🇿🇦
Most Common Zulu Words
isiZulu
Essential Zulu vocabulary with pronunciation guides. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Nouns
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| indlu | house | ind-LU |
| amanzi | water | a-MAN-zi |
| isinkwa | bread | i-SINK-wa |
| isikhathi | time | i-si-KHA-thi |
| umuntu | person | u-MUN-tu |
| usuku | day | u-SU-ku |
| indlela | road / way | ind-LE-la |
| umsebenzi | work | um-se-BEN-zi |
| imali | money | i-MA-li |
| idolobha | city | i-do-LOB-ha |
| isikole | school | i-si-KO-le |
| incwadi | book | inc-WA-di |
| igama | name | i-GA-ma |
| ingane | child | ing-A-ne |
| umngane | friend | um-NGA-ne |
| ukudla | food | u-KUD-la |
| ulimi | language | u-LI-mi |
| umhlaba | earth / land | um-HLA-ba |
| isandla | hand | i-SAND-la |
| inja | dog | IN-ja |
Verbs
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ukuba | to be | u-KU-ba |
| ukuya | to go | u-KU-ya |
| ukuza | to come | u-KU-za |
| ukukhuluma | to speak | u-ku-khu-LU-ma |
| ukudla | to eat | u-KUD-la |
| ukuphuza | to drink | u-ku-PHU-za |
| ukubona | to see | u-ku-BO-na |
| ukwazi | to know | u-KWA-zi |
| ukufuna | to want | u-ku-FU-na |
| ukunika | to give | u-ku-NI-ka |
| ukuthatha | to take | u-ku-THA-tha |
| ukwenza | to do | u-KWEN-za |
| ukucabanga | to think | u-ku-ca-BANG-a |
| ukuphila | to live | u-ku-PHI-la |
| ukufunda | to read / learn | u-ku-FUN-da |
| ukubhala | to write | u-ku-BHA-la |
| ukusebenza | to work | u-ku-se-BEN-za |
| ukusiza | to help | u-ku-SI-za |
| ukuthola | to find | u-ku-THO-la |
| ukubamba | to hold | u-ku-BAM-ba |
Adjectives
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| kahle | good | KAH-le |
| kubi | bad | KU-bi |
| okukhulu | big | o-ku-KHU-lu |
| okuncane | small | o-kun-CA-ne |
| okusha | new | o-KU-sha |
| omdala | old | om-DA-la |
| omuhle | beautiful | o-MU-hle |
| okusheshayo | fast | o-ku-she-SHA-yo |
| okupholile | slow | o-ku-pho-LI-le |
| olude | long / tall | o-LU-de |
| omfishane | short | om-fi-SHA-ne |
| ofudumele | warm | o-fu-du-ME-le |
| okubandayo | cold | o-ku-ban-DA-yo |
| onamandla | strong | o-na-MAND-la |
| okulula | easy | o-ku-LU-la |
| okulukhuni | difficult | o-ku-lu-KHU-ni |
| okubalulekile | important | o-ku-ba-lu-le-KI-le |
| okuthakazelisayo | interesting | o-ku-tha-ka-ze-li-SA-yo |
| ojabulile | happy | o-ja-bu-LI-le |
| okubizayo | expensive | o-ku-bi-ZA-yo |
Adverbs
| Word | English Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| manje | now | MAN-je |
| namuhla | today | na-MU-hla |
| kusasa | tomorrow | ku-SA-sa |
| izolo | yesterday | i-ZO-lo |
| lapha | here | LA-pha |
| lapho | there | LA-pho |
| ngokushesha | quickly | ngo-ku-SHE-sha |
| kancane | slowly | kan-CA-ne |
| kahle | well | KAH-le |
| kakhulu | very / a lot | ka-KHU-lu |
| futhi | also / too | FU-thi |
| cha | no / not | cha |
| yebo | yes | YE-bo |
| sekuphele | already | se-ku-PHE-le |
| kusenjalo | still / yet | ku-sen-JA-lo |
| kuphela | only / just | ku-PHE-la |
| ngempela | really | nge-MPE-la |
| kakhulu | a lot | ka-KHU-lu |
| kancane | a little | kan-CA-ne |
| ngokushesha | immediately | ngo-ku-SHE-sha |