Zulu 3: Vocabulary and Common Phrases

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering verbs, nouns, pronouns, and descriptive phrases compiled from lecture notes and whiteboard sessions.

Lala

To sleep

ubisi

Milk

itiye

Tea

kuyamangaza

It's amazing or shocking (depending on the context)

Bayawathanda

They like them

bayathanda

they like

Ukuchitha

Spend, spill

isikhati

Time

Ukuchitha isikhati

to spend/waste Time

ngijabule Ukuchitha isikhati nomndeni wami eGhana

I was very happy to spend time with my family in ghana

Sukuma

To stand

thula

To be quiet

thula wena

(You) be quiet

uzokwenzani

(Future tense) what are you going to do

Impelasonto

Weekend

iviki

Week

Kumele

I need

ngenze

that i do

kumele ngenze

i must do / i need to do

bengine

I had

Tasatasa

Busy (but most people just say busy)

Ukudla bekumnandi

The food was delicious

bekumnandi

Delicious, good

yakho

yours

for i- / in- / im- words

wakho

Yours

(for u- words)

zakho

your (for plural things starting with izin- / izim-, like )

ownership pronoun stems:

my / mine

-mi

ownership pronoun stems:

• your / yours (singular)

-kho

ownership pronoun stems:

his / her / hers

-akhe

ownership pronoun stems:

our / ours

-ethu

ownership pronoun stems:

• your / yours (plural)

-enu

ownership pronoun stems:

• their / theirs

-abo

uyena

It’s him/her , that‘s him/her

• emphasizing a specific person

mina

I / Me / As for me

okwethu

Ours

Wena

You

okwabo

Theirs

nina

You / you all (comme vous)

ngihlakaniphile

I am smart

ugihlakaniphile

You are smart

Kahle kakhulu

Very good

acts as an adverb that modifies a verb to describe how an action is performed.

kuhle kakhulu

It’s very good / great

a complete descriptive statement or a reaction to a situation, fact, or general news.

Inhle

beautiful / nice / pretty / good

i-, in-, or im- words

Umuhle

You're beautiful/pretty

Kulula

Its easy

ngiyakwazi

I can (…"kwaz" when speaking)

Yebo, ngiyakwazi

Yes I can

Kubuhlungu

It is painful or sad