Basic Xhosa
Welcome to your most challenging language ...ever.
Here are a few helpful sayings and phrases most commonly used in the Xhosa language. Please note there are a few specifics here that are used more or less often by Mpondo people versus the larger Xhosa speaking entity in Southern Africa. Mpondo dialect is unique to Port St Johns.
| English | Xhosa | Phonetic Pron. |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (sing) | Molo | Mo-Lo |
| Hello (plural) | Molweni | Mol-Weni |
| You | Wena | |
| He / she | Yena | |
| Me | Nom | |
| Little girl | Ntombazana | |
| Little boy | Inkwenkwe | |
| Woman(older-oldest) | Abafazi,Sisi, Mama, Makhulu | |
| Man | Indoda, Bhuti, Tata, Madala | |
| How are you? (sing) | Unjani Wena? | Oon-Jani? |
| How are you? (pl) | Kunjani? | Koon-Jani? |
| I am fine | Ndiphilile | Indi-pilee-le |
| We are fine | Siphilile | Si-pe-lee-le |
| Thanks! | Enkosi | In-cos-i |
| What is your name? | Ungubani Igama lakho | Goobani-kamalakko |
| My name is | Igama lam ndingu (name) | Ikama-lam indingoo |
| What time is it? | Ngubani iXesha? | Goobani I (side click)-kesha? |
| Where do you stay? | Uhlalapi Wena? | Oo-shellapee We-na? |
| Where are you coming from? | Uvelapi? | Oo-ve-lapi? |
| Where are they going? | Wayaapi? | Wai-ya-pee? |
| I have no money | Andinayo I mali | And-ee-Nayo e Mah-lee |
| I don’t want it | Andifuni le | And-ee-fooni lay |