Language/Shona/Vocabulary/Languages

On this page we will take you through what other languages are called in the Shona language.

Languages in Shona

In Shona when referencing a language we use the Chi- prefix which essentially means "that which is", for example in Shona the language itself is called Chishona or Chivanhu.

The word "Chishona" means, 'the Shona language' and the word Chivanhu means 'the way of the people' or 'the language of the people, the later speaks to what the Shona people have referred to as their ways. Traditionally the Shona language, the Shona way of life, and Shona traditional Religion are all called Chivanhu.

The Shona are a cluster of different people who all speak different but mutually intelligible languages, so for this lesson we will start with teaching what the Shona people and their languages are called.

Shona Languages

The Shona people and their language in Shona		English Translation
Vakaranga	Chikaranga & Tjikalanga	Karanga people	Karanga & Kalanga language
Varozvi Vanyai		Rozvi people Nyai people
Vakalanga / Bakalanga		Kalanga people
Vandau	Chindau	Ndau people	Ndau language
Vamanyika / Samanyika	Chimanyika	Manyika people	Manyika language
Vazezuru	Chizezuru	Zezuru people	Zezuru language
Vakorekore	Chikorekore	Korekore people	Korekore language
Vabuja	Chibuja	Buja people	Buja language
Vatavara	Chitavara	Tavara people	Tavara language

The Shona language are mutually intelligible, and all groups can for the most part understand Standard Shona. However, it is important to remember due to scattered settlement and influence from neighbouring tribes there are differences. Particularly with the Ndau, Kalanga, Barwe and Manyika. The Ndau have influence from Nguni languages evident in usage of clicks, the Kalanga too have influence from Nguni languages in addition to Sotho-Tswana languages. Likewise, the Barwe have influence from the Sena and the Manyika have influence from Portuguese and Mozambican languages and is much closer to Ndau.

Foreign Languages in Shona

The following are some common foreign languages around the world.

Languages in English	In Shona	Languages in English	In Shona
English	Chingezi or Chirungu	Swahili	Chiswahiri / Chiswahili
Latin	Chiratini	Fulani	Chifurani / Chifulani
Greek	Chigiriki	Amharic	Chiamhari
Chinese	Chichayina	Oromo	Chioromo
Cantonese	Chikandoni / Chikanthoni	Tamazight / Berber	Chitamaziti / Chibheribhe
Japanese	Chijapani	Tshivenda	Chivhenda
Korean	Chikoriya	Hausa	Chihausa
Thai	Chithayi	Lingala	Chingala / Chingara
Portuguese	Chiputukezi	Yoruba	Chiyorubha
French	Chifurenji	Zulu	Chizulu
Spanish	Chispeini / Chispanyeri	Xhosa	Chixhosa
German	Chijerumani	Ndebele (Zimbabwe)	Chindevere / Chindevele
Italian	Chiitari	Ndebele (South Africa)	Chindebele
Turkish	Chituruki	Tswana	Chitswana
Hindi	Chihindi / Chihhindi	Sotho	Chisutu
Arabic	Chirabhu	Igbo	Chiigbo
Urdu	Chiurudhu	Pidgin	Chipijini
Tamil	Chitamiri	Mandinka	Chimandinka
Malayalam	Chimarayaramu	Bambara	Chibambara
Russian	Chirusi	Bengali	Chibhengari
Afrikaans	Chibhunu	Vietnamese	Chivhiyetinamu
Dutch	Chidhachi	Finnish	Chifini

Practice

Practice 1: Vocabulary

Verbs

Kutaura (to speak; speaking)

Kureketa, kuereketa (to talk; talking)

Kuhwereketa, kubwereketa (to converse; conversing)

Kukurukura (to discuss; discussing)

Kuti (to say; saying)

Kubhuya (to talk; talking- [used in Ndau language])

Conjugation present tense, first person.

Ndirikutaura (I am speaking)

Ndirikureketa (I am talking)

Ndichirikureketa. (I am still talking)

Ndirikuhwereketa naye. (I am conversing with her/him)

Ndirikukurukura naye. (I am discussing with her/him).

Ndirikuti... (I am saying...)

Ndirikubhuya. (I am talking)

To make more examples with the above, utilise your knowledge from the Personal pronouns lesson.

• Ndi- (I),

Hence, Ndirikutaura (I am talking.)

• U- (you)

So it would be: Urikutaura (You are talking.)

and so forth.

Practice 2: Examples

Shona: Unotaura Chingezi here?

Translation: Do you speak English?

To answer a person may say: Ehe (yes) or Aihwa (no)

Other forms of saying yes and no are as follows: Hongu (yes) and Kwete (no).

Shona: Ndinotaura Chingezi, Chispanyeri ne Chirhashiya.

Translation: I speak English, Spanish and Russian.

Practice 3: Fill the spaces

Here are simple lines to finish for practice purposes.

Ndinotaura Chi..... (I speak....)

Handitaure Chi..... (I do not speak.....)

Handigone kutaura Chi.... (I do not know how to speak......)

Unotaura Chi.... here? (Do you speak....? [singular])

Munotaura Chi...... here? (Do you speak.....? [plural])

Avo vanogona kutaura Chi..... (Those people there know how to speak..... / They know how to speak.....)

Ndirikudzidza kutaura Chi.... (I am learning to Speak....)

Ndinotaura Chi.... chishoma. (I speak a little of ......)

Ndinotaura Chi..... chakatyoka. (I speak broken .....)

Practice 4: Conversation

Let's practice using the new terms we have learned above, it will incorporate some terms you have picked up in previous lessons such as greetings and self introduction.

In the following scenario, Maidei is talking to her new friend Eriya.

Conversation in Shona.

Maidei: Hesi, ndinonzi Maidei, ko iwewe unonzi ani?

Eriya: Mhoro Maidei, ndinoitwa Eriya.

Maidei: Unobvepi?

Eriya: Ndinobva kuMasvingo.

Maidei: Saka unotaura Chikaranga?

Eriya: Ehe, zvose ne Chindau, tinobva kuBikita. Ko iwewe, unotaura chii ne chii?

Maidei: Icho Chishona chamazuva ose, ne Chingezi.

Eriya: Kana ini, ndinotaura Chingezi, ne Chibhunu chishoma.

Maidei: Chibhunu? Wakachidzidzekupi?

Eriya: Amai wangu Mudhachi, vanotaura Chidhachi ne Chibhunu.

English Translation:

Maidei: Hi, I am Maidei, and you, what are you called?

Eriya: Hello Maidei, I am called Eriya.

Maidei: Where do you come from?

Eriya: I come from Masvingo.

Maidei: So you speak Karanga?

Eriya: Yes, as well as Ndau, we come from Bikita. And you, what do you speak?

Maidei: The usual standard Shona and English.

Eriya: I as well, I speak English, and Afrikaans.

Maidei: Afrikaans? Where did you learn it?

Eriya: My mother is Dutch, she speaks Dutch and Afrikaans.

Other Lessons

• Feelings and Emotions
• Drinks
• Emergency
• Colors
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Clothes
• Education
• Fruits
• Numbers