Northern Ndebele–English Dictionary

Look up Northern Ndebele words and get English translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Browse the common-word table below or type a Northern Ndebele word into the lookup tool.

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Browse common Northern Ndebele vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
mina	pronoun	I	Mina ngilapha khathesi. I am here now.
wena	pronoun	you	Wena ungumngane wami. You are my friend.
yena	pronoun	he	Yena usekhaya. He is at home.
yena	pronoun	she	Yena ngudadewethu. She is my sister.
thina	pronoun	we	Thina siya ekhaya. We are going home.
bona	pronoun	they	Bona basebenza esikolo. They work at school.
yini	pronoun	what	Ufuna yini? What do you want?
ngaphi	adverb	where	Indlu yakho ingaphi? Where is your house?
nini	adverb	when	Uza nini? When are you coming?
ngubani	pronoun	who	Ngubani umuntu lowo? Who is that person?
ngani	adverb	why	Udabukeleni ngani? Why are you sad?
njani	adverb	how	Wazi njani? How do you know?
ukuba	verb	to be	Bajabule kakhulu. They are very happy.
ukuba la	verb	to have	Ngilebhuku. I have a book.
ukwenza	verb	to do	Senza umsebenzi wethu. We do our work.
ukuhamba	verb	to go	Bahamba esikolo. They go to school.
ukuza	verb	to come	Woza lapha khathesi. Please come here now.
ukubona	verb	to see	Ngibona inyanga. I see the moon.
ukwazi	verb	to know	Ngiyalazi ibizo lakho. I know your name.
ukucabanga	verb	to think	Sicabanga ngempilo. We think about life.
ukufuna	verb	to want	Bafuna amanzi amanengi. They want more water.
ukuswela	verb	to need
ukwenza	verb	to make	Wenza itiye elimnandi. She makes good tea.
ukuthatha	verb	to take	Thatha ibhuku uliyise ekhaya. Take the book home.
ukunika	verb	to give	Ngipha amanzi amancane. Give me some water.
ukuthi	verb	to say	Batsho iqiniso. They say the truth.
ukutshela	verb	to tell	Ngitshele ibizo lakho. Tell me your name.
ukubuza	verb	to ask	Ngibuza umbuzo owodwa. I ask one question.
ukuthola	verb	to find	Sithole isikhiye. We found the key.
ukukhangela	verb	to look	Khangela isibhakabhaka. Look at the sky.
ukusebenzisa	verb	to use	Sebenzisa itafula leli elincane. Use this small table.
ukusebenza	verb	to work	Basebenza nsuku zonke. They work every day.
ukudla	verb	to eat	Abantwana badla irayisi lapha. Children eat rice here.
ukunatha	verb	to drink	Sinatha itiye elitshisayo. We drink hot tea.
ukulala	verb	to sleep	Umntwana ulala masinyane. The child sleeps early.
ukuhamba	verb	to walk	Ngihamba ngenyawo esikolo. I walk to school.
ukugijima	verb	to run	Abafana bagijima masinyane kakhulu. Boys run very fast.
ukubala	verb	to read	Ubala ibhuku. She reads a book.
ukubhala	verb	to write	Bhala ibizo lakho lapha. Write your name here.
ukukhuluma	verb	to speak	Bakhuluma ulimi lwethu. They speak our language.
ukulalela	verb	to listen	Lalela umfundisi. Listen to the teacher.
ukuzwa	verb	to hear	Ngizwa umculo. I hear the music.
ukuthenga	verb	to buy	Sithenga isinkwa esitsha. We buy fresh bread.
ukuthengisa	verb	to sell	Bathengisa izithelo khonale. They sell fruit there.
ukubhadala	verb	to pay	Ngibhadala ngemali. I pay with money.
ukunceda	verb	to help	Abangane bayancedana. Friends help each other.
ukuthanda	verb	to love	Siyathanda imuli yethu. We love our family.
ukuphila	verb	to live	Bahlala edolobheni. They live in the city.
ukufa	verb	to die	Izihlahla ezindala ziyafa kancane. Old trees die slowly.
ukufunda	verb	to learn	Abantwana bafunda esikolo. Children learn at school.
ukufundisa	verb	to teach	Bafundisa abantwana. They teach the children.
ukuvula	verb	to open	Vula umnyango khathesi. Open the door now.
ukuvala	verb	to close
umuntu	noun	person	Umuntu lowo ulomusa. That person is kind.
indoda	noun	man	Indoda yinde. The man is tall.
umfazi	noun	woman	Umfazi ulamandla. The woman is strong.
umntwana	noun	child	Umntwana ulele. The child is sleeping.
