If you're trying to learn Zulu Vocabulary which is also called isiZulu, check our courses about vocabulary and expressions... 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 Vocabulary 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 Vocabulary is in the structure of the grammar in Zulu.
Zulu vocabulary is the set of words you should be familiar with. A vocabulary usually grows and evolves with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Here are some examples:
| English Vocabulary | Zulu Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| colors | imibala |
| black | omnyama |
| blue | oluhlaza sasibhakabhaka |
| brown | onsundu |
| gray | ogreyi |
| green | oluhlaza satshani |
| orange | ophuzi |
| purple | ophephuli |
| red | obovu |
| white | omhlophe |
| yellow | oqanda |
| sizes | ubukhulu |
| big | enkulu |
| deep | eshonayo |
| long | ende |
| narrow | encinyane |
| short | emfushane |
| small | encane |
| tall | ende |
| thick | ewugqinsi |
| thin | encinyane |
| wide | ebanzi |
| shapes | |
| circular | eyindilinga |
| straight | eqondile |
| square | |
| triangular | ewunxantathu |
| tastes | |
| bitter | emuncu |
| fresh | |
| salty | enosawoti |
| sour | emuncu |
| spicy | enezithako |
| sweet | emnandi sashukela |
| qualities | |
| bad | embi |
| clean | ehlanzekile |
| dark | emnyama |
| difficult | enzima |
| dirty | engcolile |
| dry | eyomile |
| easy | elula |
| empty | engenalutho |
| expensive | ebizayo |
| fast | esheshayo |
| foreign | eyangaphandle |
| full | egcwele |
| good | elungile |
| hard | enzima |
| heavy | esindayo |
| inexpensive | ebizayo |
| light | elula |
| local | eyasendaweni |
| new | entsha |
| noisy | enomsindo |
| old | endala |
| powerful | enamandla |
| quiet | ethule |
| correct | okuyiqiniso |
| slow | enensayo |
| soft | entofozelayo |
| very | kakhulu |
| weak | elula |
| wet | emanzi |
| wrong | engeyona |
| young | encane |
| quantities | ubuningi |
| few | mbalwa |
| little | ncane |
| many | ningi |
| much | ningi |
| part | ncane |
| some | okunye |
| a few | okumbalwa |
| whole | okugcwele |
| arm | ingalo |
| back | umhlane |
| cheeks | izihlathi |
| chest | isifuba |
| chin | isilevu |
| ear | indlebe |
| elbow | indololwane |
| eye | ihlo/iso |
| face | ubuso |
| finger | umunwe |
| fingers | iminwe |
| foot | unyawo |
| hair | unwele |
| hand | isandla |
| head | ikhanda |
| heart | inhliziyo |
| knee | idolo |
| leg | umlenze |
| lip | udebe |
| mouth | umlomo |
| neck | umqala |
| nose | ikhala |
| shoulder | igxalaba |
| stomach | isisu |
| teeth | amazinyo |
| thigh | ithanga |
| throat | umphimbo |
| thumb | uthupha |
| toe | uzwane |
| tongue | ulimi |
| tooth | amazinyo |
Below is a list of the vocabulary and expressions in Zulu placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Zulu vocabulary.
| English Vocabulary | Zulu Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Food | ukudla |
| almonds | ama-alimondi |
| bread | isinkwa |
| breakfast | isidlo sasekuseni |
| butter | ibhatha |
| candy | uswidi |
| cheese | ushizi |
| chicken | inkukhu |
| cumin | |
| dessert | |
| dinner | isidlo sasebusuku |
| fish | inhlanzi |
| fruit | isithelo |
| ice cream | u-ayisikhilimu |
| lamb | isiklabhu |
| lemon | ulamula |
| lunch | isidlo sasemini |
| meal | ukudla |
| meat | inyama |
| oven | uhhovini |
| pepper | uphepha |
| plants | izithalo |
| pork | inyama yengulube |
| salad | isaladi |
| salt | usawoti |
| sandwich | isamishi |
| sausage | isosiji |
| soup | isobho |
| sugar | ushukela |
| supper | isidlo sasebusuku |
| turkey | ithekhi |
| apple | i-aphula |
| banana | ubhanana |
| oranges | iwolintshi |
| peaches | ipentshisi |
| peanut | ikinati |
| pears | ipheya |
| pineapple | uphayiphaphu |
| grapes | igilebhisi |
| strawberries | amabhimbi |
| vegetables | imifino |
| carrot | izaqathi |
| corn | umbila |
| cucumber | ukhukhumba |
| garlic | ugaligi |
| lettuce | ulethisi |
| olives | ama-olivi |
| onions | uhhanyanyisi |
| peppers | uphepha |
| potatoes | amazambane |
| pumpkin | ithanga |
| beans | ubhontshisi |
| tomatoes | utamatisi |
Vocabulary and expressions have a very important role in Zulu, therefore they need very special attention. Once you're done with the isiZulu Vocabulary, you might want to check the rest of our Zulu lessons here: Learn Zulu. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
