Southern Ndebele–English Dictionary

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

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Browse common Southern 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.
thina	pronoun	we	Thina sihlala endlini le. We live in this house.
bona	pronoun	they	Bona basesikolo lamuhla. They are at school today.
yini	pronoun	what	Ufuna yini khathesi? What do you want now?
ngaphi	adverb	where	Bahlala ngaphi? Where do they live?
ngubani	pronoun	who	Ngubani osemnyango? Who is at the door?
njani	adverb	how	Uzizwa njani lamuhla? How do you feel today?
ukuba	verb	to have	Ngilencwadi entsha. I have a new book.
ukwenza	verb	to do	Senza umsebenzi wethu kuhle. We do our work well.
ukuya	verb	to go	Baya esikolo ekuseni. They go to school early.
ukuza	verb	to come	Siza endlini yami. Please come to my house.
ukubona	verb	to see	Ngibona inyanga ebusuku. I see the moon tonight.
ukwazi	verb	to know	Ngiyalazi ibizo lakho. I know your name.
ukufuna	verb	to want	Abantwana bafuna ukudla okunengi. Children want more food.
ukudinga	verb	to need	Sidinga amanzi ahlanzekileyo. We need clean water.
ukwenza	verb	to make	Benza isinkwa esihle lapha. They make good bread here.
ukuthatha	verb	to take	Thatha incwadi uye esikolo. Take the book to school.
ukunika	verb	to give	Nginika amanzi amancane. Give me some water.
ukuthi	verb	to say	Ungatsho lokho. Do not say that.
ukutshela	verb	to tell	Ngitshele indaba. Tell me the story.
ukubuza	verb	to ask	Ngibuza umbuzo munye. I ask one question.
ukuthola	verb	to find	Sithola isikhiye esilahlekileyo. We find the lost key.
ukukhangela	verb	to look	Khangela isibhakabhaka. Look at the sky.
ukusebenzisa	verb	to use	Sisebenzisa itafula le nsuku zonke. We use this table daily.
ukusebenza	verb	to work	Basebenza yonke imizi. They work every morning.
ukudla	verb	to eat	Abantwana badla irayisi ekhaya. Children eat rice at home.
ukunatha	verb	to drink	Nginatha itiye yonke imizi. I drink tea every morning.
ukulala	verb	to sleep	Umntwana ulele khathesi. The child sleeps now.
ukuhamba	verb	to walk	Sihamba esikolo sonke. We walk to school together.
ukugijima	verb	to run	Abafana bagijima esitaladeni. Boys run on the street.
ukubala	verb	to read
ukubhala	verb	to write	Ngibhala ibizo lami lapha. I write my name here.
ukukhuluma	verb	to speak	Sikhuluma ulimi lwethu ngokuziqhenya. We speak our language proudly.
ukulalela	verb	to listen	Lalela umfundisi kuhle. Listen to the teacher carefully.
ukuzwa	verb	to hear	Ngizwa umculo ngaphandle. I hear the music outside.
ukuthenga	verb	to buy	Sithenga ukudla lamuhla. We buy food today.
ukuthengisa	verb	to sell	Bathengisa izithelo lapha. They sell fruit here.
ukubhadala	verb	to pay	Ngibhadala imali khathesi. I pay the money now.
ukusiza	verb	to help	Abangane bayasizana nsuku zonke. Friends help each other daily.
ukuthanda	verb	to love	Ngithanda umndeni wami kakhulu. I love my family very much.
ukuhlala	verb	to live	Sihlala edolobheni. We live in the city.
ukufa	verb	to die	Izihlahla ezindala ziyafa kancane. Old trees die slowly.
ukufunda	verb	to learn	Abantwana bayafunda esikolo. Children learn at school.
ukufundisa	verb	to teach	Bafundisa abantwana abancane. They teach the young children.
ukuvula	verb	to open	Vula umnyango khathesi. Open the door now.
ukuvala	verb	to close
umuntu	noun	person	Wonke umuntu udinga amanzi. Every person needs water.
indoda	noun	man	Indoda yinde. The man is tall.
umfazi	noun	woman	Umfazi uyathaba. The woman is happy.
