She scheduled | Uhlelile |
I am watching television | Ngibuka umabonakude |
I am watching television | Ngibuke umabonakude |
I watched television | Ngizobuka umabonakude |
I will watch television | Ngizobuka umabonakude |
I am watching | Ngiyabuka |
I watched | Ngibukile |
I will watch | Ngizobuka |
I am reading the newspaper | Ngifunda iphephandaba |
I will read the newspaper | Ngizofunda iphephandaba |
I read the newspaper | Ngifunde iphephandaba |
I am reading | Ngiyafunda |
I will read | Ngizofunda |
One | Kunye |
Two | Kubili |
Three | Kuthathu |
Four | Kune |
Five | Kuhlanu |
Monday | uMsombuluko |
Tuesday | uLwesibili |
Wednesday | uLwesithathu |
Thursday | uLwesine |
Friday | uLwesihlanu |
Saturday | uMgqibelo |
Sunday | iSonto |
In the morning | Ekuseni |
During the day | Emini |
In the evening (In conversation, we usually use “ntambama”) | Kusihlwa |
At night | Ebusuku |
The day before yesterday | Kuthangi |
Yesterday | Izolo |
Today | Namhlanje |
Tomorrow | Kusasa |
It is cold | Kuyabanda |
It is hot | Kuyashisa |
It is raining | Liyanetha |
It is sunny | Libalele |
It is snowing | Liyakhithika |
It is cloudy | Liguqubele |
It is drizzling | Liyakhemezela |
It is windy | Kunesivunguvungu |
How did you sleep? | Ulale kanjani |
I slept well, how did you sleep? | Ngilale kahle, wena ulale kanjani? |
I also slept well | Nami, ngilale kahle |
I did not sleep well | Mina, angilalanga kahle |
How did you sleep? | Nilale kanjani? |
We slept well, how did you sleep? | Silale kahle, nina nilale kanjani? |
We also slept well | Nathi, silale kahle |
We did not sleep well | Thina, asilalanga kahle |
How was your day? | Belunjani usuku lwakho |
My day was good/ bad, how was yours? | Usuku lwami beluluhle/ belulubi, olwakho belunjani? |
Mine was also good. Or Mine was bad | Nolwami, beluluhle. Or Olwami belulubi |
How was your day at work? | Belunjani usuku lwakho emsebenzini? |
My day was good/ bad, how was yours? | Usuku lwami beluluhle/ belulubi, olwakho belunjani? |
Mine was also good. Or Mine was bad | Nolwami, beluluhle. Or Olwami belulubi |
Do you have a question? | Unawo umubuzo? (Singular) |
Yes, I do | Yebo, nginawo |
No, I don’t | Cha, anginawo |
Do you have any questions? | Unayo imibuzo? (Plural) |
Yes, I do | Yebo, nginayo |
No, I don’t | Cha, anginayo |
Do you understand? | Uyazwisisa? |
Yes, I understand | Yebo, ngiyazwisisa |
No, I don’t understand | Cha, angizwisisi |
Parent | Umzali |
Parents | Abazali |
Farmer | Umlimi |
Person or Human being | Umuntu |
Leader | Umholi |
Leaders | Abaholi |
Teacher/ Preacher | Umfundisi |
Teachers/ Preachers | Abafundisi |
Builder | Umakhi |
Brother | Umfowethu |
Student | Umfundi |
Students | Abafundi |
The person is always crying | Umuntu ukhala njalo |
The people are always crying | Abantu bakhala njalo |
The child wants to sing | Umntwana ufuna ukucula |
The children want to sing | Abantwana bafuna ukucula |
The student is studying IsiZulu | Umfundi ufunda IsiZulu |
The students are studying IsiZulu | Abafundi bafunda IsiZulu |
The teacher is teaching the student | Umfundisi ufundisa umfundi |
The teachers are teaching the students | Abafundisi bafundisa abafundi |
Zinhle has gone to the shop | uZinhle uye esitolo |
Zinhle and her friends have gone to the shop | oZinhle baye esitolo. (Zinhle and people who are with Zinhle) |
All the people named John are tall | oJohn bade bonke |
Mother/ Mom | uMama |
Mom is at work | uMama usemsebenzini |
The mothers/ our mothers are at work | oMama basemsebenzini |
Father/ Dad | uBaba |
Fathers | oBaba |
Dad has eleven taxis | uBaba unamatekisi awu11 |
