Learn Xhosa with UBuntu Bridge founder and adult learner of Xhosa, Craig Makhosi. This is the right podcast to get you started in speaking Xhosa with confidence. Talk along, instructional and enjoyable English to Xhosa audio instructions. Comes with accompanying PDF/learning manual for optimal learning. Best to just repeat out loud. Audio taken from the Free Mandela Learn Xhosa Video Series. See www.learnxhosaonline.com for more learning options.

Learn Xhosa with UBuntu Bridge founder and adult learner of Xhosa, Craig Makhosi. This is the right podcast to get you started in speaking Xhosa with confidence. Talk along, instructional and enjoyable English to Xhosa audio instructions. Comes with accompanying PDF/learning manual for optimal learning. Best to just repeat out loud. Audio taken from the Free Mandela Learn Xhosa Video Series. See www.learnxhosaonline.com for more learning options.

Learn Xhosa with UBuntu Bridge founder and adult learner of Xhosa, Craig Makhosi. This is the right podcast to get you started in speaking Xhosa with confidence.

Talk along, instructional and enjoyable English to Xhosa audio instructions.  

Comes with accompanying PDF/learning manual for optimal learning.

Best to just repeat out loud. 

Audio taken from the Free Mandela Learn Xhosa Video Series.

See www.learnxhosaonline.com for more learning options.

Good byes [21]

Person going says:
Stay - sala or salani (pl) well - kakuhle
Person staying says:
Go - hamba or hambani (pl) well - kakuhle*,
* kahle is also widely used, though strictly speaking it is
isiZulu

hamba/ni – go sala/ni – stay
ni - plural kakuhle – well

**Another word to use is sobonana – we will see each
other (again)
So - bona - na
we will see each other

Additonal words in good-bye:
From English: Sharp Bhayibhayi
It’s ok - Kulungile Yes - Ewe

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Excuse Me [22]

Excuse me, sorry, pardon, peace are all the same word

- uxolo

sorry - uxolo excuse me - uxolo
beg your pardon - uxolo peace - uxolo
Excuse me, I don’t know Uxolo, andiyaz

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Vocab recap [23]

how’s it? – kunjani? well – philile
yourself – wena me too – nam
sit down – hlala phantsi excuse me – uxolo
I’m sorry, teacher – uxolo, titshala
I don’t know – andiyazi
excuse me, I don’t know – uxolo, andiyazi
help – nceda
a little – kancinci a lot – kakhulu
well – kakuhle beautifully - kakuhle
yes – ewe no – hayi
thank you, enkos thanks a lot – enkos kakhulu
now – ngoku its good – kulungile
it is ok – kulungile its right – kulungile
its fine – kulungile Sharp!

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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 Lesson 1 Conversation - Greeting and Good-bye [24-25]

(The male teacher [Titshala] greets the students
[abafundi])
1. T: Hello (pl) Students T: Molweni, Bafundi
2. A: Hello Teacher A: Molo, Titshala
3. T: How’s it?? T: kunjani?
4. A: Well, thanks, A: philile, enkosi
5. How is it, yourself? kunjani, wena?
6. T: Fine also, thank you. T: philile nam, enkos’
7. Go well (plural) hambani kakuhle
8. A: Stay well, Titshala A: Sala kakuhle, titshala
9. T: We will see each other T: Sobonana
10. A: Yes, goodbye. A: Ewe, bhabhayi.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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 Lesson 1 Conversation - Greeting and Good-bye [24-25]

(The male teacher [Titshala] greets the students
[abafundi])
1. T: Hello (pl) Students T: Molweni, Bafundi
2. A: Hello Teacher A: Molo, Titshala
3. T: How’s it?? T: kunjani?
4. A: Well, thanks, A: philile, enkosi
5. How is it, yourself? kunjani, wena?
6. T: Fine also, thank you. T: philile nam, enkos’
7. Go well (plural) hambani kakuhle
8. A: Stay well, Titshala A: Sala kakuhle, titshala
9. T: We will see each other T: Sobonana
10. A: Yes, goodbye. A: Ewe, bhabhayi.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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 Lesson 1 Essentials and HW test: [26]

Be able to:
• greet and do the handshake
• pronounce the clicks alone and in words
1. Excuse me, brother.
2. Hello to a group.
3. Hello to a girl. How’s it?
4. Fine, thanks. Yourself?
5. Fine me too.
6. Stay well to a group
7. Go well to one
8. Thanks a lot.
9. We will see each other again
10.Yes, alright.
Answers:
1. Uxolo, bhuti
2. Molweni.
3. Molo sisi. Kunjani?
4. Philile, enkosi. Wena?
5. Philile nam.
6. Salani kakuhle.
7. Hamba kakuhle
8. Enkosi kakhulu.
9. Sobonana.
10.Ewe, kulungile.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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 CULTURE Insight - Handshakes: [27]

- handshakes are common between genders, mostly
using the ‘African handshake’, consisting of the
standard western grip, followed by a loose gripping of
each others thumbs by the fingers, and then reverting
back to a western grip.
- Handshakes are usually soft, though it has slowly
adapted to the traditionally firmer western grip
(excluding the ‘wet fish’ handshake, which gives most
people the woobly woo’s). They are also often
accompanied by touching the right elbow with the left
hand, a sign of respect that will be explained further in
a later week.
- Handshakes between good friends can last for
minutes, often the whole conversation, with the action
(thumb clasp) repeating itself as a sign that the
conversation is ending.
- it is common for men to hold hands, even whilst
walking down the road. It speaks to the often far more
public displays of affection shown within the separate
gender groups, compared to across genders. You are
far more likely to see a man holding the hand of
another man then that of his wife. The other man is
likely to be a good friend and peer, and they may well
have passed through the manhood initiation ulwaluko
together.

