✅ BASICS
- 👍 Yes: Yebo (YEH-boh)
- 👎 No: Cha (chah)
- 🙏 Please: Ngiyacela (ngee-yah-CEH-lah)
- 😊 Thank you: Ngiyabonga (ngee-yah-BOHN-gah)
- 🤗 You’re welcome: Akunankinga (ah-koo-nahn-KIN-gah)
- 😬 Sorry: Ngiyaxolisa (ngee-yah-kho-LEE-sah)
- 🙋 Excuse me: Ngicela uxolo (ngee-CHEH-lah oo-SO-lo)
👋 GREETINGS
- 👋 Hi / Hello: Sawubona (sah-woo-BOH-nah)
- 👋 Bye: Sala kahle (SAH-lah KAH-khleh)
- 🌞 Good morning: Sawubona ekuseni (sah-woo-BOH-nah eh-koo-SEH-nee)
- 🌙 Good night: Lala kahle (LAH-lah KAH-khleh)
❓ QUESTIONS
- ❓ What is it?: Kuyini lokhu? (koo-YEE-nee KLOH-koo?)
- 👤 Who?: Ubani? (oo-BAH-nee?)
- 🕒 When?: Nini? (NEE-nee?)
- 📍 Where?: Kuphi? (koo-PHEE?)
- 🛠️ How?: Kanjani? (kahn-JAH-nee?)
- 🤔 Why?: Kungani? (koon-GAH-nee?)
- 🤷 I don’t know: Angazi (ahn-GAH-zee)
- 😕 I don’t understand: Angiqondi (ahn-gee-KHON-dee)
- 🔁 Again: Phinda (PHEEN-dah)
- 🙋♂️ Can I…?: Ngingakwazi…? (Ngin-gah-KWAA-zee…?)
🍎 WHAT?
- 🌟 Good: Kuhle (KOO-hleh)
- 👎 Bad: Kubuhlungu (koo-boo-HLOONG-goo)
- 😋 Yummy: Kumnandi! (koo-mnahn-DEE!)
- 🤢 Yucky: Kuyacasula! (koo-yah-KAH-soo-lah!)
- 🧸 I like it: Ngiyalithanda (ngee-yah-lee-THAHN-dah)
- 💔 I don’t like it: Angilithandi (ahn-ghee-lee-THAHN-dee)
- 💧 Water: Amanzi (ah-MAHN-zee)
- 🍝 Food: Ukudla (oo-KOO-dlah)
- 👉 This: Lokhu (LOH-koo)
- 👉 That: Lelo (LEH-loh)
🧍♂️ WHO?
- 🧒 My name is: Igama lami ngingu… (ee-GAH-mah LAH-mee ngeen-GOO…)
- 🗣️ What’s your name?: Ubizwa ngani? (oo-BEE-zwa GAH-nee?)
- 🙋 I am: Ngingu… (Ngin-goo…)
- 👉 You are: Wena ungu… (WEH-nah OONG-goo…)
😀 FEELINGS
- 😃 I’m happy: Ngimnandi (ngim-NAN-dee)
- 😢 I’m sad: Ngidabukile (ngi-dah-BOO-kee-leh)
- 😴 I’m tired: Ngikhathele (ngi-HAH-theh-leh)
- 😡 I’m mad: Ngikhathele ngemuva (ngi-HAH-theh-leh ngah-shah-k-vah)
- 🤕 I’m hurt: Ngilimele (ngi-lee-MEH-leh)
- 🫤 I don’t feel good: Angizizwa ngcono (ahn-ghee-ZEE-zwa ng-CHOH-nah)
- 🥰 I love you: Ngiyakuthanda (ngee-yah-khoo-THAHN-dah)
- 🍽️ I’m hungry: Ngilambile (ngi-lahm-BEE-leh)
- 🥤 I’m thirsty: Ngomile (ngi-MOH-ee-leh)
⏰ WHEN?
- 📅 Today: Namuhla (nah-MOO-hlah)
- 📆 Tomorrow: Kusasa (koo-SA-sa)
- 🕰️ Yesterday: Izolo (ee-ZOH-lo)
- 🌅 Morning: Ekuseni (eh-koo-SEH-nee)
- 🌌 Night: Ebusuku (eh-boo-SOO-koo)
- ⏳ Now: Manje (MAHN-jay)
- 🔜 Later: Kalula (kah-LOO-lah)
📍 WHERE?
