IFanta ikhona na?

Asking and saying someone or something is there is based on the verb ukukhona to see ie the object/person is present

See also interrogatives, where?

iFanta Fanta
-khona = is there (from ukukhona, to see)

To ask if something is there in Zulu use the verb stem-khona together with the subject concord eg ithoyilethe likhona na? is there a toilet here? Reply using the subject concord plus -khona eg yebo likhona yes it (toilet) is. To say something is not present reply using the negative formative a- plus subject concord plus -kho eg lukhona ucingo na? is there a phone here? cha alukho no there's not.

NB: u- > wu- and yi- > we- eg:

Ukhona uthosi? Is there toast? Cha awukho No there's not
Akhona amanzi abandayo na? Is there cold water? Cha awekho No there's not

To ask if a person is present use -khona together with the subject concord of the person you are asking about eg IBeth ukhona na? Is Beth here? To say yes, someone is present reply using the the subject concord plus -khona eg:

UBeth ukhona na? is Beth here? Yebo ukhona yes she's here
Abatwana bakhona na? Are the children here? Yebo bakhona Yes they are

To say someone is not present (noun classes 1, 1a) ukhona > akekho and bakhona > abekho eg:

Umnumnzane Kruger na? Is Mr Kruger here? Cha akekho He isn't here
Abatwana bakhona na? Are the children here? Cha abekho No they are not

Kukhlala ibgungane No-one is there = a beetle is buzzing there
Akunamuntu lapha/lapho There is no-one here/there

This page- www.newt.clara.co.uk/isizulu/ifanta.htm
6 September 2002