umfana	noun	boy	Umfana ugijima masinyane. The boy runs fast.
intombazana	noun	girl	Intombazana ibala kuhle. The girl reads well.
imuli	noun	family	Imuli yami inkulu. My family is big.
umama	noun	mother	Umama usekhaya. My mother is home.
ubaba	noun	father	Ubaba usebenza lapha. My father works here.
umngane	noun	friend	Ungumngane wami. She is my friend.
indlu	noun	house	Indlu yabo intsha. Their house is new.
ikhaya	noun	home	Siya ekhaya. We are going home.
isikolo	noun	school	Isikolo sikhulu. The school is big.
idolobho	noun	city	Idolobho leli lilabantu abanengi. This city is busy.
ilizwe	noun	country	Ilizwe lethu lihle. Our country is beautiful.
umhlaba	noun	world	Umhlaba ubanzi. The world is wide.
umgwaqo	noun	street	Umgwaqo mude. The street is long.
igumbi	noun	room	Igumbi lihlanzekile. The room is clean.
isikhathi	noun	time	Isikhathi sihamba masinyane kakhulu. Time goes very fast.
ilanga	noun	day	Lamuhla lilanga elihle. Today is a good day.
ubusuku	noun	night	Ubusuku buyabanda. The night is cold.
ekuseni	noun	morning	Ngisebenza ekuseni zonke. I work every morning.
ntambama	noun	evening	Sihamba ntambama. We walk in the evening.
iviki	noun	week	Ngisebenza iviki ngalinye. I work every week.
inyanga	noun	month	Inyanga ezayo ilemisebenzi eminengi. Next month is busy.
umnyaka	noun	year	Umnyaka lo muhle. This year is good.
lamuhla	adverb	today	Ngiyajabula lamuhla. I am happy today.
kusasa	adverb	tomorrow	Siyasuka kusasa ekuseni. We leave tomorrow morning.
izolo	adverb	yesterday	Uze izolo ntambama. He came yesterday evening.
khathesi	adverb	now	Woza lapha khathesi. Come here now, please.
ilanga	noun	sun	Ilanga liyatshisa. The sun is hot.
inyanga	noun	moon	Inyanga iyakhanya. The moon is bright.
inkanyezi	noun	star	Inkanyezi leyo iyakhanya. That star is bright.
isibhakabhaka	noun	sky	Isibhakabhaka siluhlaza sasibhakabhaka. The sky is blue.
umhlaba	noun	earth	Umhlaba uyindingilizi. The earth is round.
umlilo	noun	fire	Umlilo uyatshisa. The fire is hot.
amanzi	noun	water	Amanzi ayabanda. The water is cold.
izulu	noun	rain	Izulu liyeza. The rain is coming.
umoya	noun	wind	Umoya ulamandla. The wind is strong.
isihlahla	noun	tree	Isihlahla leso side. That tree is tall.
imbali	noun	flower	Imbali yinhle. The flower is beautiful.
intaba	noun	mountain	Intaba iphakeme. The mountain is high.
umfula	noun	river	Umfula mude. The river is long.
ulwandle	noun	sea	Ulwandle luluhlaza sasibhakabhaka. The sea is blue.
ukudla	noun	food	Ukudla sekulungile. The food is ready.
isinkwa	noun	bread	Isinkwa sisitsha. The bread is fresh.
irayisi	noun	rice	Irayisi liyatshisa. The rice is hot.
inyama	noun	meat	Sipheke inyama. We cooked the meat.
inhlanzi	noun	fish	Inhlanzi isentsha. The fish is fresh.
iqanda	noun	egg	Iqanda lephukile. The egg is broken.
uchago	noun	milk
izithelo	noun	fruit	Izithelo yikudla okuhle. Fruit is good food.
itiye	noun	tea	Itiye liyatshisa. The tea is hot.
ikhofi	noun	coffee	Nginatha ikhofi nsuku zonke. I drink coffee daily.
ikhanda	noun	head	Ikhanda lami libuhlungu lamuhla. My head hurts today.
ilihlo	noun	eye	Ilihlo lakhe libomvu. Her eye is red.
indlebe	noun	ear	Indlebe yami izwa kuhle. My ear hears well.
umlomo	noun	mouth	Vula umlomo wakho kakhulu. Open your mouth wide.
ikhala	noun	nose	Ikhala lami liyabanda. My nose is cold.
isandla	noun	hand	Geza isandla sakho khathesi. Wash your hand now.
unyawo	noun	foot	Unyawo lwami lubuhlungu. My foot is sore.
inhliziyo	noun	heart	Inhliziyo yami ilamandla. My heart is strong.
