala They are staying in London Nationalities UmNgisi, iNgisi Englishman (amaNgisi pl.) isiKoshi Scotsman iJalimanei German UmHoholandi Dutchman (abaHholandi pl.) iFulentshi Frenchman iBuhnu Afrikaner UmZului Zulu (amaZulu pl.) UmSwati Swazi (amaSwati pl.) UmXhosa Xhosa (amaXhosa pl.) iNdebele (amaNgebele pl.) UmTswana Tswana (abeTswana pl.) UmSuthu Suthu (abeSuthu pl.) UmVenda Venda UmTsonga Tsonga Places Johannesburg EGoli = place of gold Germiston EDukthole Durban EThekwini Port Elizabeth EBayhi Zululand KwaZulu Amanzimtoti EManzimtoti Ladysmith EMnambithi East London EMoti Umlazi EMlazi Peitermaritzburg EMgungundlovu or Emaltizboko London ELandini Lesson 6 Uyasazi isiZulu? - Do you know? Asking whether someone can do some thing is based on the verb construction uyakwazi uku- (do you know how to). Also important are the verb stems -azi (know), -khuluma (speak) and -qonda (understand) ukukwazi to know (it) = uku-ku-azi uyakwazi uku- you know how to ukukhuluma to speak ukucathula to toddle = to be a beginner ukuqonda to understand kancane little kahle well uxolo pardon, excuse me ukuxolisa to ask for pardon cha no Uyakwasi uku- You know how to ... eg uyakwasi ukulugisa izabane? do you know how to make the lights work? Uyakwasi ukukhuluma (isiZulu?) Do you know how to speak (Zulu?) Yebo, ngiyakwasi Yes,I know how to Angikwazi I don't know how Akakwazi she doesn't know how Uyasazi You know Ukhuluma You speak Uyasazi isiZulu na? Do you know Zulu? Ukhuluma isiZulu? Do you speak Zulu? Yebo ngiyasazi Yes I know it Yebo, ngikhuluma (isiZulu) Yes, I speak (Zulu) Cha, angazi No, I don't know it Angikhulumi I don't speak it Ukhulamani? What (language) do you speak? = ukhulama-ni Nikhulamani ekhaya? What do you (people) speak at home? Siikhuluma isiXhosa We speak Xhosa Uyasazi isiZulu na? Do you know Zulu? Yebo, ngiyasazi kodwa hayi kahlulu Yes, I know it but not very well Ngisazi kancane, ngisasifunda I know it a little, I'm still learning it Angisikhulumi khale khakhulu, ngisacathula I don't speak it very well, I'm still a beginner = a toddler Ngiyaqonda na? Do you understand? Angiqondi kahle I do not understand well Ngiyaxolisa kodwa angiqondi kahle usho ukuthini Sorry, but I do not understand well what you are saying Awupinde Please repeat Awukhulume kacane Please speak (more) slowly Usifundephi isiZulu? You learned Zulu where? = u-si-funde-phi Ngisifunde esikoleni I learned it at school Ngisifunde eLondoni I learned it in London Ngisafunda ukukhuluma isiZulu I am still learning to speak Zulu Languages isiZulu Zulu isiNgisi English isiBhuna Afrikaans isiSuthu Suthu isiXhosa Xhosa isiTswana Tswana isiFulentshi French isiVenda Venda isiSwati Swazi isiNdebele Ndebele isiJalimane German Lesson 7 Sikhathi manje? - What time is it? Asking the time uses isikhathi (time) and the verb stem -thi (say) ukuthi to say (that) isikhathi time Yisikhathi bani manje? or sithini isikhathi manje? or ysikhathini manje? or ngubani isikhathi manje? or sasikhathi manje? or sikhathi manje? What's the time now Ngu-[time in English] It's (time) eg ngu-2.30 it's half past two