6 Isahluko 3 Umndeni – Family
As a Zulu person, I would regard not only my natural father (ubaba), but all his brothers, that is my uncles, as my fathers. My father’s eldest brother becomes my big father and the younger one, my little father. Age and status give my big father authority such that, in certain instances, I might appeal to him to overrule a decision of my own natural father. My father’s sister is called ubabekazi (female father) and is treated with the same respect that is due to all my other fat hers. The wives of all these fat hers would be shown the same respect that is due to my natural mother. I would regard my cousins (that is all the children of uncles on the father’s side) as my brothers and sisters.
In respect of the maternal family, I would regard all the sisters of my natural mother as my mothers (umamncane or umamkhulu). My mother’s brother who takes the place of a male mother is called umalume.
Umndeni kaObama – Obama Family
Umndeni kaObama
Baba Obama
Mama Obama
Igama likaBaba Obama nguBarack
Igama likaMama Obama nguMichelle
Indodakazi kaObama nguMalia
Izingane zikaObama ngoSasha noMalia (children)
UBaba Luthuli noMama Luthuli
Igama likaBaba Luthuli nguDumisa.
Igama likaMama Luthuli nguThembisile.
Indodana kababa Luthuli nguBafana.
Umndeni Family
Ubaba father
Umama mother
Indodana son
Indodakazi daughter
Umndeni kaMyeni
Umndeni kaMyeni Myeni family
Ubaba Myeni
Umama Myeni (uMaCele).
UBusisiwe indodakazi (daughter)
UMuzi indodana (son)
Culture note: In Zulu culturewe do not address adults by their first names. The father is addressed by his surname as ‘Ubaba Myeni.’ The mother is addressed as ‘Umama’ or Ma followed by her maiden name such as MaCele, MaKhumalo, MaDlamini – njalonjalo.
Umkhulu Grandfather
Ugogo grandmother
Ubaba father
Umama mother
Indodakazi daughter
Indodana son
Igama lika… the name of …. (of)
Write the names of your relations
Igama likababa ngu………………………………………….
Igama likamama ngu………………………………………..
Igama likagogo ngu………………………………………….
Igama likamkhulu ngu……………………………………….
Igama likadadewethu ngu……………………………………
Igama likamfowethu ngu………………………………………..
Abantu emndenini People in a family
Ubaba – father
Umama – mother
Ugogo – grandmother
Umkhulu – grandfather
Indodakazi – daughter
Indodana – son
Usisi/ udadewetu – sister
Ubhuti/ umfowethu – brother
Umsebenzi – Qedela (Complete)
Umama wami ngu………………………………………………. My mother is…
Igama lika mama wami ngu………………………………….. My mother’s name is…
Ubaba wami ngu…………………………………………………. My mother is…
Igama lika baba wami ngu……………………………………. My mother’s name is…
Udadewethu ngu…………………………………………………..My sister is …
Igama likadadewethu ngu…………………………………….… My sister’s name is…
Umfowethu ngu ………………………………………………….. My brother is…
Igama likamfowethu ngu…………………………………..…… My brother’s name is
Ugogo ngu …………………………………………………………..
Umkhulu ngu………………………………………………………
Isibongo sika mama sakwa………………………………………
Isibongo sikagogo sakwa ………………………………………..
Imibuzo questions
Ngubani igama lika… wakho? What is your…’s name?
- à Ngubani igama lakho?
- à Ngubani igama likamama wakho?
- à Ngubani igama likababa wakho?
- à Ngubani igama likagogo wakho?
- à Ngubani igama likamkhulu wakho?
- à Ngubani igama likabhuti wakho? (Likamfowenu?)
- à Ngubani gama likasisi wakho? (Likadadewenu?
- à -kho (your/yours)
- à -mi (my/mine)
Ngingu Sibongile Dlamini.
Nginguthisha. Ngifundisa isiZulu, amasiko nentuthuko. Ngithanda ukucula, ukudansa, ukudlala, ukupheka, ukuthunga, ukusiza abantu nokubukela amafilimu.
Indodakazi yami
Lona nguNqobile Mgazi indodakazi yami.
UNqobile uthanda ukucula nokudansa.
Uthanda ukuvakasha. Uthanda ukudla nokuphuza okumnandi.
Uthanda ukukhangisa imfashini nezobuhle.
Indodana yami
Lona nguLwazi Mgazi indodana yami. ULwazi ngumdlali webhola laseMelika. Uvela ePhongolo. Uhlala eBloomington, eMelika. Uthanda ukubhala izincwadi nokubhala imidlaloyamafilimu.
