These are verbs that have two objects (direct and indirect), or else have an object and a locative. All languages have a facility for doing this, and isiZulu is no different.
Before continuing, have a look at the following tables to make sure you are in the right place:
| Question | Example verbs | Example sentences |
| Type A. Is the verb followed by a noun [or does it use an object concord]? | uku-dla uku-thenga | ngidla isinkwa bayazithenga [izingubo] |
| Type B. Is the verb followed by a locative? | uku-ya uku-hlala | uya ekhaya? sihlala endlini. |
| Type C. Does the verb describe a state or situation? | uku-khathala uku-sha | ziyakhathala they are getting tired iyasha it is on fire |
| Type D. (1) Is the verb followed by two nouns [or does it use an object concord and have another noun]? or (2) Is the verb followed by a noun [or does it use an object concord] and a locative? | uku-tshela uku-nika or uku-faka uku-susa | ngizotshela indoda indaba banginike ithuba or luzofaka umfutho entweni bazisusa etafuleni |
| Type E. Is the verb followed by na*? | uku-hlangana uku-fana | angifuni ukuhlangana naye. ubaba ufana nenkunzi. |
| Type F. Does the verb end with -wa, followed by a copulative? | uku-kholwa | sikholwa nguye |
If you are certain that this is the place to be, then continue. Otherwise, you can head back to the overall izimpambosi page.
Let’s have a look at Type D Verbs, which could be called Dative or Indirect-Object Verbs:
| Type D: Verbs with two objects, or with an object and a locative aka dative verbs | what happens when you add an impambosi | example sentences |
| uku- uku- | add -isa > does not usually or regularly work for this type of verb, as this is part of their basic coding | |
| uku-nikela uku-khiphela | add –ela > does not usually work for this type of verb, but can in some instances > allows you to add a purpose to the action, or add another location > changes these verbs to Type B or Type D (2) | umphakathi unikela isonto ngemali eningi the community donates a lot of money to the church [it-apply-give-to] isoka lami lingikhiphela njalo ngoMgqibelo my boyfriend always takes me out (somewhere) on Saturday [he-take-out-apply] |
| uku-tshelana uku-fakana | add –ana > allows you to add someone who is doing this verb with the original subject > changes these verbs to Type E | abangana batshelana izindaba the friends share stories [they-tell-to-reciprocal] ayafakana umfutho they energize each other [they-do-insert-reciprocal] |
| uku-tsheleka uku-khipheka | add –eka or –akala > adding this extension allows you to express versions of the basic verb as simply happening, with no effect on another noun > most often has a connotation of ‘able to…’ > changes these verbs to Type C | azitsheleki these [stories] are not to be told [no-they-telling-happen-not] ikhipheka kalula it’s easily removed [it-removal-happen] |
| uku-nikwa uku-khishwa | add –wa or –iwa > makes the statement passive, i.e. the subject experiences the action, done by the agent > be careful of all verbs that end with bilabial consonants, because the passive form is going to change the sound to a palatal noise [scroll down to see the full explanation] > changes these verbs to Type F | unikwe ngubani lokhu? who gave you that? [you-giving-to-experience it-who this-thing?] isikhishwe yimi khona it was removed by me from there [it-removal-experienced] |
| – -nike… – -khiphe | add –ile > makes the verb into a state or a finished action > because these verbs always have something else after them, you will hardly ever find them in the long form of this impambosi > changes these verbs to a more polished or finished Type C | kade ngimnike imali I’ve given him money long ago already [I-give-state] |
| uku-tshelisisa | add –isisa > makes the action of these verbs more intense | kufanele umtshelisise le nto you have to tell her this thing a million times! [you-person-tell-intensive-should] |