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Nexal Code: @ᴸᴱˢˢᴼᴺ.47.ᶻᵁᴸᵁ.ᵁᴷᵁᵀᴴᴬᵀᴴᴬ
The verb -thatha (to take) is one of the most versatile and frequently used verbs in isiZulu. Its semantic range extends far beyond the English “take,” encompassing notions of grasping, receiving, accepting, choosing, and initiating action. In Zulu culture, the act of taking carries significant social weight — one takes responsibility, takes a spouse, takes counsel, and takes one’s place in the community.
What does “ukuthatha” mean in Zulu?
Ukuthatha (oo-koo-TAH-tah) is the infinitive form meaning “to take.” The verb root is -thatha, to which subject concords, tense markers, and object concords attach to create complete verbal forms. The “th” in Zulu is an aspirated sound (like the ‘t’ in English “top” with an extra puff of breath), not the ‘th’ sound in “think” or “this.”
This lesson presents -thatha in its full conjugational range: present tense (both long and short forms), recent past, remote past, future tense, negative constructions, imperatives, and compound expressions. You will learn how Zulu’s agglutinative morphology builds meaning through prefixes attached to this fundamental verb root.
Link to Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Key Takeaways
• The verb root -thatha means “to take” and attaches to subject concords (ngi-, u-, si-, ni-, ba-)
• Present tense uses the -ya- infix when the verb ends the clause: ngiyathatha (I take/am taking)
• When an object follows, -ya- is dropped: ngithatha incwadi (I take a book)
• Recent past changes -a to -ile: ngithathile (I have taken / I took)
• Remote past uses vowel coalescence: ngathatha (I took — in the distant past)
• Future tense inserts -zo-: ngizothatha (I will take)
• Negative constructions use the prefix a- and change the final vowel to -i: angithathi (I do not take)
• Object concords can be inserted before the verb root: ngiyamthatha (I take him/her)
• The imperative is simply the root plus final vowel: thatha! (take!)
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In this section, each Zulu word appears in bold followed by its English gloss. Line ‘a’ presents the standard Zulu orthography with word-by-word glosses. Line ‘b’ provides the same text with pronunciation guidance in parentheses. A blank line separates parts a and b for each example.
47.1a Ngiyathatha I-take incwadi book yami my 47.1b Ngiyathatha (ŋi-ja-TAH-tah) I-take incwadi (in-CHWAH-di) book yami (JAH-mi) my
47.2a Uthatha you-take imali money etafuleni on-the-table 47.2b Uthatha (oo-TAH-tah) you-take imali (i-MAH-li) money etafuleni (e-tah-foo-LEH-ni) on-the-table
47.3a Umfana boy uthatha he-takes isinkwa bread ekhishini in-kitchen 47.3b Umfana (oom-FAH-nah) boy uthatha (oo-TAH-tah) he-takes isinkwa (i-SIN-kwah) bread ekhishini (e-ki-SHI-ni) in-kitchen
47.4a Sithatha we-take isikhathi time ukuphumula to-rest 47.4b Sithatha (si-TAH-tah) we-take isikhathi (i-si-KAH-ti) time ukuphumula (oo-koo-poo-MOO-lah) to-rest
47.5a Bathatha they-take izingubo clothes zabo their 47.5b Bathatha (bah-TAH-tah) they-take izingubo (i-zin-GOO-boh) clothes zabo (ZAH-boh) their
47.6a Ngithathile I-have-taken isinqumo decision esibalulekile important 47.6b Ngithathile (ŋi-tah-TI-le) I-have-taken isinqumo (i-sin-KOO-moh) decision esibalulekile (e-si-bah-loo-le-KI-le) important
47.7a Wathatha he-took-REMOTE umsebenzi work omuhle good 47.7b Wathatha (wah-TAH-tah) he-took-REMOTE umsebenzi (oom-se-BEN-zi) work omuhle (oh-MOO-ɬe) good
47.8a Ngizothatha I-will-take amanzi water uma if ngilambile I-am-hungry 47.8b Ngizothatha (ŋi-zoh-TAH-tah) I-will-take amanzi (ah-MAHN-zi) water uma (OO-mah) if ngilambile (ŋi-lahm-BI-le) I-am-hungry
