isiXhosa(Book)PrintBW

E. Suffix –eka creates NEUTER [isenzeka]:

1. Ingoma iyaculeka. [The song is singable]
2. Ukutya kuyaphekeka [The food is cookable]
3. Intenetya iyadlaleka. [The tennis is playable]
4. UJuliet uyathandeka. [Juliet is lovable]

F. Suffix –ana creates RECIPROCITY [isenzana]*

1. UTina Turner uculana nengoma [Tina Turner is busy singing the song]
2. Umama uphekana nokutya [Mother is busy cooking the food]
3. UNavratilova udlalana nentenetya [UNavratilova is busy playing the tennis]
4. URomeo uthandana noJuliet [Romeo and Juliet love one another)
* In sentences 1, 2 and 3 the action is one-sided because the object is not human, whereas in 4 the
action is explicitly reciprocal.

Umsebenzi / Task 24

State the purpose of the following underlined verbs with regard to their verb extensions (state
whether they render reciprocity , neuter, causative or applied):

Example:
Ndifundela ukwenza kakuhle [I study to do well] = applied

Do the same to the following sentences:
a. Abantwana badlalisa umntwana [Children are helping a child to play]
b. Incwadi yenoveli iyafundeka [A novel book is readable]
c. UMartha noJeff bayathandana [Martha and Jeff love one another]
d. Wena usebenzela ukufumana imali? [Are you working for getting money?]

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Isongezelelo
[addendum]

This section will help and guide students in making their own sentences
and thus serves as mini-dictionary.

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Izithetha-ntonye zesiXhosa nesiNgesi
[isiXhosa and English equivalents]

A. Izenzi eziqala ngezikhamiso
[Verbs commencing with vowels]

Izenzi English isiXhosa example English example
1. –ahlula My father divides the estate
equivalents

divide Utata wam wahlula ilifa

2. –ahlukanisa separate Umalusi wahlukanisa imihlambi The shepherd is dividing the
herds
3. –alusa to look after Umalusi walusa imihlambi
The shepherd is looking after
4. -azi know Ndiyakwazi the herds
5. –ihla come down Yihla Moya oyiNgcwele
6. –ima stand Yima ngeenyawo zakho I know you.
7. –iva hear Uyeva?
8. -oja grill Yoja inyama emlilweni Come down Holy Spirit
9. –opha bleed Isandla sam siyopha
10. –oyisa defeat UDavide woyisa uGoliyathi Stand with your foot

Do you hear?

Grill the meat on fire

My hand is bleeding

David defeats Goliath

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B. Izenzi ezingaqali ngezikhamiso
[Verbs NOT commencing with vowels]

Izenzi English equivalents isiXhosa example English example
1. Bala The child is counting
2. Baleka count Umntwana uyabala The athlete is running
3. Balisa I narrate my story
4. Beka run Imbaleki iyabaleka Put [a pen] down
5. Bhaka Mother bakes the bread
6. Bhala narrate Ndibalisa ibali lam The student is writing on a
paper
7. Bona put Beka [usiba] phantsi I see a man
8. Buka I watch pictures
9. Bulisa bake Umama ubhaka isonka Greet mother
10. Buza Ask a question
11. Cacisa write Umfundi ubhala ephepheni Explain for a student
12. Cela What do you request?
13. Cheba see Ndibona umntu Brother shaves beards
14. Chitha watch Ndibuka imifanekiso I spend my holiday in Brazil
greet Bulisa umama
15. Chonga ask/question Buza umbuzo Mother is choosing the dress
16. Cima explain Cacisela umfundi Erase the board with a duster
17. Cula request Ucela ntoni? Tina sings a song
18. Dada shave Ubhuti ucheba iindevu A sister is swimming
19. Deda spend Ndichithela iholide yam Get out of my place
20. Dika eBrazil My day is boring
21. Dlala choose Umama ukhetha ilokhwe Play with other students
22. Dlula delete/erase/shut Cima ibhodi ngedasta Pass left, drive right
sing uTina ucula ingoma
23. -fa swim Usisi uyadada A cat is dying/a dog is dead
24. Faka get out of the way Deda endaweni yam Put food in the oven
boring Imini yam iyadika
play Dlala nabanye abafundi
pass Gqitha ekhohlo, qhuba
ekunene
die Ikati iyafa/inja ifile
put Faka ukutya kwioveni

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Izenzi English equivalents isiXhosa example English example

