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Most Common Ndebele Words
IsiNdebele
Essential Ndebele vocabulary with pronunciation guides. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Nouns
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| umuntu | person | oo-MOON-too |
| ikhaya | home | ee-KHA-ya |
| amanzi | water | a-MAN-zi |
| isidlo | food | ee-SI-dlo |
| isikhathi | time | ee-si-KHA-ti |
| umsebenzi | work / job | oom-se-BEN-zi |
| umuntu omkhulu | elder | oo-moon-too om-KHU-lu |
| indlela | road / way | in-DLE-la |
| ilizwe | country | ee-LI-zwe |
| igama | name | ee-GA-ma |
| isikole | school | ee-si-KO-le |
| umhlaba | land / earth | oom-HLA-ba |
| intaba | mountain | in-TA-ba |
| umfula | river | oom-FOO-la |
| isitsha | cup / vessel | ee-SIT-sha |
| inhloko | head | in-HLO-ko |
| izandla | hands | ee-ZAN-dla |
| umuntu omncane | child / young person | oo-moon-too om-NCA-ne |
| isifo | disease | ee-SI-fo |
| isimo | situation / state | ee-SI-mo |
Verbs
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| hamba | to go / walk | HAM-ba |
| thetha | to speak | THE-tha |
| bona | to see | BO-na |
| yiza | to come | YI-za |
| dla | to eat | dla |
| phuza | to drink | PHOO-za |
| lala | to sleep | LA-la |
| sebenza | to work | se-BEN-za |
| funda | to learn / read | FOON-da |
| thanda | to love / like | THAN-da |
| buza | to ask | BOO-za |
| phendula | to answer | phen-DOO-la |
| hleka | to laugh | HLE-ka |
| khala | to cry | KHA-la |
| gijima | to run | gi-JI-ma |
| hlala | to stay / sit | HLA-la |
| hlangana | to meet | hlan-GA-na |
| nika | to give | NI-ka |
| thola | to get / find | THO-la |
| baleka | to run away | ba-LE-ka |
Adjectives
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| omkhulu | big / great | om-KHU-lu |
| omncane | small / young | om-NCA-ne |
| omuhle | beautiful / good | o-MOO-hle |
| omubi | bad / ugly | o-MOO-bi |
| omdala | old | om-DA-la |
| omusha | new | o-MOO-sha |
| omhlophe | white | om-HLO-phe |
| omnyama | black / dark | om-NYA-ma |
| obomvu | red | o-BOM-vu |
| obukhali | sharp / clever | o-bu-KHA-li |
| obuhlungu | painful | o-bu-HLOO-ngoo |
| obesekho | present / available | o-be-SE-kho |
| obuqinile | strong | o-bu-QI-ni-le |
| obutshwaphile | weak | o-bu-TSHWA-phi-le |
| ojabulayo | happy | o-ja-bu-LA-yo |
| odanileyo | sad | o-da-ni-LE-yo |
| omningi | many / much | om-NIN-gi |
| ombalwa | few | om-BA-lwa |
| okusheshayo | fast | o-ku-she-SHA-yo |
| okuhambisa kancane | slow | o-ku-ham-BI-sa kan-CA-ne |
Adverbs
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| manje | now | MAN-je |
| lapha | here | LA-pha |
| khona | there | KHO-na |
| kakhulu | very / much | ka-KHOO-lu |
| kancane | a little / slowly | kan-CA-ne |
| kuphela | only | koo-PHE-la |
| njalo | always | NJA-lo |
| ngokukhulu ukushesha | quickly | ngo-ku-KHU-lu u-ku-SHE-sha |
| phambili | forward / before | pham-BI-li |
| ngemuva | after / behind | nge-MOO-va |
| nganeno | on this side | nga-NE-no |
| kanye kanye | together | KAN-ye KAN-ye |
| ngokoqobo | truly / really | ngo-ko-QO-bo |
| ngoba | because | NGO-ba |
| uma | if / when | OO-ma |
| noma | or / even if | NO-ma |
| kusenesikhathi | still / yet | ku-se-ne-si-KHA-ti |
| okokuqala | firstly | o-ko-ku-QA-la |
| okwesibili | secondly | o-kwe-SI-bi-li |
| ekugcineni | finally | e-ku-gci-NE-ni |