WEEK ONE: BASIC GREETINGS

Sawubona (hello) (when greeting one person)

Sanibona/sanibonani (when greeting more than one
person)
Unjani? (How are you-sing?) (Referring to one person)
Ninjani? (How are you-pl.? (Referring to a more than
one person)

CONVERSATION IN SINGULAR (i.e. greeting

one person & in response to one person)
PERSON A PERSON B (SINGULAR)
(SINGULAR)
Sawubona (hello) Yebo, sawubona (yes, hello)
Unjani? (How are you?) (3 options) Ngiyaphila
(well/good/alive)/ngisaphil
a (-sa-(means
still)/ngikhona (-khona
(here-literaly), wena unjani?
(And how are you?)
Nami ngiyaphila (I am Kuhle (that’s good)
fine too/also fine etc)
Ungubani igama lakho? Igama lami nginguThemba
(What is your name?) (My name is Themba)
Ungubani isibongo Isibongo sami
sakho? (What is you nginguGumede (my
surname?) surname is Gumede)
Igama lakhe nguSipho
CONVERSATION IN PLURALS (i.e. greeting
more than one person)
PERSON A (Singular) GROUP (more than one
person)
Sanibona/sanibonani? Yebo sawubona (yes hello)
Ninjani? (how are Siyaphila/sisaphila/sikhona)
you/plural)

GREETINGS WITH SPECIFIC NAMES /

PROFESSIONS etc.
PERSON A
Sawubona Sipho Yebo sawubona, Themba
(hello/greetings Sipho)
Unjani mngani wami Mehlo madala mngani
(how are you my friend) wami (mehlo madala-long
time no see) Ngiyaphila
wena unjani? (I’m fine &
how are you)
Nami ngiyaphila, Nami ngiyajabula mngani
ngiyajabula ukukubona wami (I’m also happy my
(I’m also fine, I’m friend)
glad/happy/pleased to
see you)
Sala kahle/usale kahle Hamba kahle/uhambe kahle
mngani wami (good bye mngani wami sizobonana
my friend) (go well my friend, we/ll see
each other soon)
SOME CLARIFICATION ON SINGULAR &
PLURAL
Ngi – I (e.g. ngiyaphila, nginguThemba etc)
Si – We (e.g. siyaphila)
U – You/singular (Unjani?)
Ni – You/plural (e.g. Ninjani?)