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Welcome to Lesson 10 of the isiZulu course. Today’s English word from our frequency list is “it” — the third-person neuter pronoun. However, Zulu handles this concept in a fundamentally different way from English, and understanding this difference is key to mastering the language.
In English, “it” is a single, unchanging word that refers to any non-human (and sometimes human) entity. Zulu, as a Bantu language, has no equivalent single word. Instead, Zulu uses a sophisticated system of noun class concords — prefixes that attach to verbs, adjectives, and other words to indicate what noun is being referenced.
Zulu has approximately 15-17 noun classes (depending on how one counts locatives), and each class has its own set of agreement markers. When you want to say “it” in Zulu, you must know which noun class your referent belongs to, then use the appropriate subject concord (SC) or object concord (OC) on the verb.
For example: -
“It (the book) is here” → Lisekhona (li- = class 5 subject concord) -
“It (the water) is cold” → Amakhaza (a- = class 6 subject concord) -
“It (the dog) is barking” → Iyakhonkotha (i- = class 9 subject concord)
This lesson will teach you the most common noun classes and their concords, showing you how Zulu speakers express “it” naturally.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ: How do you say “it” in Zulu? Zulu does not have a single word for “it.” Instead, speakers use noun class concords — agreement prefixes that match the class of the noun being referenced. Each of Zulu’s noun classes has its own subject concord (e.g., li-, si-, i-, lu-) and object concord (e.g., -li-, -si-, -yi-, -lu-) that function like pronouns within the verb structure.
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Zulu has no standalone word for “it” — the concept is built into verb structure through concords -
Subject concords (SC) are prefixes that agree with the noun class of the subject -
Object concords (OC) are infixes placed before the verb root to reference the object -
Each of the 15+ noun classes has its own unique set of concords -
Emphatic/independent pronouns (like yona, lona, sona) exist but are used only for emphasis -
Understanding noun classes is essential for all Zulu grammar, not just pronouns
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Zulu uses a Latin-based orthography with some special conventions:
Vowels: -
a [a] — as in “father” -
e [ɛ] — as in “bed” -
i [i] — as in “see” -
o [ɔ] — as in “saw” -
u [u] — as in “too”
Click Consonants: -
c [ǀ] — dental click (tongue against front teeth, like “tut-tut”) -
q [ǃ] — alveolar click (tongue against roof of mouth, sharp pop) -
x [ǁ] — lateral click (tongue at side of mouth, like urging a horse)
Other Important Sounds: -
hl [ɬ] — voiceless lateral fricative (like Welsh “ll”) -
dl [ɮ] — voiced lateral fricative -
ng [ŋ] — as in “sing” (when syllable-initial, often [ŋg]) -
ph, th, kh — aspirated stops (with a puff of air) -
b, d, g — implosive when not prenasalized
Tone: Zulu is a tonal language with high and low tones, though standard orthography does not mark them. Tone can distinguish meaning.
Key Vocabulary Pronunciation: -
yona [jɔ́ːna] — “it” (class 4/9 emphatic) -
lona [lɔ́ːna] — “it” (class 5/11 emphatic) -
sona [sɔ́ːna] — “it” (class 7 emphatic) -
khona [kʰɔ́ːna] — “it” (class 15/17 emphatic); also “there/present” -
inja [íːndʒa] — “dog” (class 9) -
incwadi [iːnˈʦʷaːdi] — “book/letter” (class 9) -
amanzi [aˈmaːnzi] — “water” (class 6) -
isihlalo [isiˈɬaːlɔ] — “chair” (class 7)
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Each example demonstrates how Zulu expresses “it” through noun class agreement. The noun class is indicated for clarity.