- And also so for women. This is because the culture
generally separates out the groups, which each group
having their own place to hang out at public
gatherings, as well as expectations, taboos, roles
assigned to people not only dependent on their gender,
but on their age group. Of course, in a modern and
urban context, these dynamics do not always exist to
the same extent.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 2: Introduction to Verbs and Prefixes

goal:
To be introduced to the verbs and the prefixes, and to
learn some basic vocab.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Verbs [29]

In Xhosa, we have basic verbs, what we know as ‘doing
words’. They are actions, and appropriately, they
always end with an ‘a’ in their basic present tense,
positive form. Below are examples:

Learn - funda Talk - thetha
Listen - mamela Try - zama
Go - hamba Stay - sala
Live - hlala Work - sebenza
Do/Make - enza* Repeat - phinda
Go home - goduka Ask - buza
Want/need - funa Look - jonga
See - bona Request - cela
Help - nceda Praise/be grateful - bulela
Like/love – thanda Remember - khumbula

Hear/perceive -– (i)va* Understand - qonda

Use - sebenzisa Greet - bulisa
Quiet - thula Hurry, be quick - khawuleza

* enza and (i)va work slightly differently from the rest,
due to them starting with a vowel, and it is
recommended that you not use them in the initial
exercises of this lesson. As the course progresses, you
will see how and when they are used.
* Three exceptions (Don’t end in-a):
Say – thi know – azi Exclaim - tsho
Don’t worry about these for now.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Speaking Commands to a Group [30]

When speaking to a group, add ‘ni’ e.g.
Such as: Go well (to a group) - hambani kakuhle
listen (to a group) - mamelani
Sit (to a group) - hlalani phantsi
Quiet (to a group) - thulani

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Beginners Trick: Cheating with Nouns [31]

In the early stages of this course, we focus on verbs for
rapid conversational ability. We will cover the learning
intensive nouns in Level 3, so for now, for any thing
just add i- to the English or Afrikaans equivalent, for
plural add ama- to the front.
e.g. a computer - ikomputa computers - amakomputa

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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The six subject prefixes [32]

Next we have six prefixes, which allow us to say I learn,
you learn, he or she learns, we learn, etc.
Remember, they are prefixes. They always attach
themselves onto the front of a verb, forming a new
word.

Singular Plural

1st
2nd
3rd

I – ndi-
You – u-
He/she – u-
We – si-
You – ni-
They – ba-
For example: we learn/we are learning – sifunda

*You can remember that –ni is added (i.e. not as a
prefix) to molo, hamba, sala when speaking to a group
– a whole bunch of you’s - this is as a command, not as
the subject of an action, such as above, where it is a
prefix.
The difference: Hambani! - Go! (talking to you plural)
Nihamba - You (pl.) are going.

Interesting Fact: In Zulu, the prefixes are the same,

except that ndi- is replaced by ngi-

 UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Combination of prefix and verb [33]

Example: learn – funda
I learn – ndifunda we learn - sifunda
you learn - ufunda you (pl) learn - nifunda
he/she learns – ufunda they learn - bafunda

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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The ‘ya’ rule [34]

When the above prefixes are added to a verb such as I
learn: ndi+funda = ndifunda, and it stands alone as a
sentence in itself, in other words there are no other
words in the sentence, a ya is placed inbetween:

Ndiyafunda

NB. The ya is only ever used when the action word is
in the present and positive. You know this because
they end in –a (see all above).
Examples:
learn - funda I am learning - ndiyafunda
praise - bulela I am praising - ndiyabulela
go home - goduka I am going home - ndiyagoduka
try - zama You are trying - uyazama
help - nceda He is helping - uyanceda
listen - mamela We are listening - siyamamela
Note: Ya does not translate as ‘am’/’are’/’is’.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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The meaning of ya [35]

*** The ya serves the express purpose of lengthening
the word. It has no meaning!! So, if another word is
added into the sentence, the ya would fall away:

I learn is ndiyafunda but
I learn Xhosa is ndifunda isiXhosa (no ya)
you are trying - uyazama
you are trying a lot - uzama kakhulu
we are talking - siyathetha
we are talking Xhosa - sithetha isiXhosa
they’re going home – bayagoduka
they’re going home now – bagoduka ngoku

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Distinguishing you, he, she [36]

To differentiate between 2nd and 3rd persons, we would
probably use the person’s name if not talking to
someone direct:

Unjani? how are you?
Unjani uJustin? How is Justin?

But, we could also use pronouns:
yourself - wena him/herself - yena
e.g.

How are you? unjani wena?
How is he/she? unjani yena?

