I want you to introduce yourself in isiZulu – it’s the beginning of getting a better handle on conversation, and it’s often the first point of contact on the phone or at a reception desk.
Always remember to start with the usual greetings, and to end with the usual goodbyes. In phone conversations, it is sufficient simply to say ‘Sawubona’ and ‘Yebo, Sawubona’.
1. Introductions: Zazisa!
If you’re in a group of people speaking isiZulu, you might be told ‘Zazisa!’, which means ‘Introduce Yourself!’
When introducing yourself ngesiZulu, there are a few basic things to get right. Firstly, all names begin with u-. If your name in English starts with a consonant sound, that’s easy (uCullen, uJames, uLydia etc.) – but what if your name starts with a vowel?
Then you still start with the u-, but you have a small pause (called a hiatus) between it an the start of your name, indicated in isiZulu spelling by the insertion of a dash or hyphen: u-Olivia, u-Iris, u-Adam, etc.
If your name has an R in it, traditional isiZulu-speakers will struggle and may change it to an L sound. Likewise, if your name has a TH sound in it, isiZulu-speakers may pronounce it as the English T sound.
A person can either say “it’s-[name]” or “I-am-[name]” as an introduction ngesiZulu:
nguCullen or nginguCullen
ngu-Olivia or ngingu-Olivia
Listen to the following recording to hear how this sounds:
An added element to introductions is your surname. Now, surnames are formed differently in different languages, and isiZulu is very different from English. You can get away with adding your surname to what you just practised, but the proper way is to do the following:
ngingu[name] wakwa[surname] (I am [name] of the household of [surname])
Listen to the following recording to hear how you say it.
You’ll get the hang of it! Later phrasebook sections will look at the complexities of naming yourself in relation to others, especially if you are married, a parent, or a member of a royal household.
2. Telephone Conversations: izinkulumo ngocingo
Some of you may hate conversations over the phone, but in a culture that is primarily oral and aural like isiZulu, voice-communications are essential parts of learning the language. Here are some key phrases to help with this aspect of things.
| ngubani okhulumayo? or ubani okhulumayo? | who’s speaking? |
| nguSipho wakwaMkhize okhulumayo | it’s Sipho Mkhize speaking |
| ngubani ofuna ukukhuluma naye? or ufuna ukukhuluma nobani? | whom are you looking to speak with? or you want to speak with whom? |
| ngifuna ukukhuluma no[name] or ngicela ukukhuluma no[name] | I want to speak with [name] or I would like to speak with [name] |
| uyasikhuluma isiNgisi na? or ukhuluma isiNgisi? | do you speak English? |
| cha, ngikhuluma isiZulu. | no, I speak isiZulu. |
| yebo, ngikwazi ukukhuluma isiZulu | yes, I know how to speak isiZulu |
| cha, angikhulumi isiNgisi | no, I don’t speak English |
| cha, angikwazi ukukhuluma isiNgisi | no, I do not know how to speak English |
| ngicela uphinde | please repeat |
| angizwanga kahle | I didn’t hear properly |
| angizwa kahle | I am not hearing properly |
| akekho kwamanje | the person is not here currently |
| yebo, ukhona | yes, the person is here |
| uzobuya nini? | when will the person return? |
| uzobuya ngo[number] or … kusasa or … ngomhlomunye or ngesonto elizayo | the person will return at [time] or … tomorrow or … the day after tomorrow or … next week |
| kulungile | that’s okay |
| ngicela umtshele ukuthi ngimshayele ucingo or ngicela umtshele ukuthi ngizame ukumthola | I request that you tell the person that I phoned them or I request that you tell the person that I tried to get them |
| ngizomthumela imeyili or ngizomthumela imesiji / umyalezo or ngizophinda ngizame ngesinye isikhathi | I will send them an email or I will send them a message or I will try again another time |
| siyabonga | thank you |
If you listen to the following recording you will be able to hear the phrases at slow, normal and fast pace – it does take a bit of getting used to, so be sure to practise ‘ngicel’uphinde’ as much as you can!
3. Reception-Desk: edeskini lokwamukela
When you have a physical meeting, quite often your first interaction will be at the reception of the place you’ve gone to, with the person behind the desk. Have a look at the following table to see the key phrases you’ll need when you go there.
| ngingu[name] | I am [name] |
| ngiyi[profession] e.g. ngiyintatheli or ngingu[profession] e.g. ngingummeli | I am [profession] e.g. I am a journalist or I am [profession] e.g. I am a lawyer |
| ngine-appointment no[name] or nginomhlangano no[name] | I have an appointment with [name] or I have a meeting with [name] |
| kunomhlangano we[company] oqala ngo[time] | there’s a meeting of [company] which starts at [time] |
| ubuyaphi? or uvelaphi? | where are you coming from? or where are you from? |
| ngibuye e[place] or ngivela e[company] | I am coming from [place] or I come from [company] |
| nginguthisha | I am a teacher |
| ngingummeli | I am a lawyer |
| ngingunogada | I am a security guard |
| ngingubaba ka[name] or ngingumama ka[name] | I am [name’s] father or I am [name’s] mother |
| ngiyindoda ka[name] or ngiyinkosikazi ka[name] | I am [name’s] husband or I am [name’s] wife |
| ngize ukuyolanda incwadi or ngize ukuyolanda ibhokisi / iphakeji or ngize ukubhuka isikhathi | I’ve come to fetch a document or I’ve come to fetch a box / package or I’ve come to book a time |
| ngicela ubhale igama or ngicela ubhale imininingwane | I request that you write your name or I request that you write your details |
Listen to the following recording to here these interactions in slow and normal time.
4. Small Talk: ingxoxo-nje
Some people hate small-talk, but it really is social glue! The phrases in the following table will really come in handy in any situation, and it really helps if you practise them until they are perfect and easy-to-retrieve while you think of something more meaningful to say.
| ngubani igama lakho? or ubani igama lakho? | what is your name? or what’s your name? |
| usebenzelaphi? or usebenzaphi? | where do you work? |
| wenza muphi umsebenzi? or unamuphi umsebenzi? | what work / job do you do / have? |
| uhlalaphi? | where do you live? |
| kukude! or kuseduze! or akukude! | that’s far! or that’s close by! or that’s not far! |
| usushadile? or ushadile? | are you married? |
| yebo, sengishadile or yebo, ngishadile or cha, angishadile or cha, angishadanga or cha, angakashadi | yes, I am already married or yes, I’m married or no, I’m not married or no, I haven’t married or no, I’m not yet married |
| unabantwana? or bangaki abantwana? | do you have children? or how many children? |
| yebo, nginabantwana or cha, anginabo or ba[number] or nginomntwana owodwa | yes, I have children or no, I don’t have children or there are [number] or I have one child |
| ngumfana noma yintombazane? | it’s a boy or it’s a girl? |
| ngumfana or yintombazane | it’s a boy or it’s a girl |
| ngijabule ukukwazi | I am happy to know you |
| ngijabule ukukubona | I am happy to see you |
| nami ngijabulile | I am also happy |
| ube nohambo oluhle or ube nosuku oluhle or ube nelanga elimnandi or ube nobusuku obumnandi | have a good trip or have a good day or have a good day or have a good evening |
That’s it for small-talk for now (weather is coming in another instalment). So all that remains is to listen to the recording below, and then you are all set for basic chit-chat.