10.1a Incwadi ilapha 10.1b Incwadi (i.nˈʦʷa.di) letter/book-CL9 i- (i) it:CL9-SC -lapha (ˈla.pʰa) here
10.2a Ngiyayibona 10.2b Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -ya- (ja) PRES -yi- (ji) it:CL9-OC -bona (ˈbɔ.na) see
10.3a Inja ikhona 10.3b Inja (ˈi.ndʒa) dog-CL9 i- (i) it:CL9-SC -khona (ˈkʰɔ.na) present/there
10.4a Amanzi abandile 10.4b Amanzi (a.ˈma.nzi) water-CL6 a- (a) it:CL6-SC -bandile (ba.ˈndi.lɛ) is-cold
10.5a Ngiwaphuza nsuku zonke 10.5b Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -wa- (wa) it:CL6-OC -phuza (ˈpʰu.za) drink nsuku (ˈnsu.ku) days zonke (ˈzɔ.ŋkɛ) all
10.6a Isihlalo sikhulu 10.6b Isihlalo (i.si.ˈɬa.lɔ) chair-CL7 si- (si) it:CL7-SC -khulu (ˈkʰu.lu) big
10.7a Ngisithengile 10.7b Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -si- (si) it:CL7-OC -thengile (tʰɛ.ˈŋgi.lɛ) bought-PERF
10.8a Ibhola likhona 10.8b Ibhola (i.ˈbɔ.la) ball-CL5 li- (li) it:CL5-SC -khona (ˈkʰɔ.na) present/there
10.9a Umlilo uvutha 10.9b Umlilo (u.ˈmli.lɔ) fire-CL3 u- (u) it:CL3-SC -vutha (ˈvu.tʰa) burns
10.10a Siwubona umlilo 10.10b Si- (si) we-SC -wu- (wu) it:CL3-OC -bona (ˈbɔ.na) see umlilo (u.ˈmli.lɔ) fire-CL3
10.11a Utshani buluhlaza 10.11b Utshani (u.ˈʦʰa.ni) grass-CL14 bu- (bu) it:CL14-SC -luhlaza (lu.ˈɬa.za) green
10.12a Ukudla kumnandi 10.12b Ukudla (u.ku.ˈdla) food-CL15 ku- (ku) it:CL15-SC -mnandi (ˈmna.ndi) delicious
10.13a Ngiyakuthanda ukudla 10.13b Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -ya- (ja) PRES -ku- (ku) it:CL15-OC -thanda (ˈtʰa.nda) love ukudla (u.ku.ˈdla) food-CL15
10.14a Izulu liyana 10.14b Izulu (i.ˈzu.lu) sky/weather-CL5 li- (li) it:CL5-SC -yana (ˈja.na) rains
10.15a Yona, incwadi, inhle 10.15b Yona (ˈjɔ.na) it:CL9-EMPH incwadi (i.nˈʦʷa.di) letter/book-CL9 i- (i) it:CL9-SC -nhle (ˈnɬɛ) beautiful
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10.1 Incwadi ilapha → “The book/letter is here” (lit. “It-book it-is-here”)
10.2 Ngiyayibona → “I see it” (referring to something in class 9, like a book or dog)
10.3 Inja ikhona → “The dog is there/present” (lit. “Dog it-is-present”)
10.4 Amanzi abandile → “The water is cold” (lit. “Water it-is-cold”)
10.5 Ngiwaphuza nsuku zonke → “I drink it every day” (referring to water, class 6)
10.6 Isihlalo sikhulu → “The chair is big” (lit. “Chair it-is-big”)
10.7 Ngisithengile → “I bought it” (referring to something in class 7, like a chair)
10.8 Ibhola likhona → “The ball is there” (lit. “Ball it-is-present”)
10.9 Umlilo uvutha → “The fire is burning” (lit. “Fire it-burns”)
10.10 Siwubona umlilo → “We see the fire” / “We see it (the fire)”
10.11 Utshani buluhlaza → “The grass is green” (lit. “Grass it-is-green”)
10.12 Ukudla kumnandi → “The food is delicious” (lit. “Food it-is-delicious”)
10.13 Ngiyakuthanda ukudla → “I love the food” / “I love it (food)”
10.14 Izulu liyana → “It is raining” (lit. “Sky/weather it-rains”)
10.15 Yona, incwadi, inhle → “It, the book, is beautiful” (emphatic)
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10.1 Incwadi ilapha.