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.
umndeni	noun	family	Umndeni wami uhlala lapha. My family lives here.
umama	noun	mother	Umama wami usekhaya. My mother is at home.
ubaba	noun	father	Ubaba wami usebenza nzima. My father works hard.
umngane	noun	friend
indlu	noun	house	Indlu yabo inkulu. Their house is big.
ikhaya	noun	home	Siya ekhaya khathesi. We are going home now.
isikolo	noun	school	Isikolo sitsha. The school is new.
idolobho	noun	city	Idolobho leli likhulu kakhulu. This city is very big.
ilizwe	noun	country	Ilizwe lethu lihle. Our country is beautiful.
umhlaba	noun	world	Umhlaba uyatshintsha masinyane. The world is changing quickly.
isitalada	noun	street	Isitalada side. The street is long.
igumbi	noun	room	Igumbi lihlanzekile. The room is clean.
isikhathi	noun	time	Isikhathi sidlula masinyane. Time passes very quickly.
ilanga	noun	day	Lamuhla lilanga elihle. Today is a good day.
ubusuku	noun	night	Ubusuku buyabanda. The night is cold.
ekuseni	noun	morning	Ekuseni kuyabanda. The morning is cold.
ntambama	noun	evening	Sihamba ntambama. We walk in the evening.
iviki	noun	week	Iviki leli limatasa. This week is busy.
inyanga	noun	month
umnyaka	noun	year	Umnyaka lo uqakathekile. This year is important.
lamuhla	adverb	today	Ngiyasebenza lamuhla. I am working today.
kusasa	adverb	tomorrow	Sizahamba kusasa. We will go tomorrow.
izolo	adverb	yesterday	Bafikile izolo ntambama. They came yesterday evening.
khathesi	adverb	now	Woza lapha khathesi. Come here now.
ilanga	noun	sun	Ilanga liyatshisa. The sun is hot.
inyanga	noun	moon	Inyanga iyakhanya ebusuku. The moon is bright tonight.
inkanyezi	noun	star	Inkanyezi leyo iyakhanya. That star is bright.
isibhakabhaka	noun	sky	Isibhakabhaka siluhlaza sasibhakabhaka lamuhla. The sky is blue today.
umhlaba	noun	earth	Umhlaba ulikhaya lethu. The earth is our home.
umlilo	noun	fire	Umlilo uyatshisa kakhulu. The fire is very hot.
amanzi	noun	water	Amanzi alungele impilo. Water is good for life.
izulu	noun	rain	Izulu liyeza. The rain is coming.
umoya	noun	wind	Umoya ulamandla lamuhla. The wind is strong today.
isihlahla	noun	tree	Isihlahla side kakhulu. The tree is very tall.
imbali	noun	flower	Imbali le yinhle. This flower is beautiful.
intaba	noun	mountain	Intaba leyo iphakeme. That mountain is high.
umfula	noun	river	Umfula ulamanzi amanengi. The river has much water.
ulwandle	noun	sea	Ulwandle lubanzi kakhulu. The sea is very wide.
ukudla	noun	food	Ukudla sekulungile khathesi. The food is ready now.
isinkwa	noun	bread	Isinkwa sisatsha. The bread is fresh.
irayisi	noun	rice	Sidla irayisi kanengi. We eat rice often.
inyama	noun	meat	Inyama inephunga elimnandi. The meat smells good.
inhlanzi	noun	fish	Bapheka inhlanzi ebusuku. They cook fish tonight.
iqanda	noun	egg	Iqanda liphukile. The egg is broken.
uchago	noun	milk	Umntwana unatha uchago. The child drinks milk.
isithelo	noun	fruit	Isithelo silungele abantwana. Fruit is good for children.
itiye	noun	tea	Nginatha itiye nsuku zonke. I drink tea daily.
ikhofi	noun	coffee
ikhanda	noun	head	Ikhanda lami libuhlungu lamuhla. My head hurts today.
ilihlo	noun	eye
indlebe	noun	ear	Indlebe yami ibuhlungu khathesi. My ear hurts now.