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Important combinations with pronouns [37]

To add to this we learn myself – mna
Think of me – mna (mina - zulu)
Myself, I am trying Mna, ndiyazama
Yourself, you are trying Wena, uyazama
Himself, he is trying Yena, uyazama

which can also be said with the mna/wena/yena
afterwards, like this:
myself, I am trying ndiyazama, mna
you are trying, you uyazama, wena
He is tryin, as for him uyazama, yena

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Extended Greetings with the Prefixes [38]

You can know also use these prefixes learnt to expand
your greeting capability by adding prefixes to what we
have already learnt as our greeting words:
How are YOU? - Unjani? I am well - Ndiphilile.
And when talking to a group:
How are you plural? Ninjani?
We are well Siphilile
We are well too Siphilile nathi*
See the culture section for when these would be used
other than the obvious, when talking to a group.
*Nathi is plural form of nam - we too, also us, and us!

Distinguishing you, he, she [36]
To differentiate between 2nd and 3rd persons, we would
probably use the person’s name if not talking to
someone direct:

Unjani? how are you?
Unjani uJustin? How is Justin?

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 2 Essentials and Test: [39]

Be able to:
• Use the six subject prefixes with the verb stems
• Know at least 10 verbs off by heart
• Know how to use mna, wena, yena
• Greet a group of people
Questions (write out the Xhosa):
1. You guys are learning.
2. Yes, we are learning well.
3. No, he talks a little
4. Myself, I am trying
5. As for her, she is going home
6. Thanks, we are grateful
7. Hello, How are you all?
8. We are well, thanks, how are you?
Answers:
1. Niyafunda
2. Ewe, sifunda kakuhle
3. Hayi, uthetha kancinci (yena)
4. Mna, ndiyazama
5. Yena, uyagoduka (uyatshayisa - slang)
6. Enkosi, siyabulela
7. Molweni, ninjani?
8. Siphilile, enkosi, unjani wena?

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Lesson 2 Convo - Greetings and basic sentences [40-41]

(Two Xhosa students greet each other in a class)
1. B: Molo, sisi
2. S: Molo bhuti
3. B: Ninjani?
4. S: Siphilile enkosi. Unjani wena?
5. B: Ndiphilile nam enkosi.
6. S: Uyaqonda ititshala wena?
7. B: Ewe, mna ndiqonda kakuhle. UBrendon uyazama yena?
8. S: Ewe, ufunda kakuhle yena.
9. B: Kulungile. Sobonana ngomso sisi.
10. S: Ewe, bhuti. Hamba kakuhle.
11. B: Sharp!
English:
1. B: Hello, sister
2. S: Hello, brother
3. B: How are you all?
4. S: We are fine thanks. How are you?
5. B: I am also fine, thanks.
6. S: Do you understand the teacher?
7. B: Yes, I understand nicely. Does Brendon try himself?
8. S: Yes, he is studying well.
9. B: Ok. See ya tomorrow, sister.
10. S: Yes, brother. Go well.
11. B: Sharp!

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 2 Convo - Greetings and basic sentences [40-41]

(Two Xhosa students greet each other in a class)
1. B: Molo, sisi
2. S: Molo bhuti
3. B: Ninjani?
4. S: Siphilile enkosi. Unjani wena?
5. B: Ndiphilile nam enkosi.
6. S: Uyaqonda ititshala wena?
7. B: Ewe, mna ndiqonda kakuhle. UBrendon uyazama yena?
8. S: Ewe, ufunda kakuhle yena.
9. B: Kulungile. Sobonana ngomso sisi.
10. S: Ewe, bhuti. Hamba kakuhle.
11. B: Sharp!
English:
1. B: Hello, sister
2. S: Hello, brother
3. B: How are you all?
4. S: We are fine thanks. How are you?
5. B: I am also fine, thanks.
6. S: Do you understand the teacher?
7. B: Yes, I understand nicely. Does Brendon try himself?
8. S: Yes, he is studying well.
9. B: Ok. See ya tomorrow, sister.
10. S: Yes, brother. Go well.
11. B: Sharp!

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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CULTURE Insight - Greetings: [42]

- traditionally, a greeting from afar would be preceded
with the raising of both hands raised in the air, bent at
the elbow, with perhaps a shake of the hands, a gesture
of friendship and non-aggression. This is obviously not
appropriate in most formal western, urban settings, but
keep an eye open for it and you will still see it on the
streets. It is still common on the rural areas (ezilalini).
- it is usual for a younger person to greet an elder
person first, and to expect to at least exchange how do
you do’s and possibly a few other questions as well
around their origins. This does not mean you need to
wait to be greeted (if you are elder). See the first point
above.
- it is usual for an arriving person to greet first, rather
then those in a location greeting the person arriving.
- it is common, though not necessary, to use the plural
in greetings, including the person’s family, community
and ancestors, even when greeting a single person. It
implies the connectedness between the well-being of an
individual and that of their community, or family, and
wider levels, including spiritual beliefs. This takes the
form often of ‘ninjani?’ and ‘siphilile’, even though
there may be only one person. 

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Lesson 3: Sentence Building Blocks

goal: To introduce two more important building
blocks – ‘uku’ and ‘sa’ and the first important
sentences.

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Still – ‘SA’ and to - ‘uku’ [44-45]

Last lesson we learnt how the six prefixes fit onto the
front of verbs, and how a ‘ya’ is placed between them,
when they form the only word of the sentence.
Today we learn two rules:
1. The first is that if you wish to say that you are still
doing something, you can replace the ‘ya’ with a
‘sa’
For example, I am learning - Ndiyafunda
I am still learning - Ndisafunda
You are working - uyasebenza
You are still working - usasebenza
We are looking - siyajonga
We are still looking - sisajonga
They want - bayafuna
They still want - basafuna (they are still looking for)

Note: Unlike the ya, the sa is retained regardless of
whether there are further words added to the sentence.

