Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Zulu. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Zulu.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Zulu conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
|I speak English||ngikhuluma isingisi|
|you speak French||ukhuluma isi-french|
|he speaks German||ukhuluma isijalimani|
|she speaks Italian||ukhuluma isintaliyani|
|we speak Arabic||sikhuluma isi-arabic|
|they speak Chinese||bakhuluma isishayina|
The past tense in Zulu conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
|I visited France||ngivakashele e-france|
|you visited Italy||uvakashele entaliyana|
|he visited Morocco||uvakashele emorocco|
|she visited China||uvakashele eshayina|
|we visited Mexico||sivakashele emexico|
|they visited Kenya||bavakashele ekenya|
The future tense in Zulu conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
|I will drink milk||ngizophuza ubisi|
|you will drink coffee||uzophuza ikhofi|
|he will drink tea||uzophuza itiye|
|she will drink water||uzophuza amanzi|
|we will drink apple juice||sizophuza idilinki yehhabhula|
|they will drink tea||bazophuza itiye|
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
Travel Phrases in Zulu
Imagine yourself in some Zulu speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
|Can you help me?||ungangisiza?|
|Can I help you?||ngingakusiza?|
|Where is the airport?||sikuphi isikhumulo sezindiza?|
|Go straight||hamba uqonde|
|Turn left||uphendukela esinxeleni|
|Turn right||uphendukele kwesokudla|
I hope this lesson about the verbs in Zulu was not hard for you. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
Inspirational Quote: Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Goethe