Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Questions

Xhosa Grammar - Questions

Hi Xhosa learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will explore how to form questions in Xhosa. Questions are crucial in communication as they help to elicit information and clarify understanding. Mastering how to ask questions in Xhosa will improve your conversation skills and allow you to better engage with native speakers. So let's begin!

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Pronouns, Negation & Plurals.

Forming questions

Like in English, Xhosa questions can be formed using interrogative pronouns such as "what," "who," "where," "when," and "why." However, in Xhosa, the word order changes to indicate a question. Generally, the subject-verb-object (SVO) order of Xhosa sentences becomes verb-subject-object (VSO) when forming a question.

For example, in a statement, you might say, "Ndifuna i-rice," meaning "I want rice." But if you want to make it a question, you would say, "Ufuna i-rice?" meaning "Do you want rice?"

Here are some interrogative pronouns you can use to form questions in Xhosa:

Xhosa	Pronunciation	English
ngubani	ŋùɓàni	who
yini	ǹyìni	what
phi	ǁʰi	where
nini	ŋìni	when
kanti	kʰàntʰi	why

Here are some examples of how to use these interrogative pronouns in questions:

• Ngubani oya eSandton? (Who is going to Sandton?)
• Yini intengo yele? (What is the price of that?)
• Phi saphi? (Where are we going?)
• Nini uya ebusuku? (When are you going at night?)
• Kanti ukudla akukho? (Why is there no food?)

In addition to using interrogative pronouns, questions can be formed by using a question particle "na," which is added to the end of the sentence.

For example, "Utshiya isinkwa?" (Are you leaving the bread?) becomes "Utshiya isinkwa na?" (Are you leaving the bread?)

Tag questions

Tag questions are another way to ask questions in Xhosa. A tag question is a statement that ends with a question tag, which is a short phrase that allows the listener to confirm or deny the statement. Tag questions are often used to seek confirmation or express doubt.

To form a tag question in Xhosa, you can use "kanti na" or "na kanti" at the end of a statement.

For example, "Uyasithi ukudla awukho, kanti na?" (You are saying there is no food, are you?) or "Basazi ukuba lithini ixesha, na kanti?" (They know what time it is, don't they?)

Dialogue

Here's a dialogue to help you see some of these concepts in use:

• Person 1: Unemali yini? (What money do you have?)
• Person 2: Andiyazi, ndifuna ukuyenzelela. (I don't know, I want to check.)
• Person 1: Kodwa wenza yonke into kubo zaseNingizimu Afrika nohli. (But you do everything in South African rand, right?)
• Person 2: Ewe, ngawe ungahlala emvakwendlu? (Yes, do you live behind the house?)
• Person 1: Hayi, andiyazi phi na? (No, I don't know where it is.)

Grammar notes

When forming questions in Xhosa, it's essential to modify the verb appropriately. For instance, if the sentence includes an auxiliary verb, it should come before the subject.

For example, "Sifuna ukulala." (We want to sleep.) becomes "Ufuna ukulala na?" (Do you want to sleep?)

Also, when using tag questions, the verb is usually repeated at the end, and its form changes depending on the tone of the question. If it's a positive statement, the tag is negative, and vice versa. Therefore, the verb takes the negative prefix "a-" in negative statements that become positive questions.

For example, "Ufuna ukudla?" (Do you want to eat?) becomes "Ufuna ukudla, nhe?" (You want to eat, don't you?) or "Afuni ukudla, nhe?" (You don't want to eat, do you?)

Conclusion

Asking questions is a vital part of communication, and Xhosa is no exception. Use the interrogative pronouns and question particles you've learned here to form questions and improve your conversation skills. Practice with native speakers on Polyglot Club and ask them any questions to master the Xhosa language. You can also refer to the Grammar section on the Xhosa language page for more information.

---

➡ 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. 😎

Sources

• Xhosa Grammar | LEARN101.ORG
• Xhosa Grammar - Quick Online Learning

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood
• Future Tense
• How to Use Have
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• Plurals