47.9a Angithathi I-do-not-take utshwala beer ekuseni in-morning 47.9b Angithathi (ah-ŋi-TAH-ti) I-do-not-take utshwala (oo-CHWA-lah) beer ekuseni (e-koo-SE-ni) in-morning
47.10a Thatha take-IMP lo this mkhiqizo product uhambe and-go 47.10b Thatha (TAH-tah) take-IMP lo (loh) this mkhiqizo (m-ki-KI-zoh) product uhambe (oo-HAHM-be) and-go
47.11a Ngiyamthatha I-take-him/her umntanami my-child esikoleni to-school 47.11b Ngiyamthatha (ŋi-jam-TAH-tah) I-take-him/her umntanami (oom-ntah-NAH-mi) my-child esikoleni (e-si-koh-LE-ni) to-school
47.12a Ukuthatha to-take izeluleko advice kuhle is-good 47.12b Ukuthatha (oo-koo-TAH-tah) to-take izeluleko (i-ze-loo-LE-koh) advice kuhle (KOO-ɬe) is-good
47.13a Abazali parents bathatha they-take izingane children esontweni to-church 47.13b Abazali (ah-bah-ZAH-li) parents bathatha (bah-TAH-tah) they-take izingane (i-zin-GAH-ne) children esontweni (e-sohn-TWEN-ni) to-church
47.14a Kuthathwa it-is-taken-PASS imoto car ngumlisa by-the-man 47.14b Kuthathwa (koo-TAHTH-wah) it-is-taken-PASS imoto (i-MOH-toh) car ngumlisa (ŋoo-mLI-sah) by-the-man
47.15a Nizothatha you.PL-will-take ini what namhlanje today 47.15b Nizothatha (ni-zoh-TAH-tah) you.PL-will-take ini (I-ni) what namhlanje (nahm-HLAH-nje) today
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The same fifteen examples appear below as complete natural sentences with idiomatic English translations.
47.1 Ngiyathatha incwadi yami. “I am taking my book.”
47.2 Uthatha imali etafuleni. “You take the money from the table.”
47.3 Umfana uthatha isinkwa ekhishini. “The boy takes the bread in the kitchen.”
47.4 Sithatha isikhathi ukuphumula. “We take time to rest.”
47.5 Bathatha izingubo zabo. “They take their clothes.”
47.6 Ngithathile isinqumo esibalulekile. “I have made an important decision.”
47.7 Wathatha umsebenzi omuhle. “He took a good job.”
47.8 Ngizothatha amanzi uma ngilambile. “I will take water if I am hungry.”
47.9 Angithathi utshwala ekuseni. “I do not take beer in the morning.”
47.10 Thatha lo mkhiqizo uhambe. “Take this product and go.”
47.11 Ngiyamthatha umntanami esikoleni. “I am taking my child to school.”
47.12 Ukuthatha izeluleko kuhle. “To take advice is good.”
47.13 Abazali bathatha izingane esontweni. “The parents take the children to church.”
47.14 Kuthathwa imoto ngumlisa. “The car is taken by the man.”
47.15 Nizothatha ini namhlanje? “What will you (all) take today?”
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47.1 Ngiyathatha incwadi yami.
47.2 Uthatha imali etafuleni.
47.3 Umfana uthatha isinkwa ekhishini.
47.4 Sithatha isikhathi ukuphumula.
47.5 Bathatha izingubo zabo.
47.6 Ngithathile isinqumo esibalulekile.
47.7 Wathatha umsebenzi omuhle.
47.8 Ngizothatha amanzi uma ngilambile.
47.9 Angithathi utshwala ekuseni.
47.10 Thatha lo mkhiqizo uhambe.
47.11 Ngiyamthatha umntanami esikoleni.
47.12 Ukuthatha izeluleko kuhle.
47.13 Abazali bathatha izingane esontweni.
47.14 Kuthathwa imoto ngumlisa.
47.15 Nizothatha ini namhlanje?
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These are the grammar rules for -thatha (to take).
The Verb Root
The verb root -thatha carries the fundamental meaning “to take.” Like all Zulu verbs, it cannot stand alone but requires prefixes to indicate the subject, tense, mood, and other grammatical information. The root ends in the vowel -a, which is the default final vowel for most Zulu verbs in the indicative mood.
Subject Concords
Subject concords are prefixes that indicate who is performing the action. They must always be present (except in imperatives and infinitives).
