-akha build
-ala refuse
-ambatha dress
-ambathisa, -ambesa clothe, cover
-amukela accept
-anele be enough
-anelisiwa be satisfied
-aphula break -ephukile be broken
-azi know - to know = ukukwazi from uku-ku-azi
-azisa introduce, meet
-baleka run away
-bamba hold
-bhala write
-bhalisa register, make a reservation
-bheka look after ungabheka imoto lami na? can you look after my car?
-bhema smoke
-bhukhuda swim
-bika report
-biza call = costs how much babiza malini abakwatapheya? how much money for the
avocadoes?
-boleka borrow, lend
-bona see sawubona we see you (sing.) also sakubona sanibonani we see you
(pl.) ngibona I see
-bonga thank
-bopha fasten
-bu be
-buhlungu be painful, be sore
-bukhona be there = present ngikhona I am present sikhona
we are present
-bukela watch
-bukeza revise
-bukhali be sharp
-bulala kill
-busisa bless
-buya return
-buyisela retur to
-buza ask
-cathula toddle = be a beginner
-cela ask, request
-cinene be congested (in the chest)
-dabuka come from originally
-diliva deliver
-dinga need
-dinwa be (physically) tired
-dla eat
-dlala play dlala
ibhola play football
-donsa umoya inhale
-duba umsebenzi strike (down tools)
-eba steal
-edlula pass by
-edlulisa hand over, put through to
ngizokwedlulisela kumabhalane wakhe
I'll put you through to his secretary
-eduka stray
-ehlukene differ = go apart masahlukene let us part
-ehlukile be different
-ehluleka fail, be unable to ngehluleka uku- I am unable to -
-ejwayele be accustomed to
-elusa herd
-enza do
-enzeka happen
-ephuka break
-epuhukile be broken
-ephulela give a discount
-eqa cross a street
-esaba be afraid of
-ethemba believe, hope angethembi kanjalo I don't believe so
-ethula introduce
-eyuka ascend
-fa die
-faka put in faka
enshuwalensini insure
-fanela have to, must ngifanele - I must -
-fihla hide
-fika come, arrive
-file be dead - NB: rude, use -swelekile dead, or -shonile set
-fisa wish, desire ngifisela I wish (for)
-fonela phone (for) someone
-fudumala be warm
-funa want
-funda, -fundisa teach
-gcina preserve, come to an end sagcinana isikathi eside we haven't seen each
other for a long time
-gcinwa be kept
-gcwalisa fill up awugcwalise please fill up
-gwele fill
-geza wash
-gqekezwa be burgled
-gula be ill
-halahlisela congratulate on
-hamba go, leave
-hlabelela sing
-hlalisana accommodate, share
accommodation
-hlangana meet
-hlangene na- include
-hlezi be sitting
-hlola check, inspect
-hlonipa resepct
-hlupheka suffer
-hola earn (money)
-jabula be happy
-jahe be in a hurry
-jileka turn to
-jima run
-jova give an injection
-kala weigh
-khala cry, complain kukhala ibhungane a beetle is buzzing there = ther's
nobody there
-khalipihile be sharp
-khanya shine
-khathazekile be worried
-khathele be tired
-khetha choose
-khipha take out khipha
umoya exhale
-khiya lock
-khiyiwe be locked
-khohlwa forget
-khokha pay
-khombisa show
-khonzela convey someone's
greetings
-khuluma speak
-khumbula remember angikhumbuli I can't remember
-khumula undress, take off
-khuthele be diligent
-khwehlela cough
-lahlekile be lost
-lala sleep
-lalela listen to
-lambile be hungry
-landa fetch
-landelayo follow after
-layela show the way
-letha bring
-limile be injured
-linda wait
-lingana fit
-lobela write for (someone)
-lula be light, easy
-luma bite
-lunga be correct = fine, ok uwiski uzolunga a whisky will be fine
-lungile be acceptable = ok
-lungisa correct, make tidy, put right
-ma stand yima
lapha! stand here!
-mba dig
-makhaza be cold
-manzi be wet
-nceda help
-ngcolile be dirty
-ngena enter
-ngqongqoza knock
-oda order
-omile be thirsty
-osa roast
-paka park
-phakamisa recommend, propose, suggest,
raise
-phakela dish out for
-phambuka leave the main road
-phasile pass
-phathela bring for
-phazamisa bother
-pheka cook
-phelele be complete
-phelile be finished
-phendula answer
-phethe hold, have on you
-phethwe suffer from
-phikisa deny
-phila love, live = be well
-phinda repeat, do again
-phiwa be given
-phola get well
-phuma come from, appear
-phuthuma hurry, be urgent
-phuza drink
-popola examine (with a stethascope)
-posa post
-qala start, begin
-qaphela be careful
-qasha hire
-qeda finish, complete
-qgoke wear
-qhubeka carry one, continue
-qinile be hard, be tough
-qinisile be true, be certain
-qonda understand
-qotho be honest
-rejista register
-sala stay (remain)
-sebenza work
-sebenzisa use
-shadile be married
-shanela sweep
-shaya hit - NB: used for many idomatic
phrases eg shaya (itelegilamu) send (a
telegram) shaya isizulu speak Zulu
-shayela (imoto) drive (a car)
-shayisa knock off work
-shesha hurry
-shisa be hot kusisha
kakhulu it's very hot
-sho mean, say
-shona set = die
-shonile be dead
-sika cut
-siza help
-suka depart from, go off
-sukuma stand up
-sula wipe off
-suthi be satisfied with food ngesuthi esentwala I am full = full like a louse
-thanda like, love
-thandaza pray
-thatha take
-thela pout, put in (liquids)
-thenga buy
-thengisa sell
-thengiswa sold
-thi say - NB: ukuthi = (so) that
-thokozile be happy
-thola get, find
-thosiwe be toasted
-thula be silet, quiet
-thulema send to
-tshela tell
-vakashela visit
-vala close, switch off (eg radio)
-valelisa say good-bye to
-waliwe be closed
-vela come from
-vilapha be lazy
-vimba stop
-vota vote
-vuka wake up
-vala close
-valiwe be closed
-vula open
-vuliwe be open
-vuma agree
-vunyelwa permitted, allowed ukubhema akuvunyelwa smoking not permitted
-vuthiwe be ripe, ready (of food) -vuthwe kakhudlwana medium done -vuthwe kacane rare, under-done -vuthwe
kakhulu well-cooked
-viza leak
-wa fall
-wina win
-wola gather (dirt)
-xolela excuse, forgive (someone)
-xolisa beg pardon ngiyaxolisa please exuse me = I'm sorry -xosha dismiss
-xoxa talk, chat, relate (a story)
-ya go to
-za come woza!
come!
-zalwa be born
-zama try
-zwa hear
-zwelana na- sympathise with = listen for
each other
accept -amukela
ascend -eyuka
ask -buza
ask, request = please -cela
be -bu
be accustomed to -ejwayele
be afraid of -esaba
be congested (in the chest) -cinene
be correct -lunga
be different -elhlukile
be enough -anela satisfy -anelisiwa
be happy, rejoice -jabula
be ill -gula
be painful, be sore -buhlungu
be (physically) tired -dinwa
be sharp -bukhali
be there = present -bu khona
be warm -fudumala
be well = be live -phila
beg pardon -xolisa
believe, hope -ethemba
bite -luma
bless -busisa
borrow, lend -boleka
break -apula be broken -ephukile
build -akha
buy -thenga
call = cost (what price) -biza
clothe,cover -ambathisa, -ambesa
come from = appear -phuma
come from originally -dabuka
cross a street -eqa
check, inspect hlola
deliver -diliva
die -fa
dig -mba
differ = go apart -ehlukene
do -enza
dress -ambatha
drink -phuza
eat -dla
excuse, forgive -xolisa
fall -wa
fasten -bopha
fail, be unable to -ehluleka
finish, complete -qeda
fill up -gcwalisa
give a discount -ephulela
go, leave -hamba
go to -ya
hand over, put through to -edlulisa
happen -enzeka
have to, must -fanela
hear -zwa
help -siza
herd -elusa
hide -fihla
hold -bamba
inhale -donsa umoya
introduce -ethula
introduce, meet-azisa
kill -bulala
know -azi
like, love -thanda
learn, study -funda
leave behind -shiya
look after -bheka
need -dinga
part -ehlukena
pass by -edlula
pay -khokha
play -dlala play football -dlala ibhola
refuse -ala
register, make a reservation -bhalisa
remember -khumbula
report -bika
return -buya
return to -buyisela
revise -bukeza
roast -osa
run -jima
run away -baleka
satisfy = be enough -anelisiwa
see -bona
sell -thengisa
sit, stay (at) = live now -hlala
smoke -bhema
speak -hluma
start -qela
stay, remain -sala
steal -eba
stop -vimba
strike (down tools) -duba umsebenzi
stray -eduka
swim -bhukuda
take -thatha
talk, chat, relate (a story) -xoxa
teach -fundiza
thank -bonga
toddle = be a beginner -cathula
understand -qonda
want -fila
watch -bukela
wish for -fisela
wipe -sula
work -sebenza
write -bhala
This page- www.newt.clara.co.uk/isizulu/verbs.htm
6 August 2002