Sifunda Sonke (“We are learning together”)

Joe and I have really been enjoying our language and cultural classes. Our teachers (othisha) have done a fabulous job at making the lessons both challenging and rewarding. This has been such a huge part of our lives in country that we wanted to share a bit of the language with you!

Formal Greeting

Use when: 1) greeting more than one person; 2) the relationship is more formal; or 3) commonly used to signify respect for both the person you are greeting AND their family (See post titled: Ubuntu)

A: Sanibonani  {sahn’beau-nAHnee}

B: Yebo {yEY-bo … yey rhymes hey!}

A: Ninjani? {neenjAHnee}

B: Siyaphila, nina ninjani? {seeyapEEla neena neenjAHnee}

A: Nathi siyaphila {nahtee seeyapEEla}

Informal Greeting

Use when: very close and familiar with a person

A: Sawubona. {sow-oo-bOHNa}

B: Yebo

A: Kunjani? {koonjAHnee}

B: Ngiyaphila wena unjani? {ngee-ya-pEEla wayna oonjahni …”ng” as in “ing” - “g” never makes a “j” sound in isiZulu}

A: Nami ngiyaphila. {nah-mee ngee-ya-pEEla}

Both greetings roughly translate to:

A: “I see the humanity in you. Do you see it in me?”

B: “Yes”

A: “How are you?”

B: “I am alive and how are you?”

A: “I am alive as well.”

Ngiyakuthanda! {gee-ya-khoo-tAHNda} : “I love you!”

Some words to trip you up:

Ibhele : Bear {the “h” adds emphasis to the “b” sound}

Ibele : Human breast

Ngidlala :I play {the “dl” sounds like an electrical hum, similar to a breathy “z”}

Ngizala : I give birth

For the How I Met Your Mother fans in the house:

uBarney ugqoke uthayi namadada wahke unyaka wonke : “Barney wore his tie with ducks all year.”

(from: http://sites.psu.edu/schneiderrclblog/wp-content/uploads/sites/701/2012/11/ducky-tie.jpg)

And MY personal favorite:

(EDITED) Yonke ilanga, zonke isinzuku! : “All day, every day!” …it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily, but it is silly and makes a great hashtag #YAZI!

;)