First person singular: ngi- (I) Second person singular: u- (you) Third person singular (human): u- (he/she) First person plural: si- (we) Second person plural: ni- (you all) Third person plural (human): ba- (they)
Present Tense: Long Form vs. Short Form
Zulu has two present tense forms. The long form uses the infix -ya- between the subject concord and the verb root. This form is required when the verb is the final element in its clause. The short form omits -ya- and is used when an object or other complement follows the verb.
Long form (verb-final): Ngiyathatha. = “I take. / I am taking.” Short form (object follows): Ngithatha incwadi. = “I take a book.”
This distinction is crucial for natural-sounding Zulu. Using “Ngithatha” without a following object sounds incomplete to native speakers.
Recent Past Tense
The recent past describes actions completed in the near past. It is formed by changing the final -a to -ile (long form) or -e (short form).
Long form (sentence-final): Ngithathile. = “I have taken. / I took.” Short form (with adjuncts): Ngithathe izolo. = “I took (it) yesterday.”
Remote Past Tense
The remote past describes actions completed in the distant past. It is formed by inserting -a- after the subject concord, which causes vowel coalescence.
ngi- + a- → nga-: Ngathatha. = “I took (long ago).” u- + a- → wa-: Wathatha. = “He/she took (long ago).” si- + a- → sa-: Sathatha. = “We took (long ago).” ba- + a- → ba- (unchanged): Bathatha. = “They took (long ago).”
Future Tense
The future tense inserts the morpheme -zo- between the subject concord and the verb root.
Ngizothatha. = “I will take.” Uzothatha. = “You will take. / He/she will take.” Sizothatha. = “We will take.” Nizothatha. = “You (pl.) will take.” Bazothatha. = “They will take.”
Negative Constructions
Negation in the present tense adds the prefix a- before the subject concord and changes the final vowel from -a to -i.
Angithathi. = “I do not take.” Awuthathi. = “You do not take.” (u- becomes wu- after a-) Akathathi. = “He/she does not take.” (u- becomes ka- after a-) Asithathi. = “We do not take.” Anithathi. = “You (pl.) do not take.” Abathathi. = “They do not take.”
Imperative Mood
The imperative (command form) is simply the verb root plus the final vowel. No subject concord is used.
Singular: Thatha! = “Take!” Plural (polite/multiple addressees): Thathani! = “Take! (you all)”
Object Concords
Object concords indicate what or whom is being taken. They are inserted between any tense markers and the verb root. When an object concord is present, the long form -ya- changes to -a- (for most concords) or is absorbed.
First person singular object: -ngi-: Uyangithatha. = “You take me.” Third person singular (Class 1): -m-: Ngiyamthatha. = “I take him/her.” Third person plural (Class 2): -ba-: Ngiyabathatha. = “I take them.”
Passive Voice
The passive is formed by inserting -w- before the final vowel: -thatha → -thathwa (to be taken).
Incwadi ithathwa. = “The book is taken.” Kuthathwa imali. = “Money is being taken.” (impersonal passive)
Infinitive Form
The infinitive prefixes uku- to the verb root: ukuthatha = “to take.” This form functions as a verbal noun (Class 15) and can serve as subject or object of another verb.
Ukuthatha kuhle. = “To take is good. / Taking is good.” Ngifuna ukuthatha. = “I want to take.”
Common Mistakes
Pronouncing “th” incorrectly: Zulu th is an aspirated /tʰ/, like the ‘t’ in English “top” with extra breath. It is NOT the ‘th’ sound in “think” or “this.”
Forgetting -ya- in verb-final position: “Ngithatha” alone sounds incomplete. When no object follows, you must say “Ngiyathatha.”
Using English word order with object concords: In Zulu, the object concord goes before the verb root, not after. “I take him” is “Ngiyamthatha,” not “*Ngithatha yena.”
Confusing recent and remote past: The recent past (-ile) describes recent completion; the remote past (-a-) describes events in the more distant past. English does not make this distinction consistently.
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The concept of “taking” in Zulu culture extends far beyond physical possession. The verb -thatha appears in numerous idiomatic expressions that reveal cultural values.
Ukuthatha isinqumo (to take a decision): Decision-making in traditional Zulu society was often a communal process, especially for important matters. To “take a decision” implies accepting the weight of responsibility that comes with choice.