10.2 Ngiyayibona.
10.3 Inja ikhona.
10.4 Amanzi abandile.
10.5 Ngiwaphuza nsuku zonke.
10.6 Isihlalo sikhulu.
10.7 Ngisithengile.
10.8 Ibhola likhona.
10.9 Umlilo uvutha.
10.10 Siwubona umlilo.
10.11 Utshani buluhlaza.
10.12 Ukudla kumnandi.
10.13 Ngiyakuthanda ukudla.
10.14 Izulu liyana.
10.15 Yona, incwadi, inhle.
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These are the grammar rules for expressing “it” in isiZulu:
The Noun Class System
Zulu organizes all nouns into classes (called “izigaba” in Zulu), typically numbered 1-17 following the Meinhof system used for Bantu languages. Each class has a characteristic noun prefix and a corresponding set of agreement markers. The classes are usually paired: odd numbers are singular, even numbers are plural.
The Main Noun Classes and Their Concords:
Class 1/2 (People): umu-/aba- Subject concord: u- (sg), ba- (pl) Object concord: -m- (sg), -ba- (pl) Emphatic pronoun: yena (sg), bona (pl) Example: umuntu (person) → Uyahamba “He/she is walking”
Class 3/4 (Trees, Nature, Body Parts): umu-/imi- Subject concord: u- (sg), i- (pl) Object concord: -wu- (sg), -yi- (pl) Emphatic pronoun: wona (sg), yona (pl) Example: umlilo (fire) → Uvutha “It is burning”
Class 5/6 (Paired things, Liquids, Collectives): i(li)-/ama- Subject concord: li- (sg), a- (pl) Object concord: -li- (sg), -wa- (pl) Emphatic pronoun: lona (sg), wona (pl) Example: amanzi (water) → Abandile “It is cold”
Class 7/8 (Things, Instruments, Languages): isi-/izi- Subject concord: si- (sg), zi- (pl) Object concord: -si- (sg), -zi- (pl) Emphatic pronoun: sona (sg), zona (pl) Example: isihlalo (chair) → Sikhulu “It is big”
Class 9/10 (Animals, Loanwords, Many common nouns): in-/izin- Subject concord: i- (sg), zi- (pl) Object concord: -yi- (sg), -zi- (pl) Emphatic pronoun: yona (sg), zona (pl) Example: inja (dog) → Ikhona “It is there”
Class 11 (Long/thin objects, Abstract): u(lu)- Subject concord: lu- Object concord: -lu- Emphatic pronoun: lona Example: uthi (stick) → Lukhona “It is there”
Class 14 (Abstract qualities, Mass nouns): ubu- Subject concord: bu- Object concord: -bu- Emphatic pronoun: bona Example: utshani (grass) → Buluhlaza “It is green”
Class 15 (Infinitives/Verbal nouns): uku- Subject concord: ku- Object concord: -ku- Emphatic pronoun: khona Example: ukudla (food/eating) → Kumnandi “It is delicious”
How Subject Concords Work
The subject concord is a prefix attached to the verb that agrees with the noun class of the subject. It functions like a pronoun built into the verb:
Verb structure: SC + Tense marker + Verb root + Final vowel
Example with “bona” (see): -
Ngibona “I see” (ngi- = 1st person singular) -
Ubona “You see” OR “He/she sees” OR “It sees” (class 1/3) -
Sibona “We see” OR “It sees” (class 7) -
Libona “It sees” (class 5) -
Ibona “It sees” (class 4/9)
How Object Concords Work
The object concord is an infix placed immediately before the verb root. It references the object of the verb:
Verb structure: SC + Tense + OC + Verb root + Final vowel
Example: “I see it” -
Ngiyayibona (I-PRES-it:CL9-see) — “I see it” (class 9 object) -
Ngiyalibona (I-PRES-it:CL5-see) — “I see it” (class 5 object) -
Ngiyasibona (I-PRES-it:CL7-see) — “I see it” (class 7 object)
Emphatic Pronouns
Zulu also has independent/emphatic pronouns that can stand alone for emphasis. These are used when you want to stress “IT (specifically)” rather than just using the concord: -
Yona incwadi inhle — “IT (the book), it’s beautiful” -
Lona ibhola — “THIS ONE (the ball)” -
Sona isihlalo — “IT (the chair)”
However, these emphatic forms are used far less frequently than in English. The concord system handles most pronoun functions.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make: -
Looking for a single word for “it” — Remember, “it” is expressed through concords -
Using the wrong class concord — Each noun belongs to a specific class -
Forgetting that subject concords are required — Zulu verbs (except imperatives) always need a subject concord -
Confusing class 1 u- with class 3 u- — Both use u- as subject concord but differ in other agreements -
Over-using emphatic pronouns — Concords alone are usually sufficient
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The Bantu Noun Class System
The noun class system is one of the most distinctive features of Bantu languages, a family of over 500 languages spoken across central, eastern, and southern Africa. Zulu belongs to the Nguni branch of Southern Bantu, along with Xhosa, Swati, and Ndebele.