- 🔜 Right: Kwesokudla (kweh-soh-koo-DLAH)
- 🔙 Left: Kwesobunxele (kweh-soh-boon-KEH-leh)
- ⬆️ Straight: Laguqulile (lah-goo-KOO-lee-leh)
- ⬅️ Front: Phambi (PAHM-bee)
- ➡️ Behind: Emuva (eh-MOO-vah)
- ⬆️ Top / above: Phezulu (peh-KHOO-loo)
- ⬇️ Bottom / below: Ngezansi (ngeh-ZAHN-see)
- 🏠 Inside: Phakathi (pah-KAH-thee)
- 🌳 Outside: Ngaphandle (ngah-PAH-thee)
- 🚪 Entrance / in: Ngena (ng-GEH-nah)
- 🏃♀️ Exit / out: Phuma (PHEW-mah)
🔢 HOW MUCH?
- 💵 How much?: Kubiza malini? (koo-BEE-zah MAH-lee-nee?)
- 😮 Too much: Okweqile! (okw-eh-KEE-leh!)
- 👌 A little: Kancane (kan-CHA-neh)
- 1️⃣ One: Kunye (KOON-yeh)
- 2️⃣ Two: Kubili (koo-BEE-lee)
- 3️⃣ Three: Kuthathu (koo-TAH-thoo)
- 4️⃣ Four: Kune (KOO-neh)
- 5️⃣ Five: Isihlanu (ee-see-HLAH-new)
- 6️⃣ Six: Isithupha (ee-see-TOO-fah)
- 7️⃣ Seven: Isikhombisa (ee-see-kho-MBEE-sah)
- 8️⃣ Eight: Isishiyagalombili (ee-see-shee-yah-gah-LOHM-bee-lee)
- 9️⃣ Nine: Isishiyagalolunye (ee-see-shee-yah-gah-lo-LOO-nyeh)
- 🔟 Ten: Ishumi (ee-SHOO-mee)
- 💯 One hundred: Ikhulu (ee-KHOO-loo)
🧠 WHY?
- 🤔 Because: Ngoba (ngoh-BAH)
- 🧩 So…: Ngakho… (ngah-KHO…)
- 👀 If…: Uma… (OO-mah…)
- 🆚 But: Kodwa… (kOO-dah…)
- 🔄 Or: Noma… (NOH-mah…)
- ➕ And: Futhi (foo-thee)
💬 ACTIONS
- 🤲 I need: Ngidinga (ngee-DEE-ngah)
- 🙋♀️ I want: Ngifuna (ngi-FOO-nah)
- 🙌 I give: Nginikeza (ngee-neh-KEE-zah)
- 🤝 I help: Ngisiza (ngi-SEE-zah)
- 🙋 I ask: Ngibuza (ngi-BOO-zah)
- 🗣️ I say: Ngithi (ngi-THEE)
- 👂 I listen: Ngilalela (ngi-lah-LEH-lah)
- 👀 I see: Ngibona (ngi-BOH-nah)
- 🦶 I go: Ngihamba (ngi-HAHM-bah)
- 🍽️ I eat: Ngidla (ngi-DLAH)
- 🥤 I drink: Ngiphuza (ngi-POO-zah)
- 🛌 I sleep: Ngilala (ngi-lah-LAH)
🔊 IMPORTANT WORDS
- 🆘 Help!: Siza! (SEE-zah!)
- 🔇 Quiet!: Thula! (too-LAH!)
- 🛑 Stop!: Misa! (MEE-sah!)
- 👀 Look!: Bheka! (be-HEH-kah!)
- 🥱 Calm down: Zola! (zoh-LAH!)
- 👏 Come here: Woza lapha! (WOH-zah LAH-pah!)
- ⏳ Wait: Linda! (LIN-dah!)
- 🌟 Good job!: Kuhle kakhulu! (KOO-hleh kah-KHOO-loo!)
- 🤝 Let’s go!: Masihambe! (MAH-see-HAHM-beh!)