ukuPhikisa

One of the major differences between isiZulu and English is the way that every single action or statement exists as a Yes or No sentence. In technical terms, this is called Conjugation (a concept which shouldn’t be that alien for speakers or learners of European languages). In class and in tests, you are most likely just going to be told ‘phikisa le misho elandelayo’ (negate the following sentences). And this makes most people run for the hills.

Luckily, Mabhengwane has been teaching this for a long time, and has some tricks for you to master this concept. Firstly, you have to start with what the thing is that you are trying to negate. There are 3 main options, and each has many different subcategories, but the answer is very similar for almost all the subcategories.

1. Statements (technically called predicatives) are negated using one set of methods: mostly this involves putting A- before the phrase you are negating.
2. Descriptions (technically called qualificatives) are negated in another set of methods: mostly this involves inserting -NGA- or -NGE- into the phrase you are negating.
3. Different moods of the verb are negated in a different way: luckily, they also involve inserting -NGA-, as well as changing the ending to -I.

Then, within those choices, there are other choices to be made. The brackets at the end of each sub-heading refer to the table below, to which you can scroll to find out more and see examples.

1. Statements take at least 8 different forms, each of which is negated differently:
   • a statement involving a verb in simple past, present or future (1.a.)
   • a statement involving a verb in a compound tense (1.b.)
   • a statement involving a noun (1.c.)
   • a statement involving an adjective (1.d.)
   • a statement involving a relative (1.e.)
   • a statement involving a locative (1.f.)
   • a statement involving na* (1.g.)
   • a statement involving a possessive (1.h.)
2. Descriptions can involve one of three different structures, and each is negated differently
   • a description involving a verb (2.a.)
   • a description involving an adjective (2.b.)
   • a description involving a relative (2.c.)
   • a description involving a locative (2.d.)
   • a description involving na* (2.e.)
   • a description involving a possessive (2.f.)
3. There are two commonly used moods of the verb in isiZulu that are different from statements or description. Luckily, they are negated in almost the same way:
   • participial mood in a conditional phrase (3.a.)
   • subjunctive mood as a result, intention or prohibition (3.b.)

Have a look at the following tables to see what this means in practice.

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Let’s start with the negation of statements

1. Statements	positive / ukuvuma	negative / ukuphika
1.a. statements with a simple verb tense	ngikuthandile ngikuthande… ngiyakuthanda ngithanda… ngizokuthanda	angikuthandanga angikuthandi angithandi… angizukuthanda
1.b. statements with a compound verb tense	bengikuthanda (ngibe ngikuthanda) ubungithanda (ube ungithanda)	bengingakuthandi (ngibe ngingakuthandi) ubungangithandi (ube ungangithandi)
1.c. statements involving nouns (aka copulatives)	ngingumuntu yinkinga	angiyena umuntu angingumuntu angisiye umuntu akunkinga akuyona inkinga akusiyo inkinga
1.d. statements involving adjectives	ngimuhle sibahle lihle mahle	angimuhle asibahle alilihle awamahle
1.e. statements involving relatives	nginje kunzima	anginje akunzima
1.f. statements involving locatives	ngisekhaya usemotweni	angikho ekhaya awusemotweni
1.g. statements involving na*	nginemali unomsindo	anginamali awunamsindo
1.h. statements involving possessives	ngeyami ngowakho	akungeyami akungowakho

What do you notice about how these are negated? What is the common feature of these different ways of negation? And which one is different?

Statements are negated by putting A- before the phrase you are negating, sometimes with a secondary change but quite often with no other change. If you are wondering how 1.b. works, then check out the third table (below) on participles, as compound tenses are made up of participles.

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Now let’s have a look at the negation of descriptions:

2. Descriptions	positive / ukuvuma	negative / ukuphika
2.a. descriptions involving a verb	umuntu ohambayo amanzi aqandile	umuntu ongahambi amanzi angaqandile
2.b. descriptions involving an adjective	umuntu omuhle amanzi amahle	umuntu ongemuhle amanzi angemahle
2.c. decriptions involving a relative	umuntu onje amanzi amnyama	umuntu ongenje amanzi angemnyama
2.d. descriptions involving a locative	umuntu osekhaya amanzi asolwandle	umuntu ongekho ekhaya amanzi angekho olwandle
2.e. descriptions involving na*	umuntu onemali amanzi anosawoti	umuntu ongenamali umuntu ongenayo imali amanzi angenasawoti amanzi angenawo usawoti
2.f. descriptions involving possessives	umuntu wami amanzi akho	umuntu ongewami amanzi angewakho

What do you notice about how these are negated? What is the common feature of these different ways of negation?

Descriptions are negated by inserting -NGA- or –NGE– into the phrase you are negating, sometimes with a secondary change but quite often with no other change.

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Lastly, let’s have a look at the following table for the negative of different moods of the verb:

3. Moods	positive / ukuvuma	negative / ukuphika
3.a. participial mood in a conditional phrase	uma ngihamba uma umuntu ehamba	uma ngingahambi uma umuntu engahambi
3.b. subjunctive mood in a result	ukuze ngihambe ukuze umuntu ahambe	ukuze ngingahambi ukuze umuntu angahambi
3.b. subjunctive mood in a wish	ngithemba ukuba uphile yena uthemba ukuba ngiphile	ukuba ungaphili ukuba ngingaphili
3.c. subjunctive mood in a prohibition	mawuhambe makahlale	ungahambi angahlali

What do you notice about how these are negated? What is the common feature of these different ways of negation?

The participial and subjunctive moods of the verb are negated by inserting -NGA-, as well as changing the ending to -I.

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We know this is very confusing, but we are working on other materials and will upload them as we go. You can also speak to Mabhengwane directly for a lesson to explain things more clearly.