This is the second most common type of verb in isiZulu, and also the trickiest for English-speakers to understand.
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.
The following table should be helpful for understanding verbs of this type.
| Type B: verbs that are followed by locatives aka locative verbs | what happens when you add an impambosi | example sentences |
| uku-yisa uku-hlalisa | add -isa > allows you to add an object that you make do (or cause to do) the action > changes these verbs to Type A | ngizoliyisa endlini I shall send itto the room [I-shall-it-make-go-to room-place] sihlalisa abantu lapho we seat people there [we-cause-sitting the-people there] |
| uku-yela uku-hlalela | add –ela > since Type B verbs are already coded with -el- in their basic meaning, this extension doesn’t always occur for them > allows you to add a purpose or indirect object to the action, or add another location > changes these verbs to Type B or Type D (2) | uyelani? why do you go there? [you-apply-going-to-for-what?] sihlalela ovalweni we are living [here] in fear [we-stay-at-apply fear-place] |
| uku- uku-yisana uku- uku-hlalisana uku-hlalelana | add –ana [only possible with compound impambosi, –isana or –elana with Type B verbs] > allows you to add someone who is doing this verb with the original subject > changes these verbs to Type E | siyayisana we go [there] together [we-do-go-cause-reciprocal] kunokuhlalelana it’s crowded / people sit on top of each other [situation-has-sitting-apply-reciprocal] |
| uku-yeka uku-hlaleka | add –eka or –akala > allows you to express the verb as simply happening, with no effect on another noun > most often has a connotation of ‘able to…’ > changes these verbs to Type C | akuyeki it’s inaccesible / unreachable / impenetrable / forbidden [no-it-go-to-happen-not] iyahlaleka one can sit there [it-does-sitting-happen-yes] |
| uku-yiwa uku-hlalwa | add –wa or –iwa > makes the statement passive, i.e. the subject experiences the action, done by the agent > this usually means ‘someone is doing this action there’ > changes these verbs to Type F | kuyiwa khona njalo ekuseni someone goes there every morning [it-going-to-experiences location always morning-place] akuhlalwa khona no sitting there [no-it-sitting-experience location] |
| -yile. -ye… – -hleli -hlezi | add –ile > makes the verb into a state or a finished action > note that a few verbs in Type B have irregular perfect forms > changes these verbs to Type C | ngiyile I’ve been [there] [I-going-state] bahlezi they are seated [they-sitting-state] |
| uku-hlalisisa | add –isisa > makes the action of these verbs more intense | abantu bakhona bayahlalisisa! people there just sit around constantly [they-sit-intensive] |