ibizo	noun	name	Ibizo lakho lihle. Your name is beautiful.
ibhuku	noun	book	Ibhuku leli litsha. This book is new.
ilizwi	noun	word	Ilizwi lelo liqakathekile. That word is important.
ulimi	noun	language	Ulimi lolu luhle. This language is beautiful.
imali	noun	money	Angilamali. I have no money.
umsebenzi	noun	work	Umsebenzi unzima. The work is hard.
uthando	noun	love	Uthando luqakatheke kakhulu. Love is very important.
umculo	noun	music	Umculo muhle. The music is beautiful.
indaba	noun	story	Indaba yakhe iyadanisa. Her story is sad.
indlela	noun	way	Indlela le ilula. This way is easy.
into	noun	thing	Into leyo intsha. That thing is new.
impilo	noun	life	Impilo yisipho. Life is a gift.
umnyango	noun	door	Umnyango uvulekile. The door is open.
itafula	noun	table	Itafula lihlanzekile. The table is clean.
isihlalo	noun	chair	Isihlalo sephukile. The chair is broken.
imoto	noun	car	Imoto iyaphangisa. The car is fast.
kuhle	adjective	good	Ukudla lokhu kuhle. This food is good.
kubi	adjective	bad
khulu	adjective	big	Indlu inkulu. The house is big.
ncane	adjective	small	Igumbi lincane. The room is small.
tsha	adjective	new	Ngithenge imoto entsha. I bought a new car.
dala	adjective	old	Indlu leyo indala. That house is old.
de	adjective	long	Umgwaqo mude. The road is long.
fitshane	adjective	short	Indaba imfitshane. The story is short.
phakeme	adjective	high	Intaba iphakeme. The mountain is high.
phansi	adjective	low	Itafula liphansi. The table is low.
tshisa	adjective	hot	Itiye liyatshisa. The tea is hot.
banda	adjective	cold	Amanzi ayabanda. The water is cold.
jabula	adjective	happy	Umntwana uyajabula. The child is happy.
dabukile	adjective	sad	Udabukile lamuhla. She feels sad today.
hle	adjective	beautiful	Imbali yinhle. The flower is beautiful.
lula	adjective	easy	Umsebenzi lo ulula. This work is easy.
nzima	adjective	hard	Umsebenzi lo unzima. This work is hard.
phangisa	adjective	fast	Imoto leyo iyaphangisa. That car is fast.
cotha	adjective	slow	Indoda endala ihamba kancane. The old man walks slow.
qondile	adjective	right	Impendulo yakho iqondile. Your answer is right.
phosakele	adjective	wrong	Impendulo leyo iphosakele. That answer is wrong.
qakathekile	adjective	important	Ibhuku leli liqakathekile. This book is important.
qiniso	adjective	true	Indaba yakhe iliqiniso. His story is true.
gcwele	adjective	full
ngelalutho	adjective	empty	Igumbi kalelalutho. The room is empty.
ncane	adjective	young	Umntwana usamncane. The child is young.
lamandla	adjective	strong	Indoda leyo ilamandla. That man is strong.
buthakathaka	adjective	weak	Umntwana ubuthakathaka. The child is weak.
bomvu	adjective	red	Imbali ibomvu. The flower is red.
luhlaza sasibhakabhaka	adjective	blue	Isibhakabhaka siluhlaza sasibhakabhaka. The sky is blue.
luhlaza	adjective	green
liphuzi	adjective	yellow	Imbali iliphuzu. The flower is yellow.
mnyama	adjective	black	Imoto imnyama. The car is black.
mhlophe	adjective	white
yebo	interjection	yes	Yebo, ngiyamazi. Yes, I know him.
hatshi	interjection	no	Hatshi, ngimatasa. No, I am busy.
hatshi	adverb	not	Kangikalungi. I am not ready.
lo	conjunction	and	Itiye lesinkwa sekulungile. Tea and bread are ready.
kumbe	conjunction	or	Itiye kumbe ikhofi kulungile. Tea or coffee is fine.
kodwa	conjunction	but	Ngikhathele, kodwa ngiyajabula. I am tired, but happy.
nxa	conjunction	if	Nxa usiza, siyadla. If you come, we eat.
ngoba	conjunction	because	Ngihlezi ekhaya ngoba izulu line. I stayed home because rain fell.
lo	preposition	with	Ngize lomngane wami. I came with my friend.
ngaphandle kwe	preposition	without	Uhambe engelamali. He left without money.
okwenzela	preposition	for
kusuka	preposition	from	Ngivela ekhaya. I came from home.
ku	preposition	to	Saya esikolo. We went to school.