Ngiyohlala amabili

Uyohlala amalanga amangaki? How many days are you going to stay?
Ngiyohlala amabili I am going to stay two days Nibone izindlovu ezingaki? How many elephants did you see? Sibone ezinhlanu We saw five

To say how many something is use the subject concord plus the formative ngu-:

• Bangaki abantu? How many are the people? Bangu-nine There are nine
• Mangaki amantombazana ekilansini? How many children to a class? Angu-16 There are 16
• Zingaki izinja manje? How many dogs are there now? Zingu-twelve A dozen of them

Nibangaki? How many are you?
Sibabili We are two Sibathathu We are five Singu-forty We are forty Yimina kuphela Just me

To say one of something add the noun prefix less the first vowel to the formative -nye ( = one) and use the noun less the first vowel:

• Kufike muntu munye Only one person came
• Mgifuna dazini linye I want one dozen
• Khipha randi linye Take out R1
• Siyohlala suku lunye We are going to stay one day only

For numbers over five use English numbers with the formatives abangu-, angu- or ezingu-:

• Baqashe abantu abangu-12 They hired 12 people
• Ngikhokhe amarandi angu-20 I payed R20
• Ngisebenze izinsuku ezingu-8 I worked for 8 days

This page- www.newt.clara.co.uk/isizulu/amabili.htm
4 September 2002