2. The second is that if you wish to say “to” do a
verb/action, you only need add an ‘uku’ onto the
front of the verb. For example,
like - thanda to like - ukuthanda,
try - zama to try - ukuzama
learn - funda to learn - ukufunda
talk - thetha to talk - ukuthetha

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Still – ‘SA’ and to - ‘uku’ [44-45]

Last lesson we learnt how the six prefixes fit onto the
front of verbs, and how a ‘ya’ is placed between them,
when they form the only word of the sentence.
Today we learn two rules:
1. The first is that if you wish to say that you are still
doing something, you can replace the ‘ya’ with a
‘sa’
For example, I am learning - Ndiyafunda
I am still learning - Ndisafunda
You are working - uyasebenza
You are still working - usasebenza
We are looking - siyajonga
We are still looking - sisajonga
They want - bayafuna
They still want - basafuna (they are still looking for)

Note: Unlike the ya, the sa is retained regardless of
whether there are further words added to the sentence.

2. The second is that if you wish to say “to” do a
verb/action, you only need add an ‘uku’ onto the
front of the verb. For example,
like - thanda to like - ukuthanda,
try - zama to try - ukuzama
learn - funda to learn - ukufunda
talk - thetha to talk - ukuthetha

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When ‘ya’ is dropped [46]

Notice that the ‘ya’ is dropped from the following
sentence because there are additional words.
We are learning - Siyafunda
We are learning to talk Xhosa
Sifunda ukuthetha isiXhosa 

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Verbs with uku-: [47]

learn or read or study - funda
to learn or to read or to study - ukufunda
talk - thetha to talk - ukuthetha
try - zama to try - ukuzama
go - hamba to go - ukuhamba
live - hlala to live - ukuhlala
like or love - thanda to like - ukuthanda
want or need - funa to want - ukufuna
ask - buza to ask - ukubuza
request politely - cela to request - ukucela
give thanks or be grateful - bulela*
to give thanks - ukubulela *(careful: kill - bulala)
help - nceda to help - ukunceda
see - bona to see - ukubona
listen - mamela to listen - ukumamela
work - sebenza to work - ukusebenza
to use - ukusebenzisa to greet - ukubulisa
So, it is easy, any word in the present, positive i.e.
ending with an –a, just add uku- to the front.

First Important Sentences Context
These sentences are crucial for the time when, after
impressing the socks off a Xhosa person with your
excellent greeting, introduction and pronunciation,
they start speaking to you as if you know the whole
language, at which point you make use of these
sentences instead of using English, or confused
silence...

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Vocab for our first important sentences: [48]

excuse me - uxolo But - kodwa
it’s difficult - kunzima it’s nice, pleasant - kumnandi
serious - nyani! a little - kancinci
only, just - nje request - cela
or - okanye now - ngoku
English (language) - isiNgesi
Afrikaans - isiAfrikansi

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First Important Sentences [49]

*Uxolo, kodwa ndisafunda ukuthetha isiXhosa.
Excuse me, but I am still learning to speak Xhosa
* Ndithetha kancinci nje.
I speak a little bit only
Ndithanda ukuthetha isiXhosa.
I like to speak Xhosa.

Kumnandi kodwa kunzima
It is nice but it is difficult
Truthfully or seriousssss! - Nyani!

*Ndicela ukuthetha isiNgesi okanye isiAfrikaansi ngoku
I request to speak English or Afrikaans now

A star * indicates you must learn these!

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 3 Essentials and Test: [50]

Be able to:
• Say the first important sentences off by heart
Questions:
1. I request peace or I am sorry
2. They request to enter
3. He requests to ask
4. We request to sit down
5. You (pl) request to go home
6. Excuse me teacher, I request to ask.
7. I’m still learning to speak Xhosa
8. I speak a little bit only
9. It is nice but difficult
10.I request to speak English now
Answers:
1. Ndicela uxolo
2. Bacela ukungena
3. Ucela ukubuza yena
4. Sicela ukuhlala phantsi
5. Nicela ukugoduka
6. Uxolo titshala, ndicela ukubuza (and use it in class)
7. Ndisafunda ukuthetha isiXhosa
8. Ndithetha kancinci
9. Kumnandi kodwa kunzima
10.Ndicela ukuthetha isiNgesi ngoku

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 3 Convo - The 3 NB Sentences [51-52]

(A young Xhosa student [sisi] greets an old Xhosa man [tata])
Vocab: And you or you too - nawe
1. S: Molo Tata
2. T: Molo sisi, kunjani?
3. S: Philile. Kunjani wena?
4. T: Ndiphilile nam. Usifundiswa ngubani?
5. S: Uxolo. Ndisafunda ukuthetha isiXhosa. Ndithetha kancinci
nje.
6. T: Ok, usafunda.
7. S: Ewe, ndiyazama. Ndicela ukuthetha isiNgesi ngoku.
8. T: Kulungile
9. S: Sala kakuhle tata
10.T: Sala kakuhle nawe sisi.
English:
1. S: Hello, Father
2. T: Hello, young lady, how are you?
3. S: Fine. How are you?
4. T: I am also fine. (A confusing line you don’t know)?
5. S: Excuse me. I am still learning to speak Xhosa. I speak a
little bit only.
6. T: Ok, you are still learning.
7. S: Yes, I am trying. But I request to speak English now.
8. T: Fine.
9. S: Stay well, father.
10.T: Stay well too, sister 

