Browse Zulu Vocabulary

abantu

/aˈɓantu/

people

Plural of person; a group of people.

amanzi

/aˈmaːnzi/

Uketshezi olungenambala esiluphuzayo nesigezayo ngalo.

azi

/ˈaːzi/

know

To have knowledge of something; to understand something.

ba-

/ɓa/

they

Subject concord for plural people, meaning “they.”

bani

/ˈɓaːni/

Libuza umuntu; yimuphi umuntu.

beka

/ˈɓeːɠa/

Ukufaka into endaweni ethile; ukuyibeka phansi.

bhala

/ˈɓaːla/

Ukwenza amagama noma izimpawu ephepheni ngepeni noma ngokunye.

bo

/ɓↄ/

Isakhi esigcizelela isicelo noma isexwayiso, sifakwa ekugcineni komusho.

bona

/ˈɓↄna/

Isabizwana sikamuntu wesithathu obuningi esimele abantu okukhulunywa ngabo.

buya

/ˈɓuːja/

Ukubuyela endaweni obukuyo noma obuvela kuyo.

cha

/ǀʰa/

no

A word used to negate or refuse; the opposite of “yes”.

dla

/ɬa/

eat

To put food into the mouth, chew it, and swallow it.

eduze

/eˈduːze/

Endaweni engekude; ngasenhla nokwenye into.

emuva

/eˈmuːva/

behind; after

Behind; after a period of time or after a place.

enza

/ˈeːnza/

do

To perform a task or thing; to create something.

eziningi

/eziˈniːᵑɡi/

many

Of a large number; added in abundance.

fika

/ˈfiːɠa/

Ukufinyelela endaweni oya kuyo; ukungena endaweni.

funa

/ˈfuːna/

Ukudinga into noma ukuyilangazelela; ukudinga.

funda

/ˈfuːnda/

Ukuthola ulwazi ngokubuka amagama noma ngokufundiswa.

futhi

/ˈfuːtʰi/

Umhlanganisi wokwengeza, obonisa okunye okwengeziwe.

hamba

/ˈhamba/

Ukusuka endaweni uye kwenye ngezinyawo noma ngenqola.

hhayi

/ˈɦaːji/

no

An exclamation expressing denial, surprise, or doubt.

hlala

/ˈɬaːla/

Ukuba sendaweni ethile isikhathi eside; ukuhlala phansi.

ikhaya

/iˈkʰaːja/

Indawo umuntu ahlala khona nomndeni wakhe; umuzi.

imali

/iˈmaːli/

money

That which is used in buying and selling; finances.

indlu

/inˈdɬu/

house

A building where people live; home.

indoda

/inˈdↄːda/

Umuntu wesilisa osekhulile; owesilisa.

ini

/ˈiːni/

what

Asks about a thing; what is this thing.

into

/ˈintↄ/

Noma yini ekhona, engaphathwa noma engabonwa, engesona isidalwa esiphilayo.

isikhathi

/isiˈkʰaːtʰi/

Ukuhamba kwamahora nezinsuku; ithuba noma umzuzu othile.

izolo

/iˈzↄlↄ/

Usuku olwedlule usuku lwanamuhla.

kabi

/ˈɠaːɓi/

badly

In an undesirable or incorrect way.

kahle

/ˈɠaːɬe/

Ngendlela enhle noma efanele; ngokulunga.

kakhulu

/ɠaˈkʰulu/

Isandiso esibonisa izinga eliphezulu noma ubukhulu bento.

kanjani

/ɠaˈndʒaːni/

how

Asks in what manner something happened; in what way.

khethu

/x/

skip

skip

khona

/ˈkʰɔna/

Isandiso esibonisa indawo noma ubukhona bento.

khona manje

/ˈkʰↄna ˈmandʒe/

right now

At this time, immediately, now.

khuluma

/kʰuˈluːma/

Ukusebenzisa amazwi ukuze uveze imicabango; ukwenza inkulumo.

kodwa

/ˈkↄdwa/

but

A conjunction that indicates contrast or difference between two things.

ku-

/ɠu/

Isakhi esibonisa indawo, isiqondiso noma umuntu okuqondiswe kuye.

kude

/ˈɠuːde/

Endaweni engekho eduze; ebangeni elikhulu.

kuphi

/ˈɠuːpʰi/

Ibuza indawo; endaweni ethile.

kusasa

/ɠuˈsaːsa/

tomorrow

The day after today.

lala

/ˈlaːla/

Ukuvala amehlo nokuphumula umzimba nengqondo ebusuku.

lapha

/ˈlaːpʰa/

Isandiso sendawo esikhomba indawo eseduze nalapho umuntu ekhona.

lo

/lɔ/

Isabizwana esikhombisayo esikhomba into eseduze noma ekhulunywa ngayo, yesigaba sokuqala.

manje

/ˈmandʒe/

Isandiso sesikhathi esisho isikhathi samanje, kwamanje.

mbili

/ˈᵐbiːli/

two

The number following one; two things.

mina

/ˈmina/

Isabizwana sikamuntu wokuqala obunye esimele okhulumayo.