Ukuthatha umfazi / indoda (to take a wife / husband): Marriage terminology in Zulu involves “taking” a spouse, reflecting the formal processes of lobola (bride wealth) and the serious commitment of forming a new household. The phrase carries dignity and weight.
Ukuthatha izeluleko (to take advice): Wisdom is highly valued, and taking counsel from elders is considered virtuous. The young are expected to receive guidance from abadala (elders) with respect.
Ukuthatha isikhathi (to take time): Zulu culture traditionally values patience and proper timing. Rushing is often considered inappropriate, and taking adequate time for important matters is seen as wisdom.
Ukuthatha indawo (to take a place): This can mean literally taking a seat, but also assuming one’s proper position in social hierarchy or community. Knowing one’s place and taking it appropriately is important.
Regional Variations
While standard isiZulu uses -thatha consistently, some Nguni language varieties (Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele) have cognate forms with slight phonological differences. Zulu spoken in urban areas like Johannesburg may show influence from other languages, but -thatha remains standard.
Formal vs. Informal Register
The verb itself does not change between registers, but the surrounding politeness markers do. Using -ni plural endings (Thathani!) when addressing a single person shows respect. In very formal contexts, additional honorifics may be added.
Modern Usage
In contemporary South Africa, -thatha appears in contexts ranging from commercial transactions (”Thatha irisidi yakho” — “Take your receipt”) to legal language (”Ukuthatha izinyathelo zomthetho” — “To take legal steps”) to everyday conversation. Its versatility makes it essential for learners at all levels.
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The following passage is adapted from the tradition of Zulu izibongo (praise poetry), reflecting themes found in the work of B.W. Vilakazi (1906-1947), the “Father of Nguni Literature” who published the first book of Zulu poetry, Inkondlo kaZulu (1935). This pedagogical passage demonstrates how -thatha functions in elevated literary Zulu.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Thatha take-IMP umoya breath wakho your uqine be-strong F.1b Thatha (TAH-tah) take-IMP umoya (oo-MOH-yah) breath wakho (WAH-koh) your uqine (oo-KI-ne) be-strong
F.2a Ngathatha I-took-REMOTE indlela path yobaba of-my-father F.2b Ngathatha (ŋah-TAH-tah) I-took-REMOTE indlela (in-DLE-lah) path yobaba (yoh-BAH-bah) of-my-father
F.3a Sithatha we-take ifa inheritance labokhokho of-ancestors F.3b Sithatha (si-TAH-tah) we-take ifa (I-fah) inheritance labokhokho (lah-boh-KOH-koh) of-ancestors
F.4a Abathathile those-who-have-taken isibindi courage bayaphumelela they-succeed F.4b Abathathile (ah-bah-tah-TI-le) those-who-have-taken isibindi (i-si-BIN-di) courage bayaphumelela (bah-yah-poo-me-LE-lah) they-succeed
F.5a Uzothatha you-will-take ukukhanya light ususe and-remove ubumnyama darkness F.5b Uzothatha (oo-zoh-TAH-tah) you-will-take ukukhanya (oo-koo-KAH-nyah) light ususe (oo-SOO-se) and-remove ubumnyama (oo-boom-NYAH-mah) darkness
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
Thatha umoya wakho uqine, Ngathatha indlela yobaba, Sithatha ifa labokhokho, Abathathile isibindi bayaphumelela, Uzothatha ukukhanya ususe ubumnyama.
“Take your breath and be strong, I took the path of my father, We take the inheritance of our ancestors, Those who have taken courage succeed, You will take the light and remove the darkness.”
F-C: Original Script Only
Thatha umoya wakho uqine, Ngathatha indlela yobaba, Sithatha ifa labokhokho, Abathathile isibindi bayaphumelela, Uzothatha ukukhanya ususe ubumnyama.
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
umoya (Class 3 noun): breath, spirit, wind. The same word encompasses physical breath and spiritual essence, reflecting the interconnection of body and spirit in Zulu thought.
uqine (subjunctive): “that you may be strong” — the subjunctive mood indicates purpose or result. The root is -qina (to be firm, strong).
indlela (Class 9 noun): path, way, road. Metaphorically used for life’s journey or one’s course of action.
ifa (Class 5 noun): inheritance, heritage. This includes both material inheritance and cultural/spiritual legacy.
abokhokho: ancestors (Class 2). The prefix abo- indicates “those of” + -khokho (ancient ones). Ancestor veneration is central to Zulu spirituality.
isibindi (Class 7 noun): courage, literally “liver.” In Zulu (as in many cultures), the liver is considered the seat of courage and strong emotion.
ukukhanya (Class 15 noun/infinitive): light, brightness. From -khanya (to shine).
ubumnyama (Class 14 noun): darkness. Abstract nouns in Class 14 use the prefix ubu-.
