Niredi ukufunda isiXhosa?

You-ready to-learn
Xhosa?
Ewe! Yes!
Siredi!
We-ready!

Evidence of Changing Xhosa

(sign in Butterworth eGcuwa)

I
We

Grammar interlude
Pronouns (Subject
Concords)
NdiSi-

You (singular)
You (plural)

UNi-

He/She
They

U- (high tone)
Ba-

-redi bl/rel < Eng: -lungile

READY
p.110 Greater Dictionary of
Xhosa Vol.3 (Fort Hare
Lexicography Unit)

Zama - #1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

I am ready. ____________________
Are you ready? _________________
They are ready. _________________
Are they ready? _________________
She is ready. ____________________
Are we ready? ___________________

Zama - #1 answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

I am ready. Ndiredi.
Are you ready? Uredi?
They are ready. Baredi.
Are they ready? Baredi?
She is ready. Uredi.
Are we ready? Siredi?

-rayithi bj/cop bl/rel < Eng:

-chanekile RIGHT [also alright,
OK, fine]
p.109 Greater Dictionary of
Xhosa Vol.3 (Fort Hare
Lexicography Unit)

Zama - #2
1. Are you alright? ____________________
2. They are right.______________________
3. Are we OK?
_________________________
4. Are you (plural) OK?
_________________
5. I am alright. ________________________
6. Are they OK? ______________________

Zama - #2 -answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Are you alright?

Urayithi?
They are right.
Barayithi.
Are we OK?
Sirayithi?
Are you (plural) OK?
Nirayithi?
I am alright.
Ndirayithi.
Are they OK?
Barayithi?

Pronunciation
C suck spinach from behind top front
teeth

Cima iradiyo! Switch off the radio!

Cima iTV! Switch off the TV!

Ch (aspirated puff of air)

Uredi ukuchama? Are you ready to pee?

Ndiredi ukuchama. I am ready to pee.

The X click
Tongue touching side teeth suck over it
Like getting a horse to move on

Ndiyaxolisa. I am sorry.
Siyaxolisa. We are sorry.

Xh (aspirated puff of air)

Ndiredi ukuthetha isiXhosa. I am ready to
speak Xhosa.

Siredi ukuxhela. We are ready to slaughter.

The Q click
Tongue pulled off roof of mouth (hard palate)
Like the sound of a champagne cork

Ndiyaqonda. I understand.
Niyaqonda? Do you (plural) understand?

Qh (aspirated puff of air)

Urayithi ukuqhuba? Are you OK to drive?

Barayithi ukuqhuba. They are OK to

drive.

The Rh consonant
As for Afrikaans Gaan

Ugqirha uthi ndirayithi. The doctor says I

am OK.

The Hl consonant
As for Welsh Ll

(Notice to all residents.)

Hlala phantsi. Sit down.

Pronounce
1. Qhuba! Drive! Carry on!
2. Cinga! Think!
3. Xela! Tell!
4. Xhela! Slaughter!
5. Rholihlala Mandela
6. Xolani Quwa

Some useful Xhosa

adjectives (apart from redi
and rayithi)

-seriyas
-rongo
-swit
-fresh

serious
wrong
sweet
fresh

Some more useful Xhosa

adjectives
-lula

easy

-nzima

difficult

-mnandi

nice

-shushu

hot

Some more useful pronouns

i- it (any THING)
Eg. Ipassword irayithi.
(it) is right.

The password

zi- they (any THINGS)

Eg. Iinamba zirongo. The numbers (they)
are wrong.

An extremely useful
pronoun KU Kunice, It is
is difficult)
Yhu!
Yhu!
Yhu!
Yhu!

Indefinite IT (eg. It is
hot, It is easy, It

Kushushu! Wow! It is hot!

Kumnandi! Wow! It is nice!
Kunzima! Wow! It is difficult!
Kuseriyas! Wow! It is serious!

Zama - #3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

We are serious.
It is easy. (indefinite it)
They are sweet. (people)
They are sweet. (things)
You (plural) are fresh.
You (singular) are serious.
I am serious.

Zama - #3 - answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

We are serious.
Siseriyas.
It is easy. Kulula.
They are sweet. (people)
Baswit.
They are sweet. (things)
Ziswit.
You (plural) are fresh. Nifresh.
You (singular) are serious. Useriyas.
I am serious. Ndiseriyas.

Zama #4 Buza! Ask!

1. Are you serious?
2. Is it hot? (both indefinite and
referring to a thing)
3. Is it difficult? (indefinite)
4. Is the braai ready?
5. Is the password wrong?
6. Is the number right?
7. Is she sweet?

Zama #4 Answers
1. Are you serious? Useriyas?
2. Is it hot? (both indefinite and referring to a
thing) Kushushu? Ishushu?
3. Is it difficult? (indefinite) Kunzima?
4. Is (it) the braai ready? Ibraai iredi?
5. Is (it) the password wrong? Ipassword
irongo?
6. Is (it) the number right? Inamba irayithi?
7. Is she sweet? Uswit?

Making a negative
Ndi- Andi-+kho + adjective
Eg. Ndiredi. I am ready. Andikho redi. I
am not ready.
Si- Asikho
Asikho seriyas. We are not
serious.