My father and his brothers have 11 taxis | oBaba banamatekisi awu11 |
The grandmothers have gone to collect their pension | oGogo baye kohola impesheni |
Bean/s | uBhontshisi |
The varieties/ different kinds of beans | oBhontshisi |
Tomato/es | utamatisi |
The varieties/ different kinds of tomatoes | otamatisi |
Onion/s | u-anyanisi |
The varieties/ different kinds of onions | o-anyanisi |
Onions make one cry | u-Anyanisi uyakhalisana |
Doctor/s | Udokotela or Odokotela |
Nurse/s | Unesi or Onesi |
Teacher/s | Uthisha or Othisha |
Paint | Upende or Opende (varieties of paint) |
Jug/s | Ujeke or Ojeke |
Neighbor/s | Umakhelwane or Omakhelwane |
My neighbor likes smoking | Umakhelwane wami uthanda ukubhema |
The doctor is helped by nurses | Udokotela usizwa onesi |
The water jugs are on the tables | Ojeke bamanzi basematafuleni |
My sister likes amasi (fermented milk); Thanda- To like/ love | Udadewethu uthanda amasi |
My sisters like amasi (fermented milk) | Odadewethu bathanda amasi |
The tractor passes by in the mornings; Dlula- To pass | Ugandaganda udlula ekuseni |
The tractors pass by in the mornings | Ogandaganda badlula ekuseni |
The nurse is helping the doctor; Siza- To help | Unesi usiza udokotela |
The nurses are helping the doctors | Onesi basiza odokotela |
House | Umuzi |
Fire | Umlilo |
Ship | Umkhumbi |
Plant/ Medicine (Medicine traditionally comes from plants so medicine in IsiZulu is umuthi) | Umuthi |
Question | Umubuzo |
Prayer | Umthandazo |
Dance | Umdanso |
Music | Umculo |
Wedding (Noun) | Umshado |
To wed/ Marry (Verb) Plural? | Shada |
A broom (Noun) | Umshanelo |
To sweep (Verb) Plural? | Shanela |
A game (Noun) | Umdlalo |
Meeting (Noun) | Umhlangano |
To meet (Verb) Plural? | Hlangana |
A competition (Noun) | Umncintiswano |
A competition (Noun) | Umncintiswano |
To compete (Verb) Plural? | Ncintisana |
The house is being painted | Umuzi uyapendwa |
The houses are being painted | Imizi iyapendwa |
The road is being repaired/ fixed | Umgwaqo uyakhandwa/uyalungiswa |
To repair/ Lungisa- To fix | Khanda |
The roads are being repaired/ fixed | Imigwaqo iyakhandwa/ iyalungiswa |
Tooth | Izinyo |
Teeth | Amazinyo |
Garden hoe | Igeja |
Garden hoes | Amageja |
Pill/ Tablet | Iphilisi |
Pieces of Coal/ A bag of coal | Amalahle |
Cloud | Ifu |
Clouds | Amafu |
Bush | Ihlathi |
Bushes | Amahlathi |
Day/Sun | Iqanda |
Eye | Ihlo |
Eyes | Amehlo |
Lion | Ibhubesi |
Lions | Amabhubesi |
Zebra | Idube |
Ameva- Thorns | Iva (some people would say Iliva in conversation)- Thorn |
Stone | Itshe (some people would say Ilitshe in conversation) |
Stones | Amatshe |
Home | Ikhaya |
Homes | Amakhaya |
The pumpkin is tasty | Ithanga limnandi |
Pumpkins are tasty | Amathanga amnandi |
The bucket is full of water | Ibhakede ligcwele amanzi |
The buckets are full of water | Amabhakede agcwele amanzi |
The pot is full of food | Ibhodwe ligcwele ukudla |
The pots are full of food | Amabhodwe agcwele ukudla |
School | Isikole |
Schools | Izikole |
Illness/ death | Isifo |
Illnesses/ deaths | Izifo |
Lesson | Isifundo |
A chair | Isihlalo |
Chairs | Izihlalo |
Platter | Isithebe |
Platters | Izithebe |
Slice of bread/ A loaf of bread | Isinkwa |
Time | Isikhathi |
Times | Izikhathi |
Shoe | Isicathulo |
Tree | Isihlahla |
Trees | Izihlahla |
Food platters | Izithebe zokudla |
What time is it | Ubani isikhathi |
Goat | Imbuzi |
Goats | Izimbuzi |
Elephant | Indlovu |
Elephants | Izindlovu |
Letter/ Book | Incwadi |
Letters/ Books | Izincwadi |
A thing | Into |
Things | Izinto |
House | Indlu |
Houses | Izindlu |
Dog | Inja |
Dogs | Izinja |
Hole | Imbobo |
Holes | Izimbobo |
Rain | Imvula |
Rains | Izimvula |