Thursday 15 March 2012

Xhosa!

     I have decided to post my Xhosa lessons on my blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if you don't want to read it just skip those days. =]  I am just going to list a bunch of vocab for now.

Molo= greeting to one person
Molweni= greeting to many people
Ewe= yes/how you respond to greetings
Family
Utata= father
Umama= mother
Utakhulu= grandfather
Umakhulu= grandmother
Ubhuti= brother
Usisi= sister
Unyeni= husband
(People use "u" when they are talkin about something, not to a person)
Umhlobo= friend
wam= mine (for a title or a person)
Mna= me
Hamba kakuhle= goodbye
Uxolo= sorry
Namhlanje= today
Months
uJanyuwari= January
uFebruwari= February
uMatshi= March
uEpreli= April
uMeyi= May
uJuni/iSilimela= June
uJulayi= July
uAgasti= August
u Septemba= September
uOktobha= October
uNovemba= November
uDisemba= December
(Yes, I know they are super easy)
God= uBawo
Days
uMvulo= Monday
uLwesibini= Tuesday
uLwesithathu= Wednesday
uLwesine= Thursday
uLwesihlanu= Friday
uMgqibelo= Saturday
uCawa= Sunday (literal translation is church)
Numbers
isinya= 1
isibini= 2
isithathu= 3
isine= 4
isihlanu= 5
isithandathu= 6
isixhenxe= 7
Weather
kushushu= warm
kuyatshisa= burning
*Xhosa people don't really say it's burning, they say, "Ianga likhupha iitlanzi emanzini" this means something to the extent of "The sun takes the fish out of the water"*
kufudumele= between cool and warm
kupholile= cool
kuyabanda= col
*There is this song that the kids sing in the winter about the cold*
"Langa langa                       "Sun Sun
Yiza ngapha                     Come this way
Mthunzi Mtunzi               Shadow Shadow
Bhek' eMbashe"                 Go away."
Questions
Ungubani igama lanko?= What is your name?
Uhlala phi?= Where do you stay?
Uhlala nabani?= With whom do you live?
Ufunda phi?= Where do you study?
Uvela phi?= Where do you come from?
Ngubani umzalie (utata/umama) wakho?= What are your parent's names?
Ngubani usisi/ubhuti wakho?= What are your sisters/brothers names?
Wazalwa nini?= When were you born?
Wazalwa phi?= Where were you born?
Unjani?= How are you?
Kunjani?= How is it? (referring to everything such as family)

I know this was a lot, but I was just catchin y'all up.  Hope you find something cool.  Hamba Kakuhle.

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