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 3 Convo - The 3 NB Sentences [51-52]

(A young Xhosa student [sisi] greets an old Xhosa man [tata])
Vocab: And you or you too - nawe
1. S: Molo Tata
2. T: Molo sisi, kunjani?
3. S: Philile. Kunjani wena?
4. T: Ndiphilile nam. Usifundiswa ngubani?
5. S: Uxolo. Ndisafunda ukuthetha isiXhosa. Ndithetha kancinci
nje.
6. T: Ok, usafunda.
7. S: Ewe, ndiyazama. Ndicela ukuthetha isiNgesi ngoku.
8. T: Kulungile
9. S: Sala kakuhle tata
10.T: Sala kakuhle nawe sisi.
English:
1. S: Hello, Father
2. T: Hello, young lady, how are you?
3. S: Fine. How are you?
4. T: I am also fine. (A confusing line you don’t know)?
5. S: Excuse me. I am still learning to speak Xhosa. I speak a
little bit only.
6. T: Ok, you are still learning.
7. S: Yes, I am trying. But I request to speak English now.
8. T: Fine.
9. S: Stay well, father.
10.T: Stay well too, sister 

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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CULTURE INSIGHT - In the home: [53]

- it is usual and considered polite by Xhosa people to
seat yourself quietly and unobtrusively, rather then wait
to be asked to sit – standing in someone’s home on
arrival is considered impolite, aggressive and implies
that you have come to pick a quarrel.
- This is interesting in its contrast to western culture,
where it is considered good manners to wait until you
are asked to be seated or offered a seat. So try to have
seating easily available for Xhosa guests, else you risk
making them feel uncomfortable. Of course, many
urban Xhosa people have long since adapted to
western ways, but showing awareness, respect, courtesy
is a great thing to all people.
- its polite to tell someone that you will be making tea
for them. They must then refuse you. To offer tea is to
put a guest in an uncomfortable position of choice.
Milk is usually cooked with the tea and then taken with
separate sugar to the guest.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Introduction and Intentions

Welcome back. Moving on beyond the basics of
pronunciations, greetings, introductions, escape
phrases and good byes, we start getting into asking
and answering questions, playing with tenses and
negative statements, so as to further the scope of our
conversations.

It is important again for me to credit the many
sources that have helped me to learn Xhosa and
compile this manual. They include Anne Munnik’s
Learn Xhosa, Patricia Schonstein Pinnock’s Xhosa: A
Cultural Grammar, Beverley Kirsch and Silvia Skorge
(with Sindiwe Magona)’s Clicking with Xhosa, Sydney
Zotwana’s old textbooks, African Voices and now also
Xandi Bryant’s Xhosa for Second language learners, which
is the most comprehensive compendium of grammar
that I have seen, and hope to see it used for the
valuable resource that it is by more then just me. All
of the above books will be of the utmost value to you
in your Xhosa learning endeavors. Ndiyabulela
kakhulu.

These manuals are set out in the way that I feel
is the best way for an adult to learn the language,
which is the way I learnt it - as an adult. It leaves
things out that I think may confuse the beginner, but
includes everything that is necessary to get you to a
point where you can say, “Yes, I think I’m actually
getting this”, “Yes, this makes sense”, “Yes, I am

actually enjoying this to such an extent that I am

prepared to put in the effort to improve my Xhosa
(exponentially).”
I hope to put you in a place, where you can
pick up one of the above books and just absorb the
info, making the most of the resources available to
you, which I found difficult before I was forced to
learn (whilst living in a village in the Eastern Cape at
age 23).

This is a difficult process to undergo – the
learning of a new language, but it can be done with
patience and persistence. Sometimes you will feel like
a fool, sometimes you will feel shy, sometimes you will
feel stupid, but sometimes you will feel the most
profound sense of satisfaction, pride and enjoyment.
It is a very important contribution you are making to
the future of South Africa, even if you only know a
little. By using it, you are making an active attempt to
reach out and to communicate with your fellow South
Africans on equal grounds.

All of us are learning, so we can all be fools
together. It is only a small part of the change we need
as a community, as a society, and it is a humble start.
Singabantu thina, sonke. Siyafana phakati.
Masifunde kunye (Let’s learn together)
Craigieji Makhosi, Cape Town, 2007 - 2011

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 7: Negatives and Clarifications

Level 2 Verbs
be employed - phangela arrive - fika
go to - ya come from - vela
originate/move away - suka exit - phuma
get married - tshata
finish an action - gqiba
come to an end - phela

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Negatives [3]

I go or I am going - ndiyahamba
I don’t go, or I am not going - andihambi
• The basic rule is that any positive, present tense verb ends
with an a.
• The a is replaced by an i at the end and moves to the front.
• The ya never exists in the negative.
I understand - ndiyaqonda
I don’t understand - andiqondi
You like - uyathanda
You don’t like - awuthandi / akuthandi
He is pleased - uyavuya
He is not pleased - akavuyi
We are listening - siyamamela
We aren’t listening - asimameli
You (pl) are talking - niyathetha
You (pl) aren’t talking - anithethi
They are trying - bayazama
They are not trying - abazami

 UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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More examples [4]