The classification of nouns into classes reflects traditional ways of categorizing the world: -
Classes 1/2 are reserved almost exclusively for humans -
Classes 3/4 often contain trees, plants, and natural phenomena -
Classes 5/6 include many paired items and liquids -
Classes 7/8 contain instruments, languages, and things made by humans -
Classes 9/10 include animals and many borrowed words -
Class 14 contains abstract concepts like beauty (ubuhle) and kindness (ubuntu) -
Class 15 contains verbal nouns (infinitives)
Ubuntu and Class 14
The famous concept of ubuntu (”humanity toward others”) belongs to class 14, which contains abstract qualities. The bu- prefix marks it as an abstract noun derived from -ntu (person). This grammatical structure reflects the philosophical depth of the concept — ubuntu is not a thing but a quality of being.
Weather Expressions
When English says “it is raining,” using an impersonal “it,” Zulu uses the noun izulu (sky/heaven/weather) as the subject: Izulu liyana — literally “The sky is raining.” The class 5 concord li- refers back to izulu. This is more concrete than the English dummy subject.
Regional Variation
IsiZulu is spoken by approximately 12 million native speakers, primarily in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. There are dialectal variations, but the standard language is well-documented and used in education and media. Urban varieties may show some simplification of the class system, particularly among younger speakers, but the full system remains vital in formal contexts.
Respect and Noun Classes
Interestingly, when showing extreme respect, speakers may use class 2 (plural) concords for a single important person, similar to the royal “we” in English. This shows how the grammatical system interacts with social relationships.
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From “Imbongi” (The Poet) by B.W. Vilakazi From Amal’ezulu (Zulu Horizons), 1945
Benedict Wallet Vilakazi (1906-1947) was the father of modern Zulu literature and the first Black South African to receive a PhD. His poetry fused Western verse forms with traditional izibongo (praise poetry). The following excerpt demonstrates noun class agreement in action.
F-A: Interlinear Analysis
Ngiyimbongi yezwe lakithi Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -y- (j) am -imbongi (i.ˈmbɔ.ŋgi) poet-CL9 y- (j) of-CL9 -ezwe (ˈɛ.zwɛ) land-CL5 la- (la) of-CL5 -kithi (ˈki.tʰi) us/our
Ngihaya ngayo yonk’ imini Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -haya (ˈha.ja) praise/sing ngayo (ˈŋga.jɔ) with-it:CL9 yonke (ˈjɔ.ŋkɛ) all imini (i.ˈmi.ni) day-CL9
Inhliziyo yami iyavuma Inhliziyo (i.nɬi.ˈzi.jɔ) heart-CL9 y- (j) of-CL9 -ami (ˈa.mi) my i- (i) it:CL9-SC -ya- (ja) PRES -vuma (ˈvu.ma) agree/consent
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Ngiyimbongi yezwe lakithi, Ngihaya ngayo yonk’ imini. Inhliziyo yami iyavuma.
