ZULU LANGUAGE

Zulu (isiZulu) is a language of the Zulu people. Zulu means heaven or sky in the Zulu language. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population (Ethnologue 2005). It became one of South Africa’s 11 official languages in 1994 at the end of apartheid. Zulu is also spoken in Malawi, Mozambique and Swaziland. Zulu, like all indigenous languages spoken in South Africa was an oral language until contact with the European missionaries who documented the language using the Latin alphabet.

• Hello - Sawubona Sanibona
• How are you? - Unjani?
• I am well - Ngisaphila
• I am fine thank you - Ngisaphila ngiyabonga.
• Goodbye - Hamba kahle Sala kahle
• Good luck - Ngikufisela inhlanhla
• Yes - Yebo
• No - Cha
• Please - Ngiyakucela
• Thank you - Ngiyabonga
• Excuse me - Uxolo
• I am sorry - Ngiyaxolisa.
• I love you - Ngiyakuthanda.
• I'm okay / We're okay - Ngiyaphila / Siyaphila
• Thanks (a lot) - Ngiyabonga (kakhulu)
• What is your name? - Ngubani igama lakho?
• Go well / Stay well/goodbye - Hamba kahle / Sala kahle
• Wow! - Eish!
• I don't know - Angazi Ukhuluma
• Do you speak English? - isiNgisi na?
• I've just started learning Zulu - Ngisaqala ukufunda isiZulu
  
• Can I help you? - Ngingakusiza?
  
• Where do you stay? - Uhlala kuphi?
  
• Where are you from? - Uphumaphi?
• Go well / Stay well, to a group of people - Hambani kahle / Salani kahle
• South Africa - iNingizimu Afrika / uMzansi Afrika
• Durban - iTheku
• Johannesburg - iGoli
• My name is... - Igama lami ngu...
• What's the time? - Isikhathi sithini?
• Cape Town - iKapa
• Pretoria - iPitoli

No little one! you can not have Umqombothi (beer made from sorghum)

Image by Joumana Medlej

one - kunye

two - kubili

three - kuthathu

four - kune

five - kuhlanu

six - yisithupa

Seven - yisikhombisa

eight - yisishiyagalombili

nine - yisishiyagalolunye

ten - yishumi