Note the dropping of the initial vowel after the negative:
Andi I talk - ndiyathetha
I am not talking - andithethi
I talk Xhosa - ndithetha isiXhosa
I don’t talk Xhosa - andithethi siXhosa
Awu-/ You are learning - uyafunda
aku- You are not learning -awufundi
You are learning Xhosa - ufunda isiXhosa
You aren’t learning Xhosa - awufundi siXhosa

Aka- She sees - uyabona
She doesn’t see - akaboni
She sees people - ubona abantu
She doesn’t see the people - akaboni bantu
Asi- We understand - siyaqonda
We don’t understand - asiqondi
We understand the teacher - siqonda ititshala
We don’t understand the teacher - asiqondi t..
Ani- You (pl) are helping - niyanceda
You are not helping - anincedi
You (pl) help the lady - ninceda inkosikazi
You aren’t helping the lady - anincedi nkosikaz
Aba- They are looking - bayajonga
They are not looking - abajongi
They look over there - bajonga phaya
They aren’t looking there - abajongi phaya

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Commands and Negative commands [5]

Positive commands are literally just the action word:
Go - hamba talk - thetha
Do not ....... (sing) - Musa uku...
Do not ........ (plural) - Musani uku....
Do not go – musa ukuhamba
Dont go y’all - musani ukuhamba
Do not talk – musa ukuthetha
Do not talk (pl.) - musani ukuthetha 

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Short form: [6]

* This form is commonly used, thus we will emphasise its use.
Musa uku .... -> Suku.....
Musani uku .... -> Sanuku......
Don’t talk - Sukuthetha (plural) sanukuthetha
Don’t hurry – sukukhawuleza (plural)
sanukukhawuleza
Do not learn - sukufunda
Do not read (pl) - sanukufunda
tell a lie – xoka
(phosisa is a more polite - uyaphosisa- you have erred)
Do not tell a lie – sukuxoka (plural) sanukuxoka

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Please - Khawu......e [7]

*** A construct for please:
khawu...(verb stem)....e
e.g. Please go - khawuhambe
Please listen - khawumamele
Please talk English - khawuthethe isiNgesi
Please repeat - Khawuphinde

note: it is pure co-incidence that the verb for
hurry/go quickly is khawuleza.

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Can you?/Do you know how? [8]

Do you know how to - uyakwazi?
Do you know how to speak? - uyakwazi ukuthetha
isiX?
Yes, I do know how to - Ewe, ndiyakwazi
No, I don’t know how to - hayi, andikwazi

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Further Clarification Phrases: [9]

The following phrases are used when you need to get further clarity or when coaching a Xhosa person on
how to speak Xhosa with you.

* indicates priority
*I do not understand andiqondi
*I do not hear/get you andikuva
(which can also mean that )
I do not understand you andikuva
*what are you saying? uthini?
What did you say? utheni?
*Please repeat khawuphinde
Please go (talk) slow khawuzekelele
I am still learning Xhosa ndisafunda isiXhosa
*Do not talk so fast sukukhawuleza
*What is this ? Yintoni le?
What is ...”Hayibo”..... in English?
Yintoni ...”Hayibo”... ngesiNgesi?
What is ...”elephant”... in Xhosa?
Yintoni ...”elephant”... ngesiXhosa?

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Lesson 7 Essentials and Test [10]

You need to know these off-by-heart before the next lesson. These build your confidence and allow you to
use Xhosa to improve your Xhosa and coach the Xhosa person how to speak to you so that you can communicate better, whilst still learning. You must also understand their underlying grammar where possible so that you can use the constructs in other contexts.

1. I do not understand.
2. What are you saying?
3. Please repeat.
4. Do not go (talk) so fast.
5. What is this?
6. What is “hayibo” in English?
7. What is “elephant” in Xhosa?
8. Do you know how to speak Xhosa?
9. Yes, I know how to.
10. No, I don’t know how to.
Answers:
1. Andiqondi.

2. Uthini?
3. Khawuphinde.

4. Sukukhawuleza.
5. Yintoni le?
6. Yintoni “Hayibo” ngesiNgesi?
7. Yintoni “elephant” ngesiXhosa?
8. Uyakwazi ukuthetha isiXhosa na?
9. Ewe, ndiyakwazi.

10. Hayi, andikwazi.

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Lesson 7 Convo - Clarification Phrases [11-13]

(A Xhosa man greets a young lady Xhosa student)
Vocab:
At all - tu! I say - ndithi
Then - ke (used like ‘then’ in “alright then” or “ok
then”) Slang for English - isilungu
1. B: Molo sisi
2. S: Ewe
3. B: Uphilile?
4. S: Ndiphilile, enkosi. Wena unjani?
5. B: Ndiright enkosi. Unqabile wena.
6. S: Uxolo, bhuti, andiqondi. Ndisafunda isiXhosa.
Sukukhawuleza. Ndithetha kancinci nje.
7. B: Ndiyabona sisi. Ufuna ukuthetha isiLungu na?
8. S: Andikuva, bhuti, khawuphinde?
9. B: Ndithi: ufuna ukuthetha isiNgesi na?
10.S: Hayi, bhuti, enkosi, andifuni. Ndizama ukuthetha
isiXhosa nje. Uyakwazi ukuthetha isibhulu na?
11.B: Ndiyakwazi. Wena uyakwazi ukuthetha
isiFrentshi?
12.S: Andikwazi tu!
13.B: Alright, sharp ke sisi.
14.S: Sharp ke bhuti. Sobonana leyitha.
15.B: Bhabhayi