F-E: Literary Commentary
This passage employs the imperative, remote past, present, and future tenses of -thatha to create a temporal arc from past through present to future. The ancestral path (indlela yobaba) connects to inherited wisdom (ifa labokhokho), which enables present courage (isibindi) and future triumph over darkness (ubumnyama). This progression mirrors the structure of traditional izibongo, which often move through time while praising virtues and encouraging action.
The repetition of -thatha creates rhythmic unity while showcasing the verb’s semantic range: taking breath (physical/spiritual preparation), taking a path (choosing direction), taking inheritance (receiving tradition), taking courage (internalizing virtue), and taking light (active transformation).
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This section presents a dialogue at a market or shop, where the verb -thatha naturally occurs in commercial transactions. The 15 examples continue the numbering sequence.
47.16a Sawubona greetings mama mother/ma’am ngingakusiza may-I-help-you ngani with-what 47.16b Sawubona (sah-woo-BOH-nah) greetings mama (MAH-mah) mother/ma’am ngingakusiza (ŋi-ŋah-koo-SI-zah) may-I-help-you ngani (ŊGAH-ni) with-what
47.17a Yebo yes ngifuna I-want ukuthatha to-take izithelo fruits ezintsha fresh 47.17b Yebo (YEH-boh) yes ngifuna (ŋi-FOO-nah) I-want ukuthatha (oo-koo-TAH-tah) to-take izithelo (i-zi-THE-loh) fruits ezintsha (e-ZIN-tshah) fresh
47.18a Thatha take-IMP lawa these ma-apula apples amahle beautiful kakhulu very 47.18b Thatha (TAH-tah) take-IMP lawa (LAH-wah) these ma-apula (mah-ah-POO-lah) apples amahle (ah-MAH-ɬe) beautiful kakhulu (kah-KOO-loo) very
47.19a Ngizothatha I-will-take amahlanu five kanye and namabanana with-bananas amabili two 47.19b Ngizothatha (ŋi-zoh-TAH-tah) I-will-take amahlanu (ah-mah-HLAH-noo) five kanye (KAH-nye) and namabanana (nah-mah-bah-NAH-nah) with-bananas amabili (ah-mah-BI-li) two
47.20a Uthatha you-take imali money engakanani how-much ngalokhu for-this 47.20b Uthatha (oo-TAH-tah) you-take imali (i-MAH-li) money engakanani (e-ŋga-kah-NAH-ni) how-much ngalokhu (ŋgah-LOH-koo) for-this
47.21a Ngithatha I-take amarandi rands ayishumi ten kuphela only 47.21b Ngithatha (ŋi-TAH-tah) I-take amarandi (ah-mah-RAHN-di) rands ayishumi (ah-yi-SHOO-mi) ten kuphela (koo-PE-lah) only
47.22a Kulungile alright ngizowathatha I-will-take-them thatha take imali money yami my 47.22b Kulungile (koo-loo-ŊGI-le) alright ngizowathatha (ŋi-zoh-wah-TAH-tah) I-will-take-them thatha (TAH-tah) take imali (i-MAH-li) money yami (JAH-mi) my
47.23a Ngiyabonga I-thank-you uthathile you-have-taken izinto things ezinhle good 47.23b Ngiyabonga (ŋi-yah-BOHN-gah) I-thank-you uthathile (oo-tah-TI-le) you-have-taken izinto (i-ZIN-toh) things ezinhle (e-ZI-nɬe) good
47.24a Kodwa but angikathathi I-have-not-yet-taken amazambane potatoes awekho where-are-they 47.24b Kodwa (KOHD-wah) but angikathathi (ah-ŋi-kah-TAH-ti) I-have-not-yet-taken amazambane (ah-mah-zahm-BAH-ne) potatoes awekho (ah-WEH-koh) where-are-they
47.25a Amazambane potatoes athathwa they-are-taken-PASS abantu people abaningi many namhlanje today 47.25b Amazambane (ah-mah-zahm-BAH-ne) potatoes athathwa (ah-TAHTH-wah) they-are-taken-PASS abantu (ah-BAHN-too) people abaningi (ah-bah-NI-ŋgi) many namhlanje (nahm-HLAH-nje) today
