Chicken | Inkukhu |
Chickens | Izinkukhu |
A car/ vehicle | Imoto |
Cars/ vehicles | Izimoto |
Bird | Inyoni |
We are asking for rain, but not many rains | Sicela imvula, kodwa hayi izimvula eziningi |
Birds | Izinyoni |
The thing I like about Malawi is its people | Into engiyithandayo ngeMalawi abantu bakhona |
My neighbour bought a car | Umakhelwane wami uthenge imoto |
This evening, I will cook chicken | Kusihlwa, ngizopheka inkukhu |
Horn | Uphondo |
Leaf | Uhlamvu |
Tortoise | Ufudu |
Symbol/ Sign | Uphawu |
Tribulation/ Sadness | Usizi |
Day | Usuku |
feather | Usiba |
Piece of wood | Ukhuni |
The horn is facing upward | Uphondo lubheke phezulu |
The horns are facing upward | Izimpondo zibheke phezulu |
A tortoise is slow | Ufudu luhamba kancane |
Tortoises are slow | Izimfudu zihamba kancane |
My beads are beautiful | Ubuhlalu bami buhle |
Old age will catch up with us all | Ubudala buzosifica sonke. |
The grass is burning | Utshani buyasha |
The milk is finished | Ubisi luphelile |
The election is near | Ukhetho lusondele |
Love is patient | Uthando lunesineke |
Food | Ukudla |
Sickness/ Illness | Ukugula |
Death | Ukufa |
Listening | Ukulalela |
Heat | Ukushisa |
Crying | Ukukhala |
Dreaming | Ukuphupha |
Throwing | Ukuphosa |
Arriving | Ukufika |
Teaching makes me happy | Ukufundisa kuyangijabulisa |
Traditional food is tasty | Ukudla kwesintu kumnandi |
Sickness made me quit work. | Ukugula kungiyekise umsebenzi |
Building has landed me in debt. | Ukwakha kungifake ezikweletini |
Fear holds one back | Ukwesaba kuyabambezelana |
Face | Ubuso |
Milk | Ubisi |
Beads | Ubuhlalu |
Old age/ age | Ubudala |
Evil/ Ugliness | Ububi |
Sleep | Ubuthongo |
Beauty/ Goodness | Ubuhle |
Alcohol | Utshwala |
Grass | Utshani |
Election | Ukhetho |
Love | Uthando |
Temper | Ulaka |
Trouble | Uhlupho |
The profession of teaching/ preaching | Ubufundisi |
Teacher/ Preacher | Umfundisi (noun) |
Laziness | Ubuvila |
A lazy person | Ivila (noun) |
Kingship/ Chieftaincy | Ubukhosi |
King | Inkosi (noun) |
Theft | Ubusela |
Thief | Isela (noun) |
The grass is burning | Utshani buyasha |
There is a lot of theft in Johannesburg | Ubusela buningi eGoli |
I am sleepy | Ngiphethwe ubuthongo |
My beads are beautiful | Ubuhlalu bami buhle |
The grass is burning | Utshani buyasha |
The milk is finished | Ubisi luphelile |
The election is near | Ukhetho lusondele |
Love is patient | Uthando lunesineke |
Food | Ukudla |
Sickness/ Illness | Ukugula |
Death | Ukufa |
Listening | Ukulalela |
Heat | Ukushisa |
Crying | Ukukhala |
Dreaming | Ukuphupha |
Throwing | Ukuphosa |
Arriving | Ukufika |
Zinhle likes eating meat and dumplings | UZinhle uthanda ukudla inyama namadombolo |
She took the car and the house | Uthathe imoto nendlu |
She took the car and the house | Uthathe imoto nomuzi |
My sister and my brother live in Johannesburg | Udadewethu nomfowethu bahlala eGoli |
He is smart but he is lazy | Uhlakaniphile kodwa uyivila |
Sfiso did not go to work because he is sick | uSfiso akayanga emsebenzini ngoba uyagula |
I’m here because I need your help | Ngi la ngoba ngidinga usizo lwakho |
I could not study IsiZulu because I was busy | Angikwazanga ukufunda IsiZulu ngoba bengimatasa (full form bengimatasatasa) |
Parent | Umzali |
My parent | Umzali wami |
Your parent | Umzali wakho |
His/ her parent | Umzali wakhe |
Our parent | Umzali wethu (wa+ithu) |
Your parent (plural) | Umzali wenu (wa+inu) |
Their parent | Umzali wabo |
Parents | Abazali |
My parents | Abazali bami |
Your parents | Abazali bakho |
His/ her parents | Abazali bakhe |
Our parents | Abazali bethu (ba+ithu) |
Your parents (plural) | Abazali benu (ba+ inu) |
Their parents | Abazali babo |
Lawyer | Ummeli |
My lawyer | Ummeli wami |
Your lawyer | Ummeli wakho |
His/ her lawyer | Ummeli wakhe |
Our lawyer | Ummeli wethu (wa+ithu) |
Your lawyer (plural) | Ummeli wenu (wa+inu) |
Their lawyer | Ummeli wabo |
Lawyers | Abameli |
My lawyers | Abameli bami |
Your lawyers | Abameli bakho |
His/ her lawyers | Abameli bakhe |
Our lawyers | Abameli bethu (ba+ithu) |
Your lawyers (plural) | Abameli benu (ba+ inu) |
Their lawyers | Abameli babo |
Mine | Owami |
Yours | Owakho |
His/ hers | Owakhe |
Ours | Owethu (wa+ithu) |
Yours (plural) | Owenu (wa+inu) |
Theirs | Owabo |
Mine | Abami |
Yours | Abakho |
His/ hers | Abakhe |
Ours | Abethu (ba+ithu) |
Yours (plural) | Abenu (ba+ inu) |
Theirs | Ababo |
What do you want? | Ufunani? |
I want to go on holiday | Ngifuna ukuya eholidini |
What do you need? | Udingani? |
I need money | Ngidinga imali |
Where do you want to go? | Ufuna ukuyaphi / ufuna ukuya kuphi? |
I want to go home | Ngifuna ukuya ekhaya |
What do you want to do now? | Ufuna ukwenzani manje? |
I do not know | Angazi |
I want to play golf | Ngifuna ukudlala igalofu |
How do you feel? | Uzizwa kanjani/unjani? |
I feel better | Ngizizwa ngincono |
My head still aches | Ikhanda lami lisebuhlungu |
How does the child feel? /How does your child feel? | Uzizwa enjani umntwana? Uzizwa enjani umntwana wakho? |
He/She feels better | Uzizwa encono |
His/Her head still aches | Ikhanda lakhe lisebuhlungu |
Why does she need a lot of money? | Kungani edinga imali eningi? |
She needs to buy food and clothes | Udinga ukuthenga ukudla nezingubo |
Do you like coffee? | Uyalithanda ikhofi |
Yes, I do like coffee | Yebo, ngiyalithanda ikhofi |
No, I do not like coffee | Cha, angilithandi ikhofi |
Where are you going tomorrow? | Uyaphi kusasa? |
I want to go to the shops in the morning | Ngifuna ukuya ezitolo ekuseni |
I want to go to church/Sunday/Week | Ngifuna ukuya esontweni |