English:
1. B: Hello, sister.
2. S: Hello.
3. B: Are you well?
4. S: I am well, thanks, how are you?
5. B: I’m alright, thanks. You are scarce.
6. S: Excuse me brother, I do not understand. I am still
learning Xhosa. Do not go fast. I speak a little bit.
7. B: I see, sister, do you want to speak English?
8. S: I don’t understand you, brother, please repeat.
9. B: I am saying: do you want to speak English?
10.S: No, brother, thanks, I do not want to. I am trying to
speak Xhosa only. Do you know how to speak Afrikaans?
11.B: I know how. Do you know how to speak
French?
12.S: I don’t know how to at all!
13.B: Alright, sharp then sister.
14.S: sharp then, brother. See you later.
15.B: Good bye

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Lesson 7 Convo - Clarification Phrases [11-13]

(A Xhosa man greets a young lady Xhosa student)
Vocab:
At all - tu! I say - ndithi
Then - ke (used like ‘then’ in “alright then” or “ok
then”) Slang for English - isilungu
1. B: Molo sisi
2. S: Ewe
3. B: Uphilile?
4. S: Ndiphilile, enkosi. Wena unjani?
5. B: Ndiright enkosi. Unqabile wena.
6. S: Uxolo, bhuti, andiqondi. Ndisafunda isiXhosa.
Sukukhawuleza. Ndithetha kancinci nje.
7. B: Ndiyabona sisi. Ufuna ukuthetha isiLungu na?
8. S: Andikuva, bhuti, khawuphinde?
9. B: Ndithi: ufuna ukuthetha isiNgesi na?
10.S: Hayi, bhuti, enkosi, andifuni. Ndizama ukuthetha
isiXhosa nje. Uyakwazi ukuthetha isibhulu na?
11.B: Ndiyakwazi. Wena uyakwazi ukuthetha
isiFrentshi?
12.S: Andikwazi tu!
13.B: Alright, sharp ke sisi.
14.S: Sharp ke bhuti. Sobonana leyitha.
15.B: Bhabhayi

English:
1. B: Hello, sister.
2. S: Hello.
3. B: Are you well?
4. S: I am well, thanks, how are you?
5. B: I’m alright, thanks. You are scarce.
6. S: Excuse me brother, I do not understand. I am still
learning Xhosa. Do not go fast. I speak a little bit.
7. B: I see, sister, do you want to speak English?
8. S: I don’t understand you, brother, please repeat.
9. B: I am saying: do you want to speak English?
10.S: No, brother, thanks, I do not want to. I am trying to
speak Xhosa only. Do you know how to speak Afrikaans?
11.B: I know how. Do you know how to speak
French?
12.S: I don’t know how to at all!
13.B: Alright, sharp then sister.
14.S: sharp then, brother. See you later.
15.B: Good bye

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Lesson 7 Convo - Clarification Phrases [11-13]

(A Xhosa man greets a young lady Xhosa student)
Vocab:
At all - tu! I say - ndithi
Then - ke (used like ‘then’ in “alright then” or “ok
then”) Slang for English - isilungu
1. B: Molo sisi
2. S: Ewe
3. B: Uphilile?
4. S: Ndiphilile, enkosi. Wena unjani?
5. B: Ndiright enkosi. Unqabile wena.
6. S: Uxolo, bhuti, andiqondi. Ndisafunda isiXhosa.
Sukukhawuleza. Ndithetha kancinci nje.
7. B: Ndiyabona sisi. Ufuna ukuthetha isiLungu na?
8. S: Andikuva, bhuti, khawuphinde?
9. B: Ndithi: ufuna ukuthetha isiNgesi na?
10.S: Hayi, bhuti, enkosi, andifuni. Ndizama ukuthetha
isiXhosa nje. Uyakwazi ukuthetha isibhulu na?
11.B: Ndiyakwazi. Wena uyakwazi ukuthetha
isiFrentshi?
12.S: Andikwazi tu!
13.B: Alright, sharp ke sisi.
14.S: Sharp ke bhuti. Sobonana leyitha.
15.B: Bhabhayi

English:
1. B: Hello, sister.
2. S: Hello.
3. B: Are you well?
4. S: I am well, thanks, how are you?
5. B: I’m alright, thanks. You are scarce.
6. S: Excuse me brother, I do not understand. I am still
learning Xhosa. Do not go fast. I speak a little bit.
7. B: I see, sister, do you want to speak English?
8. S: I don’t understand you, brother, please repeat.
9. B: I am saying: do you want to speak English?
10.S: No, brother, thanks, I do not want to. I am trying to
speak Xhosa only. Do you know how to speak Afrikaans?
11.B: I know how. Do you know how to speak
French?
12.S: I don’t know how to at all!
13.B: Alright, sharp then sister.
14.S: sharp then, brother. See you later.
15.B: Good bye

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 CULTURE INSIGHT - Appreciation: [14]

- It is a sign of respect to give and receive with two
hands. It has practical elements in that two hands
are surer then one, lessoning the chance of dropping
or spilling the item being given, which especially in
old times was usually precious or rare, with food and
tools taking more time and energy to produce then
what we are used to in this convenience/
manufacturing/take-things-for-granted culture of
ours. Children will still receive with two hands from
their parents or any other person who gives them
something or will use both hands when tasked with
giving something to someone.
- the act of using two hands by the receiver would
have symbolized to the giver (and others) firstly the
appreciation of the gift, and secondly a sign that the
receiver was mindful enough to receive the gift and
take responsibility for it.
- hand clapping (a quick double clap usually) is also
used often to indicate agreement or appreciation
- A modern adaptation includes the other hand
touching the elbow or upper arm of the one giving or
receiving (often used in greetings too). Practically this
allows more reach and less awkward formality, whilst
still communicating respect through the token gesture
reminiscent of its predecessor.