47.26a Uma if ufuna you-want ukuthatha to-take amazambane potatoes buya come-back kusasa tomorrow 47.26b Uma (OO-mah) if ufuna (oo-FOO-nah) you-want ukuthatha (oo-koo-TAH-tah) to-take amazambane (ah-mah-zahm-BAH-ne) potatoes buya (BOO-yah) come-back kusasa (koo-SAH-sah) tomorrow
47.27a Ngizothatha I-will-take noma even imifino vegetables uma if ikhona it-is-there 47.27b Ngizothatha (ŋi-zoh-TAH-tah) I-will-take noma (NOH-mah) even imifino (i-mi-FI-noh) vegetables uma (OO-mah) if ikhona (i-KOH-nah) it-is-there
47.28a Yebo yes imifino vegetables ikhona it-is-there thatha take-IMP uyibone and-see-it 47.28b Yebo (YEH-boh) yes imifino (i-mi-FI-noh) vegetables ikhona (i-KOH-nah) it-is-there thatha (TAH-tah) take-IMP uyibone (oo-yi-BOH-ne) and-see-it
47.29a Ngithatha I-take ispinashi spinach nokhabhishi and-cabbage zombili both 47.29b Ngithatha (ŋi-TAH-tah) I-take ispinashi (i-spi-NAH-shi) spinach nokhabhishi (noh-kah-BI-shi) and-cabbage zombili (zohm-BI-li) both
47.30a Usuthathile you-have-now-taken konke everything hamba go kahle well sisi sister 47.30b Usuthathile (oo-soo-tah-TI-le) you-have-now-taken konke (KOHN-ke) everything hamba (HAHM-bah) go kahle (KAH-ɬe) well sisi (SI-si) sister
47.16 Sawubona mama, ngingakusiza ngani? “Hello ma’am, how may I help you?”
47.17 Yebo, ngifuna ukuthatha izithelo ezintsha. “Yes, I want to take fresh fruits.”
47.18 Thatha lawa ma-apula amahle kakhulu. “Take these very beautiful apples.”
47.19 Ngizothatha amahlanu kanye namabanana amabili. “I will take five and also two bananas.”
47.20 Uthatha imali engakanani ngalokhu? “How much money do you take for this?”
47.21 Ngithatha amarandi ayishumi kuphela. “I take only ten rands.”
47.22 Kulungile, ngizowathatha. Thatha imali yami. “Alright, I will take them. Take my money.”
47.23 Ngiyabonga, uthathile izinto ezinhle. “Thank you, you have taken good things.”
47.24 Kodwa angikathathi amazambane, awekho? “But I have not yet taken potatoes, where are they?”
47.25 Amazambane athathwa abantu abaningi namhlanje. “Potatoes are taken by many people today.”
47.26 Uma ufuna ukuthatha amazambane, buya kusasa. “If you want to take potatoes, come back tomorrow.”
47.27 Ngizothatha noma imifino uma ikhona. “I will take even vegetables if they are there.”
47.28 Yebo, imifino ikhona. Thatha uyibone. “Yes, vegetables are there. Take and see them.”
47.29 Ngithatha ispinashi nokhabhishi zombili. “I take both spinach and cabbage.”
47.30 Usuthathile konke, hamba kahle sisi! “You have now taken everything, go well sister!”
47.16 Sawubona mama, ngingakusiza ngani?
47.17 Yebo, ngifuna ukuthatha izithelo ezintsha.
47.18 Thatha lawa ma-apula amahle kakhulu.
47.19 Ngizothatha amahlanu kanye namabanana amabili.
47.20 Uthatha imali engakanani ngalokhu?
47.21 Ngithatha amarandi ayishumi kuphela.
47.22 Kulungile, ngizowathatha. Thatha imali yami.
47.23 Ngiyabonga, uthathile izinto ezinhle.
47.24 Kodwa angikathathi amazambane, awekho?
47.25 Amazambane athathwa abantu abaningi namhlanje.
47.26 Uma ufuna ukuthatha amazambane, buya kusasa.
47.27 Ngizothatha noma imifino uma ikhona.
47.28 Yebo, imifino ikhona. Thatha uyibone.
47.29 Ngithatha ispinashi nokhabhishi zombili.
47.30 Usuthathile konke, hamba kahle sisi!
Object Concord Incorporation (47.22): The form ngizowathatha (”I will take them”) shows the object concord -wa- (referring to Class 6 nouns like ama-apula) inserted before the verb root. The structure is: ngi- (I) + -zo- (FUT) + -wa- (them, CL6) + -thatha (take).