25. Fezekisa fulfil Ndifuna ukufezekisa iphupha I want to fulfil my dream
lam

26. Fika arrive Fika uphila Arrive alive

27. Fumana get/receive USipho ufumana isidanga Sipho receives a degree

28. Funda learn/read/study Sifunda isiXhosa eklasini We study isiXhosa in the
class

29. Galela pour Galela amanzi/iwayini Pour water/wine

30. Genge ajar Vula ucango genge Open the door ajar

31. Gibisela throw Gibisela ilitye enjeni Throw a stone at the dog

32. Goba bow Goba amadolo akho Bow down your knees

33. Guba grind Umama uguba umbona Mother is grinding the maize

34. Hamba go/walk Hamba kakuhle Go well

35. Hlaba pierce Hlaba isilwanyana ngemela Pierce an animal with a knife

36. Hlala sit/stay Usisi uhlala nobhuti Sister lives with brother

37. Hlamba wash Hlamba izandla ngesephu Wash the hands with soap

38. Hleka laugh Uhleka ntoni? What are you laughing at?

39. Hlela classify/group Hlela izibizo ngamahlelo Group the nouns according
to classes

40. Hlisa lower down Unovenkile uhlisa amaxabiso The shop owner lowers the
prices

41. Hlobana befriend Ndicela ukuhlobana nawe I would like to befriend you

42. Hluba take off the clothes Umama uhluba umntwana Mother is taking off the
child’s clothes

43. Hlukuhla shake Umguli uhlukuhla iyeza The patient is shaking the
medicine

44. Hlupha bother Musa ukundihlupha Don’t bother me

45. Hluza filter Usisi uhluza ikofu Sister is filtering a coffee

46. Jika turn Jika ekhohlo/ekunene Turn left/right

47. Jikeleza go around Jikeleza isekile Go around the circle

48. Jonga look Jonga phaya Look over there

49. Kha draw water Usisi ukha amanzi Sister is drawing water

50. Khala cry Umntwana uyakhala The child is crying

51. Khapha accompany Umkhokeli ukhapha A guider is accompanying the
abakhenkethi tourists

52. Khaba kick Umdlali wesoka ukhaba A soccer player is kicking the
ibhola ball

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Izenzi English equivalents isiXhosa example English example
53. Khasa crawl Umntwana usakhasa A child is still crawling
54. Khetha choose/select Ubhuti ukhetha iimpahla Brother is choosing the
clothes
55. Khulisa grow Umama ukhulisa izityalo Mother grows the plants
56. Khupha take out Khupha iincwadi zakho Take out your books
57. Lala sleep Lala ebhedini Sleep on the bed
58. Libala forget Ndilibele izinto zam I have forgotten my belong-
ings
59. Lila cry Umntwana uyalila The child is crying
60. Lima cultivate Umlimi ulima umbona An agriculturalist cultivates
the maize
61. Loba fish Utata uloba iintlanzi Father is fishing for the fish
Brother sharpens a knife
62. Lola sharpen Ubhuti ulola imela A dog bites the thief
Mother is inviting people
63. Luma bite Inja iluma isela Stop the car
Don’t bother other people
64. Mema invite Umama umema abantu
Straighten your legs
65. Misa stop Misa imoto Enter/Come inside
Give a report
66. Musa musa Musa ukuhlupha abanye Smell the food
abantu Get up from the sofa
A book is inside the bag
67. Naba straighten a leg/s Nabisa imilenze yakho Mother cooks the food
Zuko denies the truth
68. Ngena enter/come inside Ngena ngaphakathi Is the child healthy?
Sister articulates the words
69. Nika give Nika ingxe lo Get outside
Mother kisses a baby
70. Nukisa smell Nukisa ukutya Sister smears a slice of bread
School starts in January
71. Phakama get up/rise Phakama esofeni Brother is driving a car
I am joking
72. Phakathi inside Incwadi iphakathi Ebhegini

73. Pheka cook Umama upheka ukutya

74. Phika deny UZuko uphika inyaniso

75. Phila be healthy Umntwana uphilile?

76. Phimisa articulate Usisi uphimisa amagama

77. Phuma get out Phuma ngaphandle

78. Phuza kiss Umama uphuza usana

79. Qaba smear Usisi uqaba isilayi sesonka

80. Qala start/begin/commence Isikolo siqala ngoJanyuwari

81. Qhuba drive Ubhuti uqhuba imoto

82. Qhula joke Ndiyaqhula

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Izenzi English equivalents isiXhosa example English example
83. Qinisa Let us strengthen our friend-
strengthen Masiqinise ubuhlobo bethu ship
Where do you work?
84. Sebenza work Usebenza phi? Brother drinks water/wine
Ubhuti usela amanzi /iwayini I am blaming you, brother
85. Sela drink Ndiyakusol a, bhuti. Brother wipes a window
Ubhuti usula ifestile Take a book
86. Sola blame Thabatha incwadi Speak aloud
Thetha kakhulu Please obey the law
87. Sula wipe Nceda thobela umthetho Be quiet, don’t make noise
Thula, musa ukungxola Father sends a child
88.Thabatha take Utata uthuma umntwana Hear the news
Yiva iindaba Close the door
89.Thetha speak Vala ucango Where do you from?
Uvela phi? You are too much stingy,
90.Thobela obey Uyavimba kakhulu, Sipho. Sipho
Open a computer
91.Thula be quiet I woke up at 7:00
I agree
92.Thuma send Sister wakes up the baby

93. -va hear I got a reward
Brother falls from the moun-
94.Vala close tain
Are you going to cross the
95.Vela come from ocean?

96.Vimba be stingy

97.Vula open Vula ikhompyutha
98.Vuka wake up Ndivuke ngo-7:00
99.Vuma agree Ndiyavuma
100.Vusa wake someone else Usisi uvusa usana
up
101.Vuza reward Ndifumene umvuzo
102.Wa fall Ubhuti uwa entabeni

103.Wela cross Uza kuwela ulwandle?

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Iincwadi ezisetyenzisiweyo [Books consulted]

Dowling,Tessa. 2006. Speak Xhosa with us. Cape Town:African Voices.
Madiba, Mbulu. 2008. Communication Skills in isiXhosa. Cape Town: Multilingualism Education Project.
Pahl,W.H. 1971 IsiXhosa sebanga lematriki. King Williamstown:Thanda Press.
Satyo, S.C. 1983. Igrama noncwadi. Pretoria:Via Afrika
Some common phrases of communication in foreign languages have been Googled in an omniglot web
site. To learn more visit http://www.google.co.za

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