Ni- Anikho

Anikho redi?

Are you (plural) not

ready?

Ba- Abakho Abakho rayithi.

They are not

OK.

Ku- Akukho

Akukho lula.

It is not easy.

Zama #5 Change into

negative
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Kumnandi. It is nice. ________________

Bafresh. They are fresh. ______________
Ndirayithi. I am OK. __________________
Siredi. We are ready. _________________
Kunzima. It is difficult. ________________
Ziswit. They are sweet. ________________
Nirongo. You are wrong. _______________

Zama #5 Change into

negative - answers
1. Kumnandi. It is nice. Akukho mnandi. It is not nice.
2. Bafresh. They are fresh. Abakho fresh. They are not
fresh.

3. Ndirayithi. I am OK. Andikho rayithi. I am not OK.

4. Siredi. We are ready. Asikho redi. We are not ready.
5. Kunzima. It is difficult. Akukho nzima. It is not
difficult.

6. Ziswit. They are sweet. Azikho swit. They are not sweet.
7. Nirongo. You are wrong. Anikho rongo. You are not
wrong.

Making a negative with

vowels
U- (you) Awu-+kho + adjective

Eg. Urayithi. You are right. Awukho

rayithi. You are not right.
U- (s/he) AKAkho Akakho seriyas.
He is not

serious.

I- AYIkho

Ayikho redi?

Is it not ready?

Zama #6 Change into

negative
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Iti imnandi. The tea is nice. ___________________

UJim urayithi. Jim is right. __________________
Wena uredi. You, you are ready. ________________
I-English inzima. English is difficult. _____________
Uswit. She is sweet. ________________________
Inamba irongo. The number is wrong. ____________

Zama #6 Change into

negative - answers
1. Iti imnandi. The tea is nice. Iti ayikho mnandi.
2. UJim urayithi. Jim is right. UJim akakho rayithi.
3. Wena uredi. You, you are ready. Wena awukho
redi.
4. I-English inzima. English is difficult. I-English
ayikho nzima.
5. Uswit. She is sweet. Akakho swit.
6. Inamba irongo. The number is wrong. Inamba
ayikho rongo. The number is not wrong.

Injani iti? How is the tea?

Imnandi!

Unjani uJim? How is Jim?

Shem, akakho rayithi. Shame, he is not OK.

Future tense with adjectives

Pronoun ZOBA + adjective

Ndirayithi. I am OK. Ndizoba

rayithi. I will be OK.

Kushushu. It is hot. Kuzoba sushu.

It will be hot.
Kunzima. It is difficult. Kuzoba
nzima. It will be difficult.

Zama #7 Change into

future
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Iti imnandi. ___________________

UJim urayithi. __________________
Wena uredi?__________________
Siseriyas. _____________________
Bafresh. ______________________

Zama #7 answers iimpendulo

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Iti imnandi. Iti izoba mnandi.

UJim urayithi. UJim uzoba rayithi.
Wena uredi? Wena uzoba redi?
Siseriyas. Sizoba seriyas.
Bafresh. Bazoba fresh.

Past tense with adjectives

Prefix be- + adjective
Ndirayithi. I am OK. Bendirayithi. I
was OK.
Kushushu. It is hot. Bekusushu. It
was hot.
Kunzima. It is difficult. Bekunzima.
It was difficult.

Zama #8 Change into past

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Kumnandi. ___________________
Sirayithi._____________________
Niseriyas._____________________
Kulula. ________________________
Ndiredi. ________________________

Zama #8 Change into past

answers - iimpendulo

Kumnandi. Bekumnandi.
Sirayithi. Besirayithi.
Niseriyas. Beniseriyas.
Kulula. Bekulula.
Ndiredi. Bendiredi.

Xhosa verbs without

pronouns are commands!

Thatha! Take!
Hamba! Go!
Vula! Open!
Bamba! Hold/Catch/Touch!
Shopisha! Shop!
Treyina! Train!
Fowuna! Phone!

Verbs with pronouns make

sentences
Ndithatha iCD. I am taking a CD.
Ubamba ibhola. She is catching the
ball.
Bavula ishop. They are opening the
shop.

Future and Past

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Ndizothatha. I will take.

Bendithatha. I was taking.
Sizohamba. We will go.
Besihamba. We were going.
Nizovula. You will open.
Benivula. You were opening.
Ndizotreyina. I will train.
Benditreyina. I was training.

Xhosa nouns - THINGS

ishop
ividiyo
iCD
ipinabatha
isirinji
ifowuni
ibhedi
inantsika (thingy)

Xhosa nouns - PEOPLE

umama
utata
usisi
ubhuti
uNaledi
uAnn
unantsika (Thingy-me-bob)

Zama #9 Translate
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Take the CD!

I was opening the shop.
Take the peanut butter!
We will take the peanut butter.
Will you take the phone?
Take the phone!

Zama #9 Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Thatha iCD!
Bendivula ishop.
Thatha ipinabatha!
Sizothatha ipinabatha.
Uzothatha ifowuni?
Thatha ifowuni!