Negative with “Not Yet” (47.24): The form angikathathi uses the negative construction plus the “not yet” marker -ka-. This indicates that the action has not yet been completed but is expected: a- (NEG) + -ngi- (I) + -ka- (not.yet) + -thathi (take.NEG).
Passive Voice (47.25): Athathwa shows the Class 6 subject concord a- with the passive verb form -thathwa (are taken). The agent is introduced by ng- (by): ngumlisa = by the man, abantu = by people (understood from context).
Consecutive -su- (47.30): In usuthathile, the element -su- indicates “already” or “now completed.” This morpheme marks that the action has been accomplished prior to or simultaneous with the speech moment: u- (you) + -su- (already) + -thathile (have.taken).
Question Formation (47.20): The word engakanani (how much) is a quantitative interrogative that follows the noun it modifies: imali engakanani = “money of how much.”
Conditional Clauses (47.26): Uma introduces a conditional clause (”if”). The present tense in the “if” clause pairs naturally with imperative or future in the main clause.
Polite Address: The dialogue uses mama (mother/ma’am) and sisi (sister) as respectful terms of address, even between strangers. This reflects the Zulu practice of using kinship terms to show respect and create social connection.
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Key Sounds in This Lesson
th /tʰ/: Aspirated ‘t’ — like English “top” with extra breath. NOT like “think” or “this.” Place your tongue as for ‘t’ and release with a puff of air.
ng /ŋ/: At word-start, this is the same sound as at the end of English “sing.” Practice by saying “sing” and then starting a word with that final sound: “Ngi-” = “sing-ee” (minus the “si-”).
hl /ɬ/: Lateral fricative — blow air past the side of your tongue while positioning for ‘l’. This sound does not exist in English. Practice by saying ‘l’ while exhaling through the side of your mouth.
dl /ɮ/: Voiced lateral fricative — similar to ‘hl’ but with voice. Like ‘l’ with friction.
Vowels: Zulu vowels are “pure” like Italian or Spanish: -
a /a/: like “father” -
e /ɛ/: like “bed” -
i /i/: like “see” -
o /ɔ/: like “thought” -
u /u/: like “too”
Stress: Generally falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable.
Common Pronunciation Errors for English Speakers -
Using English ‘th’ sounds instead of aspirated ‘t’ -
Pronouncing ‘ng’ as two separate sounds at word-start -
Struggling with the lateral fricatives (hl, dl) -
Putting stress on the wrong syllable -
Not maintaining pure vowel quality throughout
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute Modern Language Course series, which brings the proven interlinear glossing methodology to contemporary language learning. The Latinum Institute has been creating educational materials since 2006, specializing in making complex languages accessible to autodidact learners.
The Construed Text Method
The interlinear format used in this course — where each word appears with its grammatical function directly beneath — allows learners to absorb vocabulary and structure simultaneously. Rather than memorizing isolated words or drilling grammar rules in abstract, you encounter language as it actually functions in complete sentences.
CSV-Based Curriculum
This course follows a systematic curriculum based on frequency-ranked vocabulary. Lesson 47 teaches the verb “take” (ukuthatha), one of the most common and versatile verbs in any language. By learning high-frequency words first, you quickly gain the ability to understand and produce real Zulu communication.
About Zulu
IsiZulu is a Bantu language spoken by approximately 12-14 million native speakers, primarily in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. It is one of South Africa’s 12 official languages and serves as a lingua franca for millions more. Zulu’s rich literary tradition, established by pioneers like B.W. Vilakazi, and its vibrant contemporary culture make it an immensely rewarding language to learn.
Further Resources
For the complete course index, visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
For independent reviews of Latinum Institute materials: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
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✓ Lesson 47 Zulu (isiZulu) complete
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