Indodana yami
Lona nguSibusiso Mgazi, indodana yami.
Uthanda ukudlala ibhasiketibholi, ukubhala umculo, ukujayiva nokubhizinisa.
Uthanda ukuvakasha emhlabeni.
Uthanda ukupheka ukudla okumnandi
Umzala wami
Lona nguThandi, umzala wami.
UThandi uhlala eMpumalanga, eSouth Africa. Uthanda ukufundisa izingane. Uthanda ukucula.
Ngiyabonga.
Umngani wami
Sanibona. Lona ngumngani wami uZamo. Uthanda ukujima futhi uthanda ukulala. Uhlala eGoli, eSouth Africa.
Umngani wami uDokotela Thuli Khumalo
Sanibona. Lona ngumngani wami uThuli. Uhlala eGoli. Uthanda ukudansa nokudlala amakhadi. Uthanda itiye, ikhofi, ijusi newayini. Futhi uthanda amakhekhe namaswidi. UThuli uthanda ukuvakasha nokuthenga ishokolete. Uthanda ukudla ishokolete kakhulu kakhulu!!!
Imibuzo ngesiZulu (questions in IsiZulu)
Who, what and where questions:
Ngubani… (who)…
Uthandani/ udlani/ ufundani… (what)
Uhlalaphi/ ufundaphi/ uvelaphi (where)
- Ngubani igama lakho? What is your name?
- Ngubani lo? Who is this?
- Ngubani lona? Who is this?
- Ngubani ubaba wakho? Who is your father?
- Ngubani uthisha wakho? Who is your teacher?
- Uthandani? What do you like?
- Uthandani? What does s/he like?
- Uhlalaphi? Where do you live?
- Uhlalaphi? Where does s/he live?
- Ufundaphi? Where do you study?
Note: In the Zulu language nouns are classified. For example, in English you can easily use ‘it’ as a pronoun refering to anything, but in the Zulu language pronouns differ according to their classes. The classes are determined by prefixes of the nouns. Here we are going to just look at possessives. We will look at what is mine, what is yours, and what is his or hers. The possessive marker will be the same for each of these. What is mine is indicated by ‘…mi’ What is yours is indicated by ‘…kho’ and what is his/hers is indicated by ‘…khe.’ In the chart below you will notice that what comes before ‘…mi’, ‘…kho’ and ‘…khe’ keeps changing and the difference is determined by the noun class. Study the chart below, and each time you encounter a noun with a similar prefix remember it belongs to the same noun class as the few we have in the chart.
Possessives – My…/ Your…/ Her/his …
| Possession | My | Your | Her/His |
| 1 Umama/ubaba/ugogo/umngani/uthisha | wami | Wakho | wakhe |
| 2 Umndeni/umuzi (home)/ umfula (river) | wami | Wakho | wakhe |
| 3 Igama/ ikhofi/ itiye/ ikhekhe | Lami | Lakho | lakhe |
| 4 Isibongo/ isandla (hand)/ isihlalo (chair) | Sami | Sakho | sakhe |
| 5 Inja (dog)/ indlu (house) inyama (meat) | Yami | Yakho | yakhe |
| 6 Ubisi/ ukhozi (eagle)/ ufudu (turtle) | Lwami | Lwakho | lwakhe |
| 7 Ubuso (face)/ Ubuhle (beauty) | Bami | Bakho | bakhe |
| 8 Ukudla (food) / ukufa (death) | Kwami | Kwakho | kwakhe |
Amagama Amasha (New Words)
Uthisha – teacher
Fundisa – teach
Amasiko – cultures
Intuthuko – development
Ukudlala – to play
Ukuthunga – to sew
Ukusiza – to help
abantu – people
ukubukela – to watch
amafilimu – films
umdlali – player
ibhola -football/ soccer/ball
incwadi/izincwadi – book/ books
umdlalo/ imidlalo – game/play …games/plays
ukuvakasha – to travel/ to visit
mnandi/ kumnandi – nice/ that is nice
khangisa – show off/ parade
imfashini – fashion
ubuhle/ezobuhle – beauty/ that relate to beauty
ukujayiva – jive
ukubhizinisa – to do business
Umhlaba/emhlabeni – the world/ in the world
Umzala – cousin
Ingane / izingane -child/ children
ukujima – to exercise/ to work out
udokotela – doctor
ikhadi/amakhadi – card/ cards
iwayini – wine
amaswidi – sweets/ candy
ishokolete – chocolate
Umsebenzi
Introduce six members of your family and state what they like. Submit a written text and an audio file, where you read what you have written about your family.
Use www.isiZulu.net to get more Zulu words