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
ibizo	noun	name	Ungubani ibizo lakho? What is your name?
incwadi	noun	book	Incwadi le yintsha. This book is new.
ilizwi	noun	word	Ilizwi lelo liqakathekile. That word is important.
ulimi	noun	language	Ulimi lwethu luhle. Our language is beautiful.
imali	noun	money	Ngidinga imali enengi. I need more money.
umsebenzi	noun	work	Umsebenzi wami unzima. My work is hard.
uthando	noun	love	Uthando lwenza impilo ibe yinhle. Love makes life beautiful.
umculo	noun	music	Umculo uzwakala kakhulu. The music is loud.
indaba	noun	story	Ngitshele indaba leyo. Tell me that story.
indlela	noun	way	Indlela le ilula. This way is easy.
into	noun	thing	Into leyo ngeyami. That thing is mine.
impilo	noun	life	Impilo iqakatheke kakhulu. Life is very precious.
umnyango	noun	door	Umnyango uvulekile. The door is open.
itafula	noun	table	Itafula ngelokhuni. The table is wooden.
isihlalo	noun	chair	Isihlalo lesi siphukile. This chair is broken.
imoto	noun	car	Imoto yintsha. The car is new.
kuhle	adjective	good	Ukudla lokhu kuhle. This food is good.
kubi	adjective	bad	Amanzi lawo mabi. That water is bad.
khulu	adjective	big	Indlu inkulu. The house is big.
ncane	adjective	small	Igumbi lincane. The room is small.
tsha	adjective	new	Ngilemoto entsha. I have a new car.
dala	adjective	old	Indlu leyo indala. That house is old.
de	adjective	long	Indlela yinde. The road is long.
fitshane	adjective	short
phakeme	adjective	high	Intaba iphakeme. The mountain is high.
phansi	adjective	low
tshisa	adjective	hot	Itiye liyatshisa. The tea is hot.
banda	adjective	cold	Amanzi ayabanda. The water is cold.
thabile	adjective	happy	Abantwana bathabile. The children are happy.
dabukile	adjective	sad
hle	adjective	beautiful	Imbali yinhle. The flower is beautiful.
lula	adjective	easy	Umsebenzi lo ulula. This work is easy.
nzima	adjective	hard	Umbuzo lo unzima. This question is hard.
masinyane	adjective	fast	Imoto leyo iyahamba masinyane. That car is fast.
kancane	adjective	slow
lungile	adjective	right	Impendulo yakho ilungile. Your answer is right.
phambene	adjective	wrong	Impendulo leyo iphambene. That answer is wrong.
qakathekile	adjective	important	Incwadi le iqakathekile. This book is important.
liqiniso	adjective	true	Indaba leyo liqiniso. That story is true.
gcwele	adjective	full
ngelalutho	adjective	empty	Igumbi kalilalutho. The room is empty.
ncane	adjective	young
lamandla	adjective	strong	Indoda leyo ilamandla. That man is strong.
buthakathaka	adjective	weak	Umntwana uzizwa ebuthakathaka. The child feels weak.
bomvu	adjective	red	Imbali ibomvu. The flower is red.
luhlaza sasibhakabhaka	adjective	blue	Isibhakabhaka siluhlaza sasibhakabhaka. The sky is blue.
luhlaza	adjective	green	Utshani buluhlaza. The grass is green.
mnyama	adjective	black	Imoto imnyama. The car is black.
mhlophe	adjective	white	Uchago lumhlophe. The milk is white.
yebo	interjection	yes
hatshi	interjection	no
hatshi	adverb	not
lo	conjunction	and	Itiye lo sinkwa sekulungile. Tea and bread are ready.
kumbe	conjunction	or	Itiye kumbe ikhofi kulungile. Tea or coffee is fine.
kodwa	conjunction	but
nxa	conjunction	if	Nxa lina, sihlala. If it rains, we stay.
ngoba	conjunction	because
lo	preposition	with	Ngize lomngane wami. I came with my friend.
ngaphandle kwe	preposition	without
evela	preposition	from
ku	preposition	to	Saya esikolo. We went to school.