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Greetings [20]

This is a basic greeting to get us through the first few
lessons. You may know some variations and we will
certainly cover them in time, but for now we are going
to stick to this simple formula.

Vocab for Greetings:

Hello (sing) - Molo Hello (plural) – Molweni
Brother - (u)bhuti Father - (u)tata
Sister - (u)sisi Mother - (u)mama
Teacher - (u)Titshala Students - (a)bafundi
(The vowels in brackets above are part of the full noun
when referring to a mother or the father, but is
dropped when speaking to someone directly.)
It - ku how? - njani? So... how’s it? - Kunjani?
Well - philile Thanks - enkosi
Yourself - wena Me too/also me - nam

Class Greeting: Greeting between
Class response in bold: individuals:
Molweni, Bafundi Molo, bhuti / tata
Molo, Titshala Molo, sisi / mama
kunjani? kunjani?
philile, enkosi philile, enkosi
kunjani, wena? kunjani, wena?
philile nam, enkos’ philile nam, enkos’

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Agglutination [19]

Xhosa is a ‘glutinous’ language, meaning that vowels at
the beginning and end of words are often swallowed,
words or syllables thus becoming ‘glued’ together.
Thank you, lady - Enkosi, nkosikazi
Becomes Enkos’ ‘nkosikazi (‘kos’kas’)

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Q Click ‘Tongue top middle’ [18]

(cork popping/door knocking)

Press the front part of the tongue against the hard palate behind
the front teeth and rapidly pull it away.
Understand western doctor traditional doctor
Qonda Ugqirha igqirha
(isangoma)

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C Click ‘Tongue in front’ [17]

(the ‘ag, shame’ tut-tut-tut/ticking clock, click)
Press the tip of the tongue against the upper front teeth and rapidly
pull it away.
Help a little bit request politely
Nceda kancinci cela

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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X ‘Sideways’ click [16]

(spurring a horse)
Press the side of the tongue against the upper side teeth and pull it
away rapidly.
Practice the isolated clicks with the five vowels:

xa xe xi xo xu
Xhosa language - isiXhosa
a Xhosa person - umXhosa
Xhosa people - amaXhosa
Peace - uxolo

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Writing the Clicks [15]

Interestingly, the letter k can be used to phonetically
represent the sound of the following three letters as
used in English.
X exam eksam / relaks
C clean klean / klever
Q quiet kwestion / rekwest
Which frees these three letters to represent the three
clicking sounds, as introduced below.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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The Clicks [14]

With the clicks it is important to remember that many
people struggle at first, purely because they are not
used to them. However, every human is capable of
making such sounds, many of us have made them in
different contexts and everyone I have taught has
gotten the clicks after some practice, whether that be
ten minutes of practice or three days. It depends on
ones attitude as well as effort.

Be patient with oneself. You may have to reprogram
certain muscles in your mouth. For such situations it is
best to practice often, but to rest whenever one starts to
feel strained by the effort. This may happen quickly in
the beginning, but this will change with time.
Patience and practice.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Consonants [13]

Are generally easy and may be learnt as one learns the
language. There are a few important exceptions:
Ph peanut not phone (alive - phila, well - philile)
Th talk not thought (talk - thetha)
Hl hlala not shlala (live,sit - hlala) (down - phantsi)
TIP: (keep front tip of tongue against palette whilst
making a sh sound) well/beautifully - kakuhle
Rh in Gauteng/goud - eRhawutini (as in Afrikaans)
AmaRharhabe – One of the main Xhosa proper tribes.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at: https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Vowels [12]

Vowel: pronounced like: as in word for: in Xhosa:
A ah mother mama
E egg yourself wena
I igloo well philile
O or hello molo
U oo-la-la brother ubhuti

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at: https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Pronunciation [11]

An important place to start is with pronunciation. This
will be learnt and re-learnt as your experience with the
language grows. It is important to make an effort from
the start as we all know how much an accent can affect
ability to communicate and early habits tend to stick.
English is a non-phonetic language, which means that
a letter can be pronounced in many different ways or
different letter can represent the same sound in
different words. The following example reveals four
such ways for A:

Ape Arm Apple Air

Xhosa is a phonetic language. The letters correspond
to the sounds consistently, so it is an easy language to
learn to read quickly.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

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Hello [9]

saying hello to one person: Molo

saying hello to more then one person: Molweni

Molo/Molweni, although deriving from the English
and Afrikaans greetings, “Morning and More”, can be
used any time of the day or night and is usually
followed by a name or title of the person being greeted,
variations of which we will learn later on.

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

#ubuntu #learnxhosa #xhosa #xhosalanguage #isiXhosa

UBuntu Bridge has been teaching Xhosa since 2006, there are various products, learning services and tools at : https://www.learnxhosaonline.com/store

#ubuntu #learnxhosa #xhosa #xhosalanguage #isiXhosa