Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion
Hi Xhosa learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to express opinions in Xhosa. Giving an opinion indicates that we have an attitude or judgement about something. Sharing opinions is essential to communicate effectively in any language.
Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Future Tense & Pronouns.
Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
Let's start with some vocabulary that will be useful when expressing opinions:
| Xhosa | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Inkcazo | in-kca-zo | Opinion |
| Nceda | nce-da | Please |
| Ukuba na... | u-ku-ba na... | Do you think... |
| Mandingene ndithethi | ma-ndin-ge-ne ndi-theth-i | Let me speak honestly |
| Ngoku | ngo-ku | Now |
Giving Opinions[edit | edit source]
To give your opinion, you can use the following structures:
Example:
| Xhosa | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Oojongile | o-o-jon-gi-le | You are wrong |
| Ndisebenzisa eli phondo | ndi-se-ben-zi-sa e-li phond-o | I find this dish delicious |
- Do you think... + Opinion + subject + verb
Example:
| Xhosa | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ukuba na abantu abathi bafuni ukuba bazi ingezi yeli thuba baya buza kakhulu | u-ku-ba na a-ban-tu a-ba-thi ba-funi u-ku-ba-zi in-ge-zi ye-li thu-ba ba-ya bu-za kakhulu | Do you think people who want to know the value of this land ask too many questions? |
- [Nceda|Please] + Opinion + sentence
Example:
| Xhosa | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nceda uwugcine kahle uncedo lwakho kule ngxoxo | nce-da uu-gci-ne kahle un-ce-do lwa-kho ku-le ngo-xo | Please express your opinion well on this matter |
Examples[edit | edit source]
To help us better understand how to give opinions in Xhosa, let's create a dialogue between two friends, Bongani and Thandi:
- Bongani: Ufuna ukuyazi ukuba na amadoda kwi photo xa ehleli kwiPinkie's?
* (Do you think there are too many men in the photo when you are in Pinkie's?)
- Thandi: Ndifuna ukuthi ndithethe kahle, mandingene ndithethi, ojongile Bongani.
* (I want to speak well, let me speak honestly, you are wrong Bongani.)
- Bongani: Hamba uyahlupha sana Thandi. Zange ndingakwazi ukuba unjani una photo.
* (You're annoying me Thandi. I don't know how you can see a photo like that.)
- Thandi: Ndiyasaba ukuba abantu abathi bafuni ukuba bazi ingezi yeli thuba ba buza kakhulu nkqu naye.
* (I'm afraid people who want to know the value of this land ask too many questions like you.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we learned how to give opinions in Xhosa. It is important to practice using vocabulary and structures in context in order to become comfortable expressing your thoughts clearly. To improve your Xhosa Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Questions & Negation.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]