Zulu (isiZulu) is the language of the Zulu people, the majority of them living in South Africa.

Pronunciation guide

Note that Zulu is a tonal language, so the meaning of some words depends on whether you use a high or low pitch. For instance, "Unjani?" with a high tone on the 'u' means "How are you?" whereas a low thone on the 'u' means "How are they?"

Vowels

Zulu vowels are very similar to those found in English.

Consonants

Zulu has three click consonants, represented by "c," "q," and "x" in written Zulu.

c: Click your tongue off the back of your teeth, like a disapproving "tsk tsk."

x: This sounds like the click made to summon a horse. Click the side of your tongue off your molars, on either or both sides of your mouth.

q: This is the hardest click. It should sound somewhat like a cork being popped from a bottle. Put your tongue on the edge of your hard palate, and pull it of sharply. This will take some practice.

Here are the other consonants that can be difficult:

t like the "t" in "tea"

k somewhere between English "k" and English "g"

kh this is a digraph; it is pronounced like a hard k in Eglish, like k in "kick".

hh A digraph, this is a voiced "h", like "ch" in the Scottish "loch" but softer.

y Like the English "y"

b Like the English "b"

Phrase list

Basics

Common signs OPEN vula CLOSE vala ENTRANCE ngena EXIT phuma PUSH PULL TOILET MEN amadoda WOMEN abafazi FORBIDDEN

Hello (to one person)

Sawubona.

Hello (to a group of people)

Sanibonani.

How are you? (singular 'you')

Unjani?

How are you? (plural 'you')

Ninjani?

I'm fine.

Ngikhona.

We're fine.

Sikhona.

What's your name?

Ungubani igama lakho?

My name is _____.

Igama lami ngingu _____.

Can you help me?

Ungangisiza?

How much (does it cost)?

Yimalini?

What's the time?

Isikhathisini?

Where are you from?

Uphumaphi?

I come from ___________.

Ngiphuma _____.

Do you speak English?

Uyasikhuluma isiNgisi?

Thank you.

Ngiyabonga.

Stay well / Go well. (used as 'goodbye')

Sala kahle / Hamba kahle.

Problems

Leave me alone.

Ngiyeke!

Don't touch me!

Ungangithinti!

I will call the Police.

Ngizobiza amaPhoyisa.

Police!

Phoyisa!

Thief!

Sgebengu!

I need your help.

Ngidinga usizo lwakho.

It's an emergency.

Kuyaphuthuma.

I'm lost.

Ngidukile.

I lost my bag.

Ngilahlekelwe isikhwama sami.

I lost my wallet.

Ngilahlekelwe isikhwama sami semali.

I'm sick.

Ngiyagula.

I need a doctor.

Ngidinga udokotela.

Please can I use your phone.

Ngicela ukusebenzisa ucingo lwakho.

Numbers

Numbers in Zulu are quite complex, with all of them acting as adjectives that alter the subsequent word. The numbers listed below are the traditional Zulu numbers, but virtually all Zulu speakers use the English counting system for convenience.

