Asking whether someone can do some thing is based on the verb construction uyakwazi uku- (do you know how to). Also important are the verb stems -azi (know), -khuluma (speak) and -qonda (understand)
ukukwazi to know (it) = uku-ku-azi
uyakwazi uku- you know how to
ukukhuluma to speak
ukucathula to toddle = to be a beginner
ukuqonda to understand
kancane little kahle well
uxolo pardon, excuse me
ukuxolisa to ask for pardon
cha no
Uyakwasi uku- You know how to ... eg
uyakwasi ukulugisa izabane? do you know how
to make the lights work?
Uyakwasi ukukhuluma (isiZulu?) Do you know
how to speak (Zulu?) Yebo, ngiyakwasi Yes,I
know how to Angikwazi I don't know how
Akakwazi she doesn't know how
Uyasazi You know
Ukhuluma You speak
Uyasazi isiZulu na? Do you know Zulu?
Ukhuluma isiZulu? Do you speak Zulu?
Yebo ngiyasazi Yes I know it Yebo, ngikhuluma (isiZulu) Yes, I speak (Zulu) Cha, angazi No, I don't know it Angikhulumi I don't speak it
Ukhulamani? What (language) do you speak?
= ukhulama-ni Nikhulamani ekhaya? What do
you (people) speak at home? Siikhuluma
isiXhosa We speak Xhosa
Uyasazi isiZulu na? Do you know Zulu?
Yebo, ngiyasazi kodwa hayi kahlulu Yes, I
know it but not very well Ngisazi kancane,
ngisasifunda I know it a little, I'm still learning it
Angisikhulumi khale khakhulu, ngisacathula
I don't speak it very well, I'm still a beginner = a toddler
Ngiyaqonda na? Do you understand?
Angiqondi kahle I do not understand well
Ngiyaxolisa kodwa angiqondi kahle usho
ukuthini Sorry, but I do not understand well what you are
saying Awupinde Please repeat Awukhulume kacane Please speak (more) slowly
Usifundephi isiZulu? You learned Zulu
where? = u-si-funde-phi
Ngisifunde esikoleni I learned it at
school Ngisifunde eLondoni I learned it in
London Ngisafunda ukukhuluma isiZulu I am
still learning to speak Zulu
isiZulu Zulu isiNgisi English isiBhuna Afrikaans isiSuthu Suthu isiXhosa Xhosa isiTswana Tswana isiFulentshi French isiVenda Venda isiSwati Swazi isiNdebele Ndebele isiJalimane German
This page- www.newt.clara.co.uk/isizulu/uyasazi.htm
5 August 2002