IsiNdebele language: Northern Ndebele African language

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

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)
 

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



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