Language/Zulu/Grammar/Basic-Sentence-Structure
Zulu is a fascinating language that is not only spoken in South Africa but also in other African countries such as Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Lesotho. The language is known for its unique clicking sounds, which are used in conjunction with other vocalizations to create words and meaning. One of the critical aspects of mastering any language is understanding the basic sentence structure. In this lesson, we will go over the basic sentence structure in Zulu, including the subject, verb, and object order, as well as simple negation.
Subject-Verb-Object Order
The most common sentence structure used in Zulu follows the subject-verb-object (SVO) order. This means that the subject comes first, followed by the verb and then the object. Here is an example:
| Zulu | Pronunciation | English | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uMama | oo-MAH-mah | Mother | ubhuti | ooh-BOO-tee | Brother | uzofunda | oo-zoh-FOON-dah | will study |
Translation:
"Mother's brother will study."
In this example, "uMama" means "mother," "ubhuti" means "brother," and "uzofunda" means "will study." The subject "uMama's" comes first, followed by the object "ubhuti," and the verb "uzofunda."
Here is another example:
| Zulu | Pronunciation | English | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | EE | I | amaGwala | ah-mah-GWAH-lah | warriors | bayashisa | bah-YAH-shee-sah | they burn |
Translation:
"They burn the warriors."
In this example, "I" means "they," "amaGwala" means "warriors," and "bayashisa" means "they burn." The subject "they" comes first, followed by the object "amaGwala," and the verb "bayashisa."
Negation
Negating a sentence in Zulu is quite simple. All you need to do is add the word "ang" or "cha" before the verb. "Ang" is more commonly used in spoken Zulu.
Here is an example:
| Zulu | Pronunciation | English | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uMama | oo-MAH-mah | Mother | engasebenzi | en-gah-seh-BEN-zee | does not work |
Translation:
"Mother does not work."
In this example, the word "engasebenzi" means "does not work." You can see that the word "ang" has been added before the verb "sebenzi."
Here is another example:
| Zulu | Pronunciation | English | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bhuti | BOO-tee | Brother | bachitheka | bah-CHEE-they-kah | are not happy |
Translation:
"Brothers are not happy."
In this example, the word "bachitheka" means "are not happy." You can see that the word "cha" has been added before the verb "chitheka."
Inverted Word Order
While SVO is the most common sentence structure in Zulu, there are some instances where the order is inverted. This is when the verb comes first, followed by the subject and then the object.
Here is an example:
| Zulu | Pronunciation | English | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zokudadweni | zoh-koo-DAH-dweh-nee | will go to school | uMthetho | oo-MTAY-thoh | Law | abahleli | ah-bah-HLEH-lee | residents |
Translation:
"The law residents will go to school."
In this example, "zokudadweni" means "will go to school," "uMthetho" means "law," and "abahleli" means "residents." The verb "zokudadweni" comes first, followed by the subject "uMthetho" and then the object "abahleli."
Here is another example:
| Zulu | Pronunciation | English | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yenze | yen-zey | do | umsebenzi | oom-seh-BEN-zee | job | uyasheshwa | oo-yah-SHESH-wah | is embarrassed |
Translation:
"Doing a job embarrasses him."
In this example, "yenze" means "do," "umsebenzi" means "job," and "uyasheshwa" means "is embarrassed." The verb "yenze" comes first, followed by the object "umsebenzi," and then the subject "uyasheshwa."
Conclusion
In this lesson, we covered the basic sentence structure in Zulu, including the subject-verb-object order, inverted word order, and negation. While SVO is the most common structure used in Zulu, it is essential to understand how to use the language in different forms. Remember to use "ang" or "cha" to negate a sentence, and try using the inverted word order to add some variety to your language. Join us for the next lesson in our "Complete 0 to A1 Zulu Course," where we will cover common Zulu greetings and farewells.