If you're trying to learn Zulu Feminine which is also called isiZulu, check our courses about genders: Feminine and Masculine... to help you with your Zulu grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Zulu. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Zulu Feminine is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Zulu language. But first we need to know what the role of Feminine is in the structure of the grammar in Zulu.
Zulu feminine refers to female qualities attributed specifically to women and girls or things considered feminine. The complement to feminine is masculine. Here are some examples:
| English Feminine | Zulu Feminine |
|---|---|
| Feminine | Ubulili |
| he is happy | ujabulile |
| she is happy | ujabulile |
| he is American | ungowaseMelika |
| she is American | ungowaseMelika |
| man | indoda |
| woman | owesimame |
| father | ubaba |
| mother | umama |
| brother | umfowethu |
| sister | udadewethu |
| uncle | umalume |
| aunt | u-anti |
| bull | inkabi |
| cow | inkomo |
| boy | umfana |
| girl | intombazane |
As you can see from the example above, the structure of the Feminine in Zulu has a logical pattern. Locate the Feminine above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in isiZulu.
Below is a list of objects, can you determine whether they're feminine, masculine or plural in Zulu? Memorizing this table will also help you add very useful and important words to your Zulu vocabulary.
| English Vocabulary | Zulu Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| objects | izinto |
| bathroom | iklamelo lokugezela |
| bed | umbhede |
| bedroom | iklamelo lokulala |
| ceiling | usilingi |
| chair | isihlalo |
| clothes | izingubo zokugqoka |
| coat | ibhantshi |
| cup | inkomishi |
| desk | itafula |
| dress | ingubo |
| floor | iphansi |
| fork | imfologo |
| furniture | impahla yasendlini |
| glass | ingilazi |
| hat | isigqoko |
| house | indlu |
| ink | uyinki |
| jacket | ijazi |
| kitchen | ikhishi |
| knife | ummese |
| lamp | ilambu |
| letter | incwadi |
| map | imaphu |
| newspaper | iphephandaba |
| notebook | incwadi |
| pants | ibhulukwe |
| paper | iphephandaba |
| pen | ipeni |
| pencil | ipeni lomsizi |
| pharmacy | ikhemesi |
| picture | isithombe |
| plate | ipuleti |
| refrigerator | isiqandisi |
| restaurant | |
| roof | uphahla |
| room | igumbi |
| rug | iragi |
| scissors | isikelo |
| shampoo | ishampu |
| shirt | ihembe |
| shoes | izicathulo |
| soap | insipho |
| socks | amasokisi |
| spoon | ukhezo |
| table | itafula |
| toilet | indlu encane |
| toothbrush | isixubho |
| toothpaste | umuthi wokuxubha |
| towel | ithawula |
| umbrella | isambulela |
| underwear | impahla yokugqoka ngaphansi |
| wall | udonga |
| wallet | isikhwama semali |
| window | iwindi |
| telephone | ucingo |
Feminine and Masculine have a very important role in Zulu, therefore they need very special attention. Once you're done with the isiZulu Feminine, you might want to check the rest of our Zulu lessons here: Learn Zulu. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