zero

iqanda

one

kunye

two

kubili

three

kuthathu

four

kune

five

isihlanu

six

isithupha

seven

isikhombisa

eight

isishiyagalombili

nine

isishiyagalolunye

ten

ishumi

eleven

ishumi nanye

twelve

ishumi nambili

thirteen

ishumi nantathu

fourteen

ishumi nane

fifteen

ishumi nesihlanu

sixteen

ishumi nesithupha

seventeen

ishumi nesikhombisa

eighteen

ishumi nesishiyagalombili

nineteen

ishumi nesishiyagalolunye

twenty

amashumi amabili

twenty-one

amashumi amabili nanye

twenty-two

amashumi amabili nambili

twenty-three

amashumi amabili nantathu

twenty-four

amashumi amabili nane

twenty-five

amashumi amabili nesihlanu

twenty-six

amashumi amabili nesithupha

twenty-seven

amashumi amabili nesikhombisa

twenty-eight

amashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili

twenty-nine

amashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye

thirty

amashumi amathathu

forty

amashumi amane

fifty

amashumi amahlanu

sixty

amashumi ayisithupha

seventy

amashumi ayisikhombisa

eighty

amashumi ayisishiyagalombili

ninety

amashumi ayisishiyagalolunye

hundred

ikhulu

one hundred one

ikhulu nanye

one hundred two

ikhulu nambili

two hundred

amakhulu amabili

three hundred

amakhulu amathathu

four hundred

amakhulu amane

five hundred

amakhulu amahlanu

six hundred

amakhulu ayisithupha

seven hundred

amakhulu ayisikhombisa

eight hundred

amakhulu ayisishiyagalombili

nine hundred

amakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye

thousand

inkulungwane

two thousand

izinkulungwane ezimbili

three thousand

izinkulungwane ezintathu

four thousand

izinkulungwane ezine

five thousand

izinkulungwane ezinhlanu

six thousand

izinkulungwane eziyisithupha

seven thousand

izinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa

eight thousand

izinkulungwane eziyisishiyagalombili

nine thousand

izinkulungwane eziyisishiyagalolunye

ten thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi

eleven thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi ezinanye

twelve thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi ezimbili

thirteen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi ezintathu

fourteen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi ezine

fifteen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi ezinhlanu

sixteen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi eziyisithupha

seventeen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi eziyisikhombisa

eighteen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi eziyisishiyagalombili

nineteen thousand

izinkulungwane eziyishumi eziyisishiyagalolunye

twenty thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamabili

thirty thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamathathu

forty thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamane

fifty thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamahlanu

sixty thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamathupha

seventy thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamakhombisa

eighty thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamaisishiyagalombili

ninety thousand

izinkulungwane eziamashumi eziamaisishiyagalolunye

hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziyikhulu

two hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamabili

three hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamathathu

four hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamane

five hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamahlanu

six hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamathupha

seven hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamakhombisa

eight hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamaisishiyagalombili

nine hundred thousand

izinkulungwane eziamakhulu eziamaisishiyagalolunye

one million

isigidi

Time

now

(manje/njengamanje...)

later

(esikhathini esizayo...)

before

(esikhathini esidlulile...)

morning

(ekuseni...)

afternoon

(ntambama...)

evening

(ntambama...)

night

(ebusuku...)

Clock time

What time is it?

(ubani/sithini isikhathi...)

one o'clock (when AM/PM is obvious)

(ihora lokuqala...)

two o'clock (when AM/PM is obvious)

(ihora lesibili...)

one o'clock AM

(ihora lokuqala ekuseni...)

two o'clock AM

(ihora lesibili ekuseni...)

noon

(ntambama...)

one o'clock PM

(ihora lokuqala ntambama...)

two o'clock PM

(ihora lesibili ntambama...)

midnight

(phakathi kwamabili...)

Duration

_____ minute(s)

(imizuzu...)

_____ hour(s)

(amahora...)

_____ day(s)

(izinsuku...)

_____ week(s)

(amaviki...)

_____ month(s)

(izinyanga...)

_____ year(s)

(iminyaka...)

Days

Monday

uMsombuluko

Tuesday

uLwesibili

Wednesday

uLwesithathu

Thursday

uLwesine

Friday

uLwesihlanu

Saturday

uMgqibelo

Sunday

iSonto

Months

January

(...)

February

(...)

March

(...)

April

(...)

May

(...)

June

(...)

July

(...)

August

(...)

September

(...)

October

(...)

November

(...)

December

(...)

Writing time and date

day

(usuku...)

week

(iviki...)

month

(inyanga...)

year

(unyaka...)

century

(...)

leap year

(...)

1:00 PM

(...)

2:00 PM

(...)

Colors

blue

luhlaza okwesibhakabhaka

orange

i-orenji

purple

iPhephuli

green

luhlaza

gray

mpunga

brown

nsundu

black

mnyama

white

mhlophe

Transportation

[English word] - [Zulu word] ([plural Zulu word])

car - imoto (izimoto)

bus - ibhasi (amabhasi)

ship -umkhumbhi (imikhumbhi)

plane - indiza, ibhanoyi (izindiza, amabhanoyi)

motorcycle - isithuthuthu (izithuthuthu)

train - isitimela (izitimela)

Directions

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong.

(...)

It was a misunderstanding.

(...)

Where are you taking me?

(...)

Am I under arrest? ; (...)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.

(...)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.

(...)

I want to talk to a lawyer.

(...)

Can I just pay a fine now?

(...)

Learning more

How do you say _____ in Zulu?

(...)

What is this/that called?

(...)