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Shona Vocabulary
The Shona vocabulary is the backbone for learning. Below we picked 70% of the most commonly used words. Therefore memorizing them will give you a 70% boost in the language. This is the smarter way of online learning. Learn only what you need. We start with commonly used numbers.
| One: potsi | Two: piri | Three: tatu |
| Four: ina | Five: shanu | Six: nhanhatu |
| Seven: nomwe | Eight: sere | Nine: pfumbamwe |
| Ten: gumi | First: yokutanga | Second: yepiri |
Time Expressions
Days of the week and time expressions:
| Monday: muvhuro | Tuesday: chipiri | Wednesday: chitatu |
| Thursday: china | Friday: chishanu | Saturday: mugovera |
| Sunday: svondo | Now: iye zvino | Yesterday: nezuro |
| Today: nhasi | Tonight: manheru anhasi | Tomorrow: mangwana |
Most popular fruits and vegetables:
| Fruits: michero | Apples: maapuro |
| Bananas: mabhanana | Tomatoes: matomati |
| Potatoes: mbatatisi | Onions: hanyanisi |
| Red: tsvuku | Green: girini | Blue: bhuruu |
| White: chena | Black: nhema | Grey: pfumbu |
Some words related to food:
| Breakfast: kudya kwemangwanani | Lunch: kudya kwemasikati |
| Dinner: kudya kwemanheru | Milk: mukaka |
| Coffee: kofi | Bread: chingwa |
Weather terms and sensations:
| Sunny: kune zuva | Windy: kune mhepo | Rainy: kuri kunaya |
| Snowy: kune sinou | Cold: kutonhora | Hot: kupisa |
Words related to family and relatives:
| Boy: mukomana | Girl: musikana |
| Son: mwanakomana | Daughter: mwanasikana |
| Brother: hanzvadzi | Sister: hanzvadzi |
| Man: murume | Woman: mukadzi |
| Father: baba | Mother: amai |
| Grandfather: sekuru | Grandmother: ambuya |
Locations in the house which are talked about more during the day:
| House: imba | Toilet: chimbudzi | Room: imba |
| Bedroom: imba yokurara | Kitchen: kicheni | Table: tafura |
Animals and pets popular to everyone:
| Cat: katsi | Dog: imbwa | Mouse: mbeva |
| Bird: shiri | Cow: mombe | Horse: bhiza |
The clothes most worn by most people:
| Socks: masokisi | Shoes: bhutsu | Trousers: tirauzi |
| Shirt: hembe | Sweater: juzi | Coat: chibhachi |
Most popular languages in the world:
| English: chirungu | French: chifrench | German: chigerman |
| Spanish: chispanish | Italian: chiitaly | Portuguese: chiputukezi |
| Greek: chigreek | Russian: chirussia | Arabic: chiarabhu |
| Hindi: chihindi | Chinese: chichina | Japanese: chijapanese |
Travel Vocabulary
Most popular terms when traveling:
| Taxi: tekisi | Bus: bhazi |
| Hotel: hotera | Reservation: kubhuka |
| Airport: nhandare yendege | Passport: pasipoti |
Words you can use in class or talking about school:
| Student: mudzidzi | Teacher: mudzidzisi | Pen: chinyoreso |
| Books: mabhuku | Page: peji | Dictionary: duramazwi |
Body parts which are talked about more often:
| Hand: ruoko | Feet: tsoka | Hair: bvudzi |
| Eye: ziso | Mouth: muromo | Nose: mhino |
Emergency vocabulary to ask for help or offer help when needed:
| Ambulance: amburenzi | Doctor: chiremba |
| Hospital: chipatara | Pharmacy: famasi |
| Police: mapurisa | Stomach Ache: kurwadziwa nomudumbu |
As you can see, this Shona vocabulary is something you will need every day. You can use our Vocabulary Trainer to help you memorize these words.
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Did you know? People use only a small amount of their vocabulary on a daily basis. The rest of the words are either unused or not used often. |