→ “I am the poet of our land, / I sing praises with it (my voice/art) all day long. / My heart agrees/consents.”
F-C: Original isiZulu Only
Ngiyimbongi yezwe lakithi, Ngihaya ngayo yonk’ imini. Inhliziyo yami iyavuma.
F-D: Grammar Commentary
This passage beautifully demonstrates noun class agreement: -
Ngiyimbongi — The copulative construction “I am a poet.” The -y- connects the subject concord to the noun. Imbongi (poet/praise-singer) belongs to class 9. -
yezwe lakithi — “of our land.” Izwe (land/country) belongs to class 5. The possessive la- agrees with class 5, while -kithi means “our/us.” -
ngayo — “with it” — the instrumental form using class 9 concord -yo, referring back to the poet’s art or voice. -
yonk’ imini — “all day” — imini (day) is class 9, so the quantifier takes the class 9 form yonke (contracted to yonk’ before a vowel). -
Inhliziyo yami — “my heart” — inhliziyo (heart) is class 9, so the possessive is yami (y- class 9 agreement + -ami “my”). -
iyavuma — “it agrees/consents” — The subject concord i- refers back to inhliziyo, showing that the heart “itself” is doing the agreeing. The -ya- is the present tense long form marker.
Vilakazi’s genius lay in his ability to use the full resources of Zulu grammar while adapting European verse forms. The noun class system here creates a web of agreement that ties the poet, the land, and the heart into a unified whole — a grammatical reflection of the imbongi tradition where the poet is inseparable from their community.
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The following dialogue takes place between a customer (uMthengi) and a vendor (uMthengisi) at a market, demonstrating how “it” is expressed naturally through concords.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
10.16a Sawubona! Ngingakusiza? 10.16b Sawubona (sa.wu.ˈbɔ.na) hello-SG Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -nga- (ŋga) can -ku- (ku) you:SG-OC -siza (ˈsi.za) help
10.17a Yebo, ngifuna amanzi 10.17b Yebo (ˈjɛ.bɔ) yes ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -funa (ˈfu.na) want amanzi (a.ˈma.nzi) water-CL6
10.18a Akhona lapha. Awabande kakhulu 10.18b A- (a) it:CL6-SC -khona (ˈkʰɔ.na) present lapha (ˈla.pʰa) here A- (a) it:CL6-SC -wa- (wa) it:CL6-OC -bande (ˈba.ndɛ) cold kakhulu (ka.ˈkʰu.lu) very
10.19a Kuhle. Ngiwathatha 10.19b Kuhle (ˈku.ɬɛ) good Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -wa- (wa) it:CL6-OC -thatha (ˈtʰa.tʰa) take
10.20a Ufuna nezithelo? 10.20b U- (u) you-SC -funa (ˈfu.na) want ne- (nɛ) and/with -zithelo (zi.ˈtʰɛ.lɔ) fruit-CL8
10.21a Izithelo zinjani? 10.21b Izithelo (i.zi.ˈtʰɛ.lɔ) fruit-CL8 zi- (zi) it:CL8-SC -njani (ˈndʒa.ni) how/what-kind
10.22a Zimnandi futhi zivuthiwe 10.22b Zi- (zi) it:CL8-SC -mnandi (ˈmna.ndi) delicious futhi (ˈfu.tʰi) and/also zi- (zi) it:CL8-SC -vuthiwe (vu.ˈtʰi.wɛ) ripe-PERF
10.23a Ngizithanda. Ngizithatha 10.23b Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -zi- (zi) it:CL8-OC -thanda (ˈtʰa.nda) like Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -zi- (zi) it:CL8-OC -thatha (ˈtʰa.tʰa) take
10.24a Inyama ikhona? 10.24b Inyama (i.ˈɲa.ma) meat-CL9 i- (i) it:CL9-SC -khona (ˈkʰɔ.na) present
10.25a Yebo, ikhona. Ihlabeke namhlanje 10.25b Yebo (ˈjɛ.bɔ) yes i- (i) it:CL9-SC -khona (ˈkʰɔ.na) present I- (i) it:CL9-SC -hlabeke (ɬa.ˈbɛ.kɛ) slaughtered namhlanje (na.ˈmɬa.ndʒɛ) today
10.26a Inhle. Ngiyayithanda 10.26b I- (i) it:CL9-SC -nhle (ˈnɬɛ) good Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -ya- (ja) PRES -yi- (ji) it:CL9-OC -thanda (ˈtʰa.nda) like
10.27a Isinkwa sikhona? 10.27b Isinkwa (i.ˈsi.ŋkʷa) bread-CL7 si- (si) it:CL7-SC -khona (ˈkʰɔ.na) present
10.28a Yebo, sisha futhi simnandi 10.28b Yebo (ˈjɛ.bɔ) yes si- (si) it:CL7-SC -sha (ˈʃa) new/fresh futhi (ˈfu.tʰi) and/also si- (si) it:CL7-SC -mnandi (ˈmna.ndi) delicious
10.29a Ngisithatha naso 10.29b Ngi- (ŋgi) I-SC -si- (si) it:CL7-OC -thatha (ˈtʰa.tʰa) take na- (na) with -so (sɔ) it:CL7-EMPH
10.30a Kuhle! Yonke imali ingakanani? 10.30b Kuhle (ˈku.ɬɛ) good Yonke (ˈjɔ.ŋkɛ) all-CL9 imali (i.ˈma.li) money-CL9 i- (i) it:CL9-SC -ngakanani (ŋga.ka.ˈna.ni) how-much
