Zulu Language Notes

Zulu Language

Index:

a) Vowels…………………………………………………………………….................. 3
 Addition of Vowels
 Changing of Vowels
b) Consonants…………………………………………………………………………... 3
c) Syllables
d) Noun Prefixes & Subject Concords………………………………………………... 3
e) Deverbatives………………………………………………………………………….. 4
 Nouns referring to people
 Nouns referring to things
f) Other Types of Nouns……………………………………………………………….. 5
 Proper nouns
 Collective nouns
 Compound nouns
g) Singular & Plural……………………………………………………………………... 5
 With noun classes
 With possessive pronouns
 With absolute pronouns
h) Vowel Commencing Verbs………………………………………………………….. 6
 Rule 1
 Rule 2
 Rule 3
i) Non-verbs…………………………………………………………………………….. 7
 Identifying copulatives
 And = “-na-”
 Has/ Have = “-na-”
 With = “-nga-”
 Locative non-verbs


Key For these Notes: = 1 or 2 letters has been cancelled out/ dropped

_ = Leave a Space (2 separate words) (word) = Zulu/ English Translation

* = Important Information/ Note eg. / ie: = Example/ Explanation

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,j) Tenses………………………………………………………………………………... 8
 Future tense
 Present tense
 Recent past tense complete
 Recent past tense continuous
 Remote past tense complete
 Remote past tense continuous
k) Pronouns……………………………………………………………………………… 10
 Absolute pronouns
 Demonstrative pronouns
l) Locatives……………………………………………………………………………… 11
 Locative phrases
 Sound changes
 Prefixes and suffixes
m) Adjectives & Relatives………………………………………………………………. 13
n) Possessives………………………………………………………………………….. 15
o) Verbal Extensions……………………………………………………………………. 17
 Impambosi yokwenzela
 Impambosi yokwenzisa
 Impambosi yokwenzeka
 Impambosi yokwenzana
 Impambosi yokwenzisisa
 Impambosi yokwenzayenza
 Impambosi yokwenziwa
p) Diminutives…………………………………………………………………………… 19
q) Conjunctions…………………………………………………………………………. 20
 Group 1
 Group 2
r) Object Concords…………………………………………………………………….. 21
s) Stative Verbs……………………………………………………………………….... 22
t) Commands…………………………………………………………………………... 23




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, a) Vowels:

In Zulu = vowels are not allowed next to one another. To prevent this, there are two rules one can
apply:

a. Addition of vowels:
*This rule is applied when “a-” is on the left…
a+a=a
a+i=e
a+o=o
a+u=o

example: Ngihamba nga+imoto Ngihamba ngemoto.

e

b. Changing Vowels:
*This rule is applied when “a-” is NOT on the left.
Change:
“i-” “y-”
“u-” “w-”

example: Ingane i+akha izindlu Ingane yakha izindlu.

Y

b) Consonants:

In Zulu, ones lips aren’t meant to touch and therefore certain letters cannot be placed next to each
other.

**Sounds “-th-, -kh- & -ph-” aren’t not allowed to be preceded by letters “n” or “m.” When this
happens, cancel out the letter “h-” (ie: -nth-, -nkh-, -nph- OR -mth-, -mkh-, -mph-)
(This is mainly used in “ulu-” noun plurals and adjectives.)


Example: Indlu en+khulu Indlu enkulu

nkh

**Consonants “w-” & “o-” are not allowed to follow respectively, as both sounds are produced in
the front of the mouth. When this happens, cancel the “w-”
(This is mainly used with the prefixes “lu-” and “ku-” as well as vowel commencing verbs and possessives)


Example: Ukudla kwa+umfundi = kwomfundi Ukudla komfundi

o
c) Syllables

In Zulu, a syllable is always made by cutting the word directly after each vowel

Examples: um-fa-na im-bo-ngi u-mu-ntu

**Always remember this when doing sound changes and in poetry (invumelwano)


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