Explore the examples below at your own pace. Choose a small set, recall it without looking, and return to it in your next practice session.
ilanguages.org
Zulu Quiz
Study the words (211)
| Prompt | Answer |
|---|---|
| One | kunye |
| Two | kubili |
| Three | kuthathu |
| Four | kune |
| Five | kuhlanu |
| Six | isithupha |
| Seven | isikhombisa |
| Eight | isishiyagalombili |
| Nine | isishiyagalolunye |
| Ten | ishumi |
| First | okokuqala |
| Second | okwesibili |
| Monday | umsombuluko |
| Tuesday | ulwesibili |
| Wednesday | ulwesithathu |
| Thursday | ulwesine |
| Friday | ulwesihlanu |
| Saturday | umgqibelo |
| Sunday | isonto |
| Now | manje |
| Yesterday | izolo |
| Today | namuhla |
| Tonight | namuhla ebusuku |
| Tomorrow | kusasa |
| Fruits | izithelo |
| Apples | amahhabhula |
| Bananas | obhanana |
| Tomatoes | utamatisi |
| Potatoes | amazambane |
| Onions | uhhanyanisi |
| Red | okubovu |
| Green | okuluhlaza satshani |
| Blue | okuluhlaza sasibhakabhaka |
| White | okumnhlophe |
| Black | okumnyama |
| Grey | okungwevu |
| Breakfast | isidlo sasekuseni |
| Lunch | isidlo sasemini |
| Dinner | isidlo sasebusuku |
| Milk | ubisi |
| Coffee | ikhofi |
| Bread | isinkwa |
| Sunny | kubalele |
| Windy | kunomoya |
| Rainy | liyana |
| Snowy | likhithikile |
| Cold | kuyabanda |
| Hot | kuyashisa |
| Boy | umfana |
| Girl | intombazane |
| Son | indodana |
| Daughter | indodakazi |
| Brother | umfowethu |
| Sister | udadewethu |
| Man | indoda |
| Woman | umfazi |
| Father | ubaba |
| Mother | umama |
| Grandfather | umkhulu |
| Grandmother | ugogo |
| House | indlu yangasese |
| Toilet | indlu yangasese |
| Room | igumbi |
| Bedroom | ikamelo |
| Kitchen | ikhishi |
| Table | itafula |
| Cat | ikati |
| Dog | inja |
| Mouse | igundane |
| Bird | inyoni |
| Cow | inkomo |
| Horse | ihhashi |
| Socks | amasokisi |
| Shoes | izicathulo |
| Trousers | ibhulukwe |
| Shirt | ihembe |
| Sweater | ijezi |
| Coat | ijazi |
| English | isingisi |
| French | isi-french |
| German | isijalimani |
| Spanish | isipanishi |
| Italian | isintaliyana |
| Portuguese | isiputukezi |
| Greek | isigrikhi |
| Russian | isirashiya |
| Arabic | isi-arabic |
| Hindi | isihindi |
| Chinese | isishayina |
| Japanese | isijaphani |
| Taxi | itekisi |
| Bus | ibhasi |
| Hotel | ihhotela |
| Reservation | okugciniwe |
| Airport | esikhumulweni sezindiza |
| Passport | i-passport |
| Student | umfundi |
| Teacher | uthisha |
| Pen | ipeni |
| Books | izincwadi |
| Page | ikhasi |
| Dictionary | isichazamazwi |
| Hand | isandla |
| Feet | izinyawo |
| Hair | izinwele |
| Eye | iso |
| Mouth | umlomo |
| Nose | ikhala |
| Ambulance | i-ambulensi |
| Doctor | udokotela |
| Hospital | isibhedlela |
| Pharmacy | ikhemesi |
| Police | amaphoyisa |
| Stomach ache | ukuphathwa isisu |
| And | bese |
| Under | ngaphansi |
| Before | ngaphambi |
| After | ngemuva |
| Inside | ngaphakathi |
| Outside | ngaphandle |
| With | no- |
| But | kodwa |
| For | ye- |
| From | kusukela |
| To | kuya |
| In | e- |
| What? | ini? |
| Who? | ubani? |
| How? | kanjani? |
| Why? | ngobani? |
| Where? | kuphi? |
| Never | soze |
| Rarely | ngokungavamile |
| Sometimes | ngesinye isikhathi |
| Usually | ngokujwayelekile |
| Always | njalo |
| Very | kakhulu |
| I | mina |
| You | wena |
| He | yena |
| She | yena |
| We | thina |
| They | bona |
| My | okwami |
| Your | okwakho |
| His | okwakhe |
| Her | okwakhe |
| Our | okwethu |
| Their | okwabo |
| I speak English | ngikhuluma isingisi |
| You speak French | ukhuluma isi-french |
| He speaks German | ukhuluma isijalimani |
| She speaks Italian | ukhuluma isintaliyani |
| I visited France | ngivakashele e-france |
| I will drink milk | ngizophuza ubisi |
| I understand you | ngiyakuzwa |
| I don't understand you | angikuzwa |
| I don't speak French | angisikhulumi isifrench |
| This is my house | indlu yami lena |
| That restaurant is far | i-restaurant ayikho kude |
| No problem | ayikho inkinga |
| Hi | sawubona |
| What is your name? | ubani igama lakho? |
| Nice to meet you | ngiyajabula ukukwazi |
| How are you? | unjani? |
| I'm good, thanks | ngiyaphila, ngiyabonga |
| And you? | wena? |
| Do you speak (English/Zulu)? | ukhuluma (isingisi/isizulu)? |
| Does she speak Chinese? | ukhuluma isishayina? |
| A little bit | kancane nje |
| How old are you? | uneminyaka emingaki? |
| I'm 33 years old | ngineminyaka engamashumi amathathu nantathu |
| It was nice talking to you | kube mnandi ukukhuluma nawe |
| What do you mean? | uqonde ukuthini? |
| I don't understand | angiqondi |
| I don't know | angazi |
| Sorry | uxolo |
| What is that called in Zulu? | loku kubizwa ngokuthini ngesizulu? |
| What does that word mean in English? | lelo gama lichaza ukuthini ngesingisi? |
| Where are you from? | uvelaphi? |
| I'm from the U.S | ngisuka e-u.s |
| I'm American | ngingumelikana |
| Where do you live? | uhlala kuphi? |
| I live in the U.S | ngihlala e-u.s |
| What do you do for a living? | wenza msebenzi muni? |
| I'm a student | ngingumfundi |
| Can I help you? | ngingakusiza? |
| Can you help me? | ungangisiza? |
| Where is the airport? | sikuphi isikhumulo sezindiza? |
| Go straight | hamba uqonde |
| Then | bese |
| Turn left | uphendukela esinxeleni |
| Turn right | uphendukele kwesokudla |
| Happy birthday | halala ngosuku lwakho lokuzalwa |
| Happy New Year | nyakomusha |
| Merry Christmas | ukhisimusi omnandi |
| Good luck | okuhle kodwa |
| Congratulations | halala ngosuku lwakho lokuzalwa |
| I have a reservation | ngibekisile indawo |
| Do you have rooms available? | ngabe likhona igumbi elingasebenzanga? |
| I would like a non-smoking room | ngingathanda ukuthola igumbi ekungabhenywa kulo |
| How much it costs per night? | kukhokhwa malini ngobusuku ngabunye? |
| Waiter | weta |
| How much is this? | kubiza malini loku? |
| What is this? | yini le? |
| Are you okay? | uyaphila? |
| I need a doctor | ngidinga udokotela |
| Help | usizo |
| Call the ambulance | biza i-ambulensi |
| Call the police | biza amaphoyisa |
| I am sick | ngiyagula |
Learning guide
Fresh learning guides
Your first Zulu conversation: questions, replies and recovery phrases
Practise Zulu introductions and recovery phrases with course examples, situational cues, reading tips and revealable self-checks.
Read the guideZulu numbers and time words: a practical beginner’s guide
Learn to recognise Zulu numbers, weekdays and time words through quantities, a weekly grid and short recall exercises.
Read the guideReading Zulu sentence patterns: a guide to noticing what changes
Compare Zulu person words, possession and available sentence examples, then practise with guided observation tasks and answers.
Read the guide