Ndebele Adjectives and Community Building

Salibonani bangane, if you are new here, please scroll down to read the posts from the bottom going upwards. Ok, we have been reading your comments and emails so want to address some of them. Lamhla we have some siNdebele adjectives as some have said they want more adjectives please. For those asking specific questions, like "How do you say neighbour in Ndebele?" (neighbour is umakhelwane, which is in the u/o class, if you've learnt well from the Lessons tab), kulungile keep the suggestions/ questions coming but please remember to also ask in the community questions tab. 

For those in the community who can answer, please do also answer some beginner questions in the community questions tab, and siyabonga kakhulu to those who have continued to answer so well already. As you know, the aim of this blog is to give an introduction to the isiNdebele language, and to be a place where the community can ask and answer questions. We are run by volunteers, so feel free to also get in touch if you would like to help out and be a volunteer in different ways too: northernndebeleblog@gmail.com. Ok, now for the isiNdebele adjectives to go with the list of some verbs, although we encourage you to go to the lessons tab to learn more formally how to use these (for example the prefixes that are linked to the noun/ subject):

bad - -bi (like in ububi which is the noun for badness, hopefully you don't need it much)

better - -ngcono

big - -khulu (the same for a few adjectives in English)

certain - -thile

clear - -bonakala or -khanya or kusobala (it is clear)

different/ become different - -ahluka

early - -kuqala or use adverbs such as masinya or masinyane

easy - -lula (peezy)

empty - -thulula or -chitha

faithful - -thembeka

fragile - -famanga (be very very careful, handle with care)

fresh - -tsha

full - -gcwala (kugcwele - it is full)

generous - -phana

gentle - -mnene or -chuma (such as uchumile - she is gentle)

good - -hle or -lunga (to become good)

great - -khulu (it is the same for large, big and great)

happy - -thaba or -thokoza

hard - -lukhuni (remember ubulukhuni means hardship)

high - -phezulu or -phakama (to become on high)

humanity - it's a verb but a good one, ubuntu

humble - -thobeka (uthobekile - she is humble)

important - -nzima or -qakatheka (become important)

large - -khulu

late - -phuza (become late) or like now -libazisa (to make me late)

lazy - -vilapha (I'm not today, look at allthese adjectives)

little - -ngcinyane (yes it has a "c" click)

lonely - -zungu like umuntu olesizungu (a lonely person, ah shame)

long - -de

necessary - -dingeka or -sweleka, or -fanela (become necessary)

new - -tsha (you saw this recently, if I can re-fresh your memory)

old - -dala or as a bonus -luphala (when a person "grows old")

only - -dwa, or use the adverb kuphela.

other - -nye 

overcast/ cloudy - -fiphala, so kufiphele (it is overcast)

possible - -ngenzeka, kungenzeka (it is possible)

poor - -umyanga (of a person)

real - -qotho

reckless - olamawala (for a person)

right - -lunga, or ukunene for the right-hand side

small - -ncinyane

sore - -buhlungu

speckled - -feketha

strong - -qina

sure - -qinisa

thick - -qatha

true - pick in different situations from -qonda or -qina or -qotho

whole - -nke

young - -tsha (you can learn isiNdebele whether old or new)

 

We hope you find these useful, especially for those who asked for adjectives. Again, we encourage you to go to the lessons tab to learn more formally how to use these adjectives, for example:

• to use the adjective -thile (certain) such as umuntu othile (a certain person), or
• the adjective -thembeka (faithful) can be used, such as uthembekile (she is faithful), or
• the adjective -qakatheka (become important), such as izinto eziqakathekileyo (important things), or
• the adjective -nye (other), izinto ezinye (other things), or
  
• the adjective kusobala (it is clear) such as kusobala ukuthi sebehambile (it is clear that they have left).

Bonus words for fun today itete or ixhaphozi (a marsh or swamp), ilambazi (a thin porridge, the swamp reminded me of it), intshe/izintshe (ostrich/es), itshongololo/ amatshongololo (a millipede/s, we're on animals still), ukutshikatshika (to toil/ work hard), impumelelo (success, you can do it!), and finally umchilo wamakhosikhazi (a rainbow, to cheer you up so I hope you have a great day).

Salani kuhle (stay well everyone), until next time, stay safe and keep enjoying learning isiNdebele here together.