Part B: Natural Sentences
10.16 Sawubona! Ngingakusiza? → “Hello! Can I help you?”
10.17 Yebo, ngifuna amanzi → “Yes, I want water”
10.18 Akhona lapha. Awabande kakhulu → “It’s (the water) here. It’s very cold”
10.19 Kuhle. Ngiwathatha → “Good. I’ll take it (the water)”
10.20 Ufuna nezithelo? → “Do you want fruit too?”
10.21 Izithelo zinjani? → “How is the fruit?” / “What’s it (the fruit) like?”
10.22 Zimnandi futhi zivuthiwe → “It’s (the fruit) delicious and it’s ripe”
10.23 Ngizithanda. Ngizithatha → “I like it (the fruit). I’ll take it”
10.24 Inyama ikhona? → “Is there meat?” / “Is it (meat) available?”
10.25 Yebo, ikhona. Ihlabeke namhlanje → “Yes, it’s here. It was slaughtered today”
10.26 Inhle. Ngiyayithanda → “It’s good. I like it (the meat)”
10.27 Isinkwa sikhona? → “Is there bread?” / “Is it (bread) available?”
10.28 Yebo, sisha futhi simnandi → “Yes, it’s fresh and it’s delicious”
10.29 Ngisithatha naso → “I’ll take it (the bread) too”
10.30 Kuhle! Yonke imali ingakanani? → “Good! How much is all the money?” / “What’s the total?”
Part C: isiZulu Only
10.16 Sawubona! Ngingakusiza?
10.17 Yebo, ngifuna amanzi.
10.18 Akhona lapha. Awabande kakhulu.
10.19 Kuhle. Ngiwathatha.
10.20 Ufuna nezithelo?
10.21 Izithelo zinjani?
10.22 Zimnandi futhi zivuthiwe.
10.23 Ngizithanda. Ngizithatha.
10.24 Inyama ikhona?
10.25 Yebo, ikhona. Ihlabeke namhlanje.
10.26 Inhle. Ngiyayithanda.
10.27 Isinkwa sikhona?
10.28 Yebo, sisha futhi simnandi.
10.29 Ngisithatha naso.
10.30 Kuhle! Yonke imali ingakanani?
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This dialogue demonstrates several key patterns:
1. The “khona” construction for existence/availability: -
Akhona (a- + khona) — “It (class 6) is there/available” -
Ikhona (i- + khona) — “It (class 9) is there/available” -
Sikhona (si- + khona) — “It (class 7) is there/available”
2. Adjective agreement: Adjectives in Zulu take class prefixes: -
Amanzi a-bandile (water it-cold) — class 6 -
Izithelo zi-mnandi (fruit it-delicious) — class 8 -
Isinkwa si-sha (bread it-fresh) — class 7
3. Object concord placement: The object concord comes immediately before the verb root: -
Ngi-wa-thatha (I-it:CL6-take) — “I take it (water)” -
Ngi-zi-thanda (I-it:CL8-like) — “I like it (fruit)” -
Ngi-yi-thanda (I-it:CL9-like) — “I like it (meat)” -
Ngi-si-thatha (I-it:CL7-take) — “I take it (bread)”
4. The emphatic concord with “na-” (with): -
Naso (na- + -so) — “with it too” (class 7) -
This construction uses the emphatic form of the pronoun.
5. The question word “-njani” (how/what kind): This takes a subject concord prefix: -
Zinjani? (zi- + -njani) — “How are they/What are they like?” (class 8) -
Injani? (i- + -njani) — “How is it?” (class 9) -
Sinjani? (si- + -njani) — “How is it?” (class 7)
6. Perfect/passive forms: -
Zivuthiwe (zi-vuth-iwe) — “They are ripe” (stative perfect) -
Ihlabeke (i-hlab-eke) — “It was slaughtered” (passive/stative)
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Noun Class Prefix Pronunciation:
The noun prefixes undergo phonological changes depending on the following consonant:
Class 9/10 prefix in- becomes: -
im- before b, p: imbongi, impilo -
in- before d, t, z, s: inja, indoda -
ing- before g, k: inkomo (actually inkomo shows historical change)
Class 7 prefix isi- is always [isi], but the s may sound slightly different before certain consonants.
Concord Pronunciation Tips:
Subject concords are usually pronounced as part of the verb, without pause: -
Siyahamba [si.ja.ˈha.mba] — flows as one word -
Ngiyakuthanda [ŋgi.ja.ku.ˈtʰa.nda] — one continuous utterance
Tone Patterns:
While not marked in standard orthography, tone is grammatically significant: -
High tone on the penultimate syllable is common in verbs -
The subject concord often carries high tone -
Emphatic pronouns typically have high tone on the first syllable
Common Sound Combinations: -
hl [ɬ] — voiceless lateral: inhliziyo, kuhle, sihlala -
dl [ɮ] — voiced lateral: ukudla, indlela -
nhl [nɬ] — prenasalized voiceless lateral: inhle -
ndl [ndɮ] — prenasalized voiced lateral: indlovu
Stress:
Zulu has penultimate stress (stress on the second-to-last syllable): -
a-MA-nzi (water) -
i-si-HLA-lo (chair) -
u-ku-DLA (food)
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This lesson is part of a systematic language course following the Latinum Institute methodology. The course teaches the 1000 most frequent words in each target language through contextualized examples and authentic literary citations.
The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, specializing in the “construed text” method that shows learners exactly how each word functions grammatically. This approach is particularly valuable for languages like Zulu, where the grammatical structure differs significantly from English.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Trustpilot Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Each lesson focuses on one high-frequency vocabulary item, presenting it in 30 contextual examples across multiple genres. The interlinear format shows the exact correspondence between the target language and English, while the natural sentences demonstrate idiomatic usage.
For Zulu learners, understanding the noun class system is foundational. Rather than memorizing individual words for “it,” you are learning a system that governs all agreement in the language — a far more powerful approach that will serve you throughout your Zulu studies.
A Note on Sources:
This lesson draws on standard reference grammars of Zulu and the literary works of B.W. Vilakazi, the pioneering Zulu poet and linguist. The noun class information follows the Meinhof numbering system standard in Bantu linguistics.
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Ngiyabonga ngokufunda! — Thank you for studying!
Reminder: This is